Thrilled at the prospect of witnessing the overloaded cuteness of a newborn pup? They are adorable. Agree? But they require special care, and dealing with them initially could be challenging and overwhelming.
Dogs, after some age and considerable training, can be easily managed, but managing pups, that too, newborns, would require special attention. With newborn pups, you need to expect the unexpected, and that is why we are here to ease the process for you to deal with your little bundle of joy.
Potty training is the most important part of any dog training. What if your pup has arrived into the world but faces difficulties in pooping? Keep reading to learn more about such a situation and how to relieve the little pup from such a scenario.
Can a Newborn Puppy Poop on its Own?
It might surprise you to know that puppies, just like human babies, are absolutely helpless without the help of their mothers. For the initial t weeks of their lives, even their eyes do not open, and they are totally dependent on their mothers, who not only feed them from time to time but also help them in all the other essential activities, like pooping. It is only after two weeks that they gradually start opening their eyes, and they start crawling on their own. Besides, they also learn to poop without any assistance from their moms!
How to Know if Your Newborn Puppy is Pooping or Not?
It is not easy to ascertain if your newborn puppy is pooping or not. To begin with, you need to be sure that your puppy is adequately nursed and is not suffering from any kind of dehydration. A healthy puppy stool should be light brown in color, and it should also have a yellowish appearance. Suppose you find that your puppy’s stool is either too hard or too loose. In that case, there is some issue with their digestive system. It is not functioning properly, and they need medical attention.
Possible Reasons Why Your Newborn Puppy is Not Pooping?
Ideally, several reasons could be listed if your dog or pup is not pooping. Starting from indigestion to anxiety to even getting a shot could cause constipation in your dogs. But these reasons do not always apply to your newborn pup. Let’s take a look at the several reasons that are to blame for your pup’s condition, which is not letting them poop.
#1. Your Pup is Constipated
First and foremost, you need to understand that your little pup may be constipated due to several reasons. These reasons may range from lack of dietary fibers in their daily food intake to lack of water content in their bodies which can cause acute dehydration. In addition, this condition affects the production of stool in your pup, which becomes problematic for them.
#2. Intestinal Blockage
Varying from little to extreme, your puppy may have a medical condition of intestinal blockage, which is not allowing it to poop properly at regular intervals. In addition, foreign bodies often get lodged in the intestines of puppies, which severely affects their bowel movement. Besides, your pup may also have an endocrine disorder that interferes with its digestive system.
#3. Medicinal Effect
Your pup must consume a couple of medicines at regular intervals to enjoy a healthy and fulfilling life. However, these medicines may tamper with the regular functioning of your pup’s digestive system, thereby affecting its regular bowel movements.
#4. Gastrointestinal or Neurological Problems
Although rare, dogs can suffer from gastrointestinal or neurological issues from an early age. It may have an intestinal tumor blocking the passage it requires to poop easily. Such conditions affect the controls of its bowels. Also, there might be a condition where too much water is absorbed from the stool, making it hard and dry, causing constipation.
#5. Parasitic Infection and Allergy
You may check your pup for allergic reactions to certain types of foods, which is probably not allowing the nutrients to be completely absorbed into the body. Besides, parasitic infections are quite common with puppies that do not allow your puppy’s vital organs to absorb the nutrients from the food efficiently. This can also lead to constipation and might be the reason why your pup is unable to poop properly.
#6. Congenital Problems
Your puppy may also suffer from some congenital problems, which do not allow them to swallow their food easily. Since they cannot swallow, it affects their food intake, which creates constipation in them, which in turn, does not allow them to defecate properly.
#7. Your Puppy may be Suffering from Stress or Anxiety
You may be surprised to know that puppies are capable of suffering from stress and anxiety. This affects their daily intake of food and drinks, which affects their digestive system. Hence, your puppy may have become susceptible to acute constipation.
For How Long is it Fine for a Puppy not to Poop?
