If you have a dog, you've probably spent your fair share of time picking up dog poop over the years. The average dog will poop at least once every day, if not two or three times in some cases.
But every now and then, you might find that your dog will skip pooping for a day or even multiple days. This might make you wonder, "How long can a dog go without pooping?"
You should aim to find out the answer to this question so that you'll know whether or not you should be concerned if your dog doesn't poop for a day or two. You might need to worry about your pup experiencing dog bowel issues if you notice they aren't pooping like usual.
We've put together some information on how often dogs should poop and touched on how long a dog might be able to go without pooping before you need to be worried. Check out our dog poop guide below.
How Often Should Your Dog Poop?
First things first: Before we get into discussing how long a dog can go without pooping, let's talk a little bit about how often your dog should poop.
Generally speaking, your dog should poop once every 12 to 24 hours. It takes a dog about that long to digest its food fully, so once that's done, they should be ready to poop.
That doesn't necessarily mean that you should start panicking if it's been more than 24 hours since the last time your dog pooped. There are some dogs that might not poop for a day here and there.
But your dog should poop about once each day under normal circumstances. If they're not doing that, it might be something you'll want to evaluate on your own or speak with your veterinarian about.
What Might Prevent Your Dog From Pooping?
If your dog doesn't poop for more than a day, there might be something preventing them from pooping. You may want to look into this further to see if you can figure out what might be going on with them.
In some cases, the reason behind your dog not pooping might be as simple as them not having enough to eat. If they skipped a meal for whatever reason, they might not need to poop like normal.
Your dog might also not poop because they ate something that didn't agree with their stomach. It could be causing dog constipation to set in.
Additionally, the age of your dog could have a lot to do with their lack of pooping. When you're potty training a dog that is still a puppy, they're going to poop all the time. But when a dog starts to get up there in age, they will poop a lot less than they did when they were younger.
How Long Can a Dog Go Without Pooping?
As we've mentioned a few times now, it won't be the end of the world if your dog doesn't poop for more than 24 hours. You should keep an eye on them, but there is likely an easy explanation for their lack of pooping.
If, however, your dog still doesn't poop for 48 or even 72 hours, that's when you're going to begin asking, "How long can a dog go without pooping?" That is a long time for a dog to not poop at all.
You will want to begin being a little bit more proactive about what could be going on with your dog if it's been two or more days since their last bowel movement.
What Should You Do If Your Dog Isn't Pooping?
If it's been more than two days since your dog has pooped, you should take it upon yourself to try and remedy the situation. There are a few things you can try to get your dog to poop.
First and foremost, you can attempt to let them outside more often than usual so that they have the opportunity to poop if they need to. You can also try taking them for a nice, long walk as long as they aren't in any obvious discomfort. Exercise can help stimulate a dog and make them poop.
Outside of giving these things a try, you can attempt to massage your dog's abdomen for a little while to see if that helps. If nothing else, it may provide them with some relief from any pain that they feel.
If none of these things work, though, that will be when you'll want to reach out to your vet to see if you should bring your dog in to get looked at. There could be a more serious situation that will need to be dealt with accordingly.
What Might Happen If Your Dog Doesn't Poop for a Long Time?
If a dog doesn't poop for an extended period of time, it could begin to take a toll on their health. Here are some of the health complications that might arise when your dog is struggling to go:
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Weakness
You might also find that your dog will want to poop as they'll walk around outside and strain to have a bowel movement. But this might only lead to further frustration on the part of both you and your pet.
At this point, you will almost always want to take your dog to your vet's office to get checked out. It'll be painfully obvious that there is something going on that will need to be taken care of before the situation gets any worse.
How Can You Encourage Your Dog to Poop More Often?
As a dog owner, it's going to be your responsibility to find ways to encourage your dog to poop once each day. There are a handful of things that you can do to put them in a position to poop more often.
You should try to get into the habit of either taking your dog outside every now and then or letting them run around in your backyard. This will provide them with a chance to exercise, and it'll also give them an opportunity to pee and poop if they have to.
In addition to doing this, you might also want to set up Gotta Go Grass® somewhere inside your home so that your dog can poop if they really have to. This is a great option for those who want to encourage a dog to poop when they're at work or when there is inclement weather outside.
If you don't encourage your dog to poop, they might start trying to hold it in more than they should. This could lead to accidents happening in your home at the least opportune times. It could also lead to dog bowel issues if you're constantly forcing your dog to wait to go outside so that they can poop.
What Can Dog Poop Tell You About Your Dog's Health?
As you've no doubt noticed by now, it's very important for you to keep tabs on how often your dog is pooping. You don't want a dog to poop too much, but you also don't want them to go days without pooping since it could be a sign of trouble.
At the same time, it's also going to be extra important for you to look at dog poop and analyze it. You can tell a lot about a dog's health by inspecting their poop.
If your dog's poop is very watery, it could indicate that they have an intestinal issue going on. If your dog's poop looks like tiny pellets, it could suggest that they're dehydrated.
And if your dog's poop contains mucus, blood, or anything else out of the ordinary, it'll usually serve as a red flag. You won't want to ignore dog poop like this since it could mean that your dog needs to see a vet ASAP.
Dog poop should be in log form and it should be chocolate brown in color. This will tell you that your dog is most likely in good health, at least as far as their digestive health is concerned.
Try to Make Sure Your Dog Poops on a Regular Basis
Your job as a dog owner is to make sure your dog is pooping at least once every day. It's also to monitor your dog's poop routine and to ask questions like, "How long can a dog go without pooping?"
If you find that your dog is always going for long stretches without pooping, it might be worth discussing it with your vet. You might also want to put Gotta Go Grass® to the test and see if it's the solution to your dog's pooping problem.
Shop for Gotta Go Grass® on our website and contact us with any questions you may have about it.
