Doggy Enema help!

[margieeee92]

Hello everyone,
My 3 year old female chihuahua was severely constipated and we took her to the vet. The dr. administered an enema to remove the blockage. A couple hours later, we got the OK to bring Maci(my dog) home. Well, she is showing the signs that I was primarily worried about before taking her to the vet. At around 3 am she woke up abruptly and was really restless, she kept pacing and walking around in circles and when she would eventually fall asleep she would yelp out in pain. Now, after the enema, she is still pacing, restless and very quietly whimpering. Although, she has eaten after the enema and seems to have gotten her appetite back she is still acting like she is blocked up or in pain. I took her for a walk to see if she could pass a bowel movement, which she did twice and I thought her passing a BM would alleviate her but she's still constantly pacing and very quietly whimpering. Is this normal behavior after an enema? She is not leaking(so far, it been an hour since we brought her home) and her stools were soft/soggy but not runny nor solid. She is not crying or seem to be in severe pain. I'm more concerned that she can't stay still and pacing! Please help!  

P.S I would also like to add that a week ago(on a monday) she had an abscessed anal gland and has it surgically cleaned out and lanced. Her constipation occured exactly 5 days after her surgery.(on friday) and no infection.

I appreciate all the help!
-Worried mommy.

[margieeee92]

Thank you Tony. Wishing you a merry Christmas as well! -Margie

[tonyb286]

That's good to know. I rather guessed you were feeding dry food, which is why I mentioned it. If you want to find out why I really don't like any dog being fed dry food, you can read my info on it here: http://www.infobarrel.com/Why_Dry_Dog_Food_Is_Bad_For_Dogs

I hope you have a peaceful and contented Christmas. Cyber hugs to Maci. Tony

[margieeee92]

Hello, Thank you for your advice. By the time I felt that my little pup couldn't take it anymore, my vet had already closed up shop... but luckily I was able to contact an Emergency vet hospital over the phone and got advice. I guess my first mess up after bringing her home was not wetting her food or giving her the veggies or soft food. She was ravishing her dry food which I'm assuming worsened her issue since she was already in that delicate state. Thankfully I was told over the phone by the pet hospital that pumpkin puree should help her and it worked like a charm! My little gal is doing SO much better! I'm glad I called instead of taking her in to the ER. Such a simple fix! Good thing to know for (hopefully not too soon) next time :) Thanks again!

[margieeee92]

Thank you so much for your response! I really appreciate it!

[tonyb286]

Hi. Chihuahuas have such tiny bodies and are they are also prone to anxiety related issues, so giving an enema can be traumatic for them (and vets need to be extremely careful, otherwise little dogs like this can go into shock). It may be that your best friend is traumatized by the event, or of course anxious because she still has problems ... either way, I would contact your vet before they close for the festive period and have her examined (don't accept a telephone call response).

Between now and then, try to keep her as calm as possible, ensure she drinks sufficient water to keep her hydrated, and try mixing some par-boiled vegetables in with her normal food. If you are feeding a dry food, ensure it is soaked with water for a few minutes to prevent further problems occurring.

There is clearly a link between the surgery and her anxiety and constipation, and even though she now appears to be moving her bowels normally, the vet should investigate to ensure the surgery is healing properly and not bleeding into the abdomen (and that the lower intestine has not ruptured or prolapsed).

Do let us know how you get on. Tony

[Jerry_NJ]

I would expect the vet to follow up on procedures without any charge.  Of course, if some additional medical attention is needed or medicine necessary, one would expect to pay for that.

I have had my dog "worked" on several times and each time the vet (office) called to see how well our dog was doing.  That would be an opportunity to discuss issues such as you describe.  

Was the surgery the same vet that did the enema?  If not also contact the vet that did the surgery get a professional opinion regarding the possible afterl affects you dog is now suffering from .