Under normal circumstances, newborn puppies can go up to two days without pooping. Although it is not something to worry about, if your puppy has not pooped in 48 hours or so, you should consider taking him/her to your veterinarian and ascertain the reason behind it. Also, look out if it affects your puppies’ hunger. If it is well-fed and keeps drinking milk at regular intervals, then it is not an issue. But, if you find that your puppy is neither feeding on time nor is it pooping frequently enough, there might be some medical condition. As a dog parent, you need to ascertain that!
5 Best Solutions if Your Newborn Puppy is not Pooping?
Needless to say, your puppy will feel uncomfortable if it cannot poop for quite some time. As a dog parent, isn’t it our responsibility to take care of your puppy in such situations? So, what are the solutions to this problem? What can you possibly do to relieve your puppy from this feeling? Let’s have a quick look at it.
1. Check the Diet of the Puppy
Fiber is one of the primary ingredients in an ideal meal. It removes constipation and helps one pass stool easily. That is why it is important to include fiber in your puppy’s meal, and if your puppy is not pooping, the chances are that it is not getting adequate fiber in its meals. You can also try to add one teaspoon of canned pumpkin to your puppy’s food. Alternatively, when feeding your puppy its regular portion of milk, you can also add a very small about of dark Karo syrup to it.
2. Consult with a Veterinarian or a Canine Nutritionist
The question remains how to be sure if your puppy lacks fiber in its meals. You can either visit your veterinarian or approach a canine nutritionist and let them determine if this is the case with your pup! They can also help you with the best dietary solution for your puppy to help it from constipation.
3. Change your Puppy’s Regular Routines
Many times, changing your puppy’s daily routine helps them to poop. You can also begin taking your puppy out for a walk, which will help in their bowel movement. Besides, you should bathe your puppy. This will stimulate their bowels and will help them to poop.
4. Try Some Regular Home Remedies
Try some home remedies to provide respite to your puppy from the problem of constipation. For instance, you can either make them lay down on their back and put a warm piece of cloth to compress your puppy’s tummy. Or, you can simply message your puppy’s tummy. Both these remedies will relax your pup’s muscles, aid them in indigestion, and improve their bowel movements.
5. Use a Laxative
Laxatives are a great way of removing constipation both for humans and dogs. Keep a constant track of your pup’s bowel movements. If the problem of constipation persists over time, it may lead to your puppy having blood or mucus in their poop. This can be a serious problem, and you should ask your veterinarian for suggestions regarding laxatives. There are some laxatives designed for puppies as well. Use them and relieve your puppy’s constipation problems.
What Color Should The Poop Be?
The color of a puppy’s stool reveals a lot about its health. In fact, since puppies poop more often than adult dogs and cannot express themselves, their stool can help you gauge their health condition better.
What Is The Desirable Color Of Your Puppy’s Poop?
The ideal color of a puppy’s poop is light brown. It should be well-formed, and we recommend you watch out if it is too hard or too runny. Besides, it should be soft and look like a big Tootsie roll. But the stools should be a manageable size.
Also, stool size depends on several factors, like the regular diet, the size of the dog, and the time of the day when it is pooping.
What Poop Color Is Not Desirable In Puppies?
Now that we know what the ideal color of your dog should be, you should also be aware of the poop color that indicates some underlying problem in your dog. So let us have a quick look at them.
Black
If your newborn puppy’s poop is black, or if it has some black spots, there is blood entering its stomach, which is then getting digested. Besides, your dog may also have an ulcer in its intestines or stomach or have consumed rat poison.
Yellow
Well, for young puppies, yellow poop is not the ideal condition, as it indicates an upset stomach. Also, keep a good check on whatever your puppy is eating throughout the day. There is a good chance that some food item does not agree with their digestive system.
Green
At times, puppies can poop green as well. While generally, this means that it has consumed grass, probably when it was playing outside, it can also be a serious indication. For example, green poop can mean that it has ingested rat poison or parasites have infested it.
We recommend you take it to the vet to be sure about the severity of the condition.
Red
Needless to say, the red color in puppy poop indicates blood. But this is fresh blood and not digested. So, this condition can indicate several problems like inflammation in the colon, gastrointestinal tract bleeding, infection or injury in your dog’s rectum, and even tumor.
Irrespective of the reason, you should save time and book an appointment with a vet as soon as possible.
Orange
Just like red poop, a tinge of orange in your puppy’s poop is also not a welcome sight. It can indicate many serious issues related to your puppy’s gallbladder, liver, and bile ducts. Well, sometimes, this can also happen when the food passes too quickly through your dog’s digestive system.
In either case, you need to get your dog checked by the vet to be sure about the severity of the underlying issue.
How Many Times A Day Should A Newborn Puppy Poop?
If you have just bought a young puppy and become a new dog parent, you may have noticed that they poop quite frequently. Since they are small in size, they have a small intestinal tract. They can quickly process food and move quicker in their digestive tract the younger they are.
Generally, a puppy can poop 5 to 6 times a day, although pooping more often is quite common in some breeds. But the frequency of pooping decreases with time.
For instance, while a two weeks old puppy may poop after every meal, once they turn twelve months, they may poop only four times a day. Once they are six months old, they may poop three times a day, and an adult dog usually poops only once a day.
Additionally, we recommend that you be attentive to the color, frequency, coatings, and texture of your puppy’s poop. Finally, if there are any abnormalities, remember to make an appointment with the veterinarian.
Also, if you find rice grain-like structures in your dog’s stool, it is probably worms, and you should visit the vet.
How Do You Know If Your Puppy Is In Pain?
Unfortunately, since puppies can’t speak, they tend to suffer in silence most of the time. While it is difficult to figure out if they are in pain, they try to express themselves by giving out signs.
If you are careful enough, you will notice those signs that imply that your puppy is in pain. In this section, let us look at the signs you should be watching out for.
Mournful Cry
This is the first and foremost sign that your puppy is trying to express that it is in pain. When a dog is in discomfort, he or she becomes noisier.
Excessive whimpering, growling, snarling, and even grunting might be your dog’s way of communicating that it is not well and is in a lot of pain.
Aggression And Being Unsocial
Your pup may become shockingly aggressive if it is in pain. While puppies love to play and follow their owners everywhere, they may try to avoid you if they are in pain. It may also try to hide in some place as well.
Change In Movement And Eating Pattern
If your puppy is in pain, it will try to sleep more, as it is probably hard for it to move around the house, or it is probably trying to heal itself. It may absolutely refuse to go outside to walk or play.
Additionally, you will also notice that it is gradually losing its appetite. From food to water, its consumption will decrease. Furthermore, if your puppy has difficulty chewing and gulping down its food, it may also imply that it has some dental issue and should be immediately taken to the vet.
Licking Paws
If you find that your puppy is continuously licking its paw, there is a good chance that it has pain in its paws or limbs and is trying to comfort itself. While adult dogs are more prone to do so, even puppies show similar indications.
Heavy Breathing
A panting puppy is no shocker for most pet parents, as they often do so for various reasons ranging from hot weather to regular exercise. But if your puppy is panting even when you have not taken it out for a walk and the weather is cool, it may be a warning sign.
Besides, if you find that its breathing is shallow, your puppy is probably experiencing pain while breathing, and you should immediately take it to the vet.
Issues With Movement
If your puppy is limping or has become somehow stiffy, it implies that it is in pain. This can result from various issues like sore paws, some injury, or even arthritis. So, it doesn’t want to climb stairs or has difficulty even getting up.
Change In Posture
If your puppy is experiencing pain, its posture will eventually change. A range of diseases, like infections and inflammation, can cause swelling in the legs, paws, and face. As a result, some puppies tend to hunch while others try to avoid keeping the painful limb on the ground.
Restlessness And Agitation
If your puppy is in pain, it will be restless and may even become agitated. Besides, it may also pace back and forth as it is probably uncomfortable. Besides, if your pup is experiencing pain, it is probably sleep-deprived and, hence, agitated.
Trembling Or Shivering
Shivering or trembling does not always indicate chilly weather. However, both of these are good indications that your puppy is in pain. So, if your puppy is shivering despite being in a warm room, it is a good chance that it is experiencing some distress.
FAQs
A puppy generally poops every 6 to 7 hours. They can even poop a greater number of times in a day. They can not remain healthy without pooping for a long time. If they have spent 24 hours without pooping, you need to keep a check on them. You must contact your vet if they do not poop for 48 hours.
When your newborn puppy is not pooping, you must take some serious action. At first, you lightly rub the dog within your arms for 30 seconds.
Then, using a bit of damp muslin cloth, softly touch the puppy’s area at the hind legs while carrying it near the midsection using the other arm.
You can give it medication per the vet’s recommendation when excessive gas is noticed. If it is not working, administer a little Karo syrup. Once the gas problem is taken care of, it may begin pooping normally.
To understand whether your puppy is constipated, you must observe them keenly. Digestive problems symptoms include an extremely rigid and swollen tummy, difficulty swallowing (or chewing), whimpering, and muttering. Other medical symptoms are nausea, puking, tiny portions of watery stools or diarrhea, and weight loss.
A newborn puppy needs help to poop as it is too small to do the same alone. You must care for it with the hot, damp cotton ball at the point of the hind legs. After that, you can give it a little amount of Karo syrup as an oral medication.
Puppies often do not poop due to gas formation. For that, you need to contact your vet.
Generally, a 1-week old puppy poops every two hours during the day. At times, they can even poop more depending on their feeding habit. After consuming each and everyone, they will be pooping regularly. Sometimes, they will poop even without having meals.
If you want to give a massage to your pup to help it poop, you will need to make it quiet first. Take a muslin cloth, and dip it into warm water. After that, rub it gently around its stomach in circles clockwise and anticlockwise for nearly 5 to 6 minutes. Then place it on its back so its legs remain directed upwardly.
You must rub the area between your dog’s hind legs in a caring fashion. By doing this, you can make them feel relaxed and comfortable. This eases their problems. On the other hand, you can also massage its stomach clockwise or anticlockwise in circles.
If you feel you can do these properly, contact the vet and follow his instructions.
There are many ways to stimulate the puppy to poop. Some of them are:
• Spray a mixture of water and chlorhexidine solution (a disinfectant), and spray the solution in its butthole.
• Insert a cotton swab dipped in vaseline or any other petroleum jelly.
• Rubbing an ice cube directly in your puppy’s anal area can also help.
• Squirt plain water directly into a puppy’s anus.
• Rub your puppy’s abdomen very lightly with warm and wet cotton balls that can stimulate its bowels.
• Administering Karo syrup can be a good option.
An adult dog can go for 7-8 hours maximum without pooping if properly healthy. Puppies can not wait beyond 4-5 hours before pooping; for newborns or 1 to 2 weeks old, the time frame is about 2 hours.
If your pet has not pooped for 20 to 24 hours, you must keep an eye on it.
Yes, it is quite problematic if your dog is not pooping. Puppies poop more often. Generally, even adult dogs poop at least four times a day. So, if your dog has not pooped for 24 hours, you must check on it.
If more than 48 hours have passed since your dog last pooped, it is wise to contact your vet.
Conclusion
As a dog parent, knowing the solution to certain problems of your pet buddy is a great relief. When you know those quick fix solutions, you can immediately give relief to your doggo. And now that you know, and you will of course come to know more by exploring through this website, it will be easy for you to take care of your dog.
Hi, I’m Walter,
I live in Oklahoma City, USA, and have extensive dog caring and grooming expertise. In addition, I provide dog training tips and tricks through my blogs in Canine Weekly. I have a Dog Behavior and Training diploma and have previously worked as a Dog Trainer at ROC Animal Training and Behavior and Tip Top K9 of OKC Dog Training.
Apart from writing on Canine Weekly, I share my views on Twitter and Linkedin.