Sadly, our dog was just diagnosed with this following a surgery to remove his spleen. My understanding is cancer is not uncommon in older dogs and not painful in itself.
The dog laps up copious amounts of water with results in frequent and lengthy urinations. He is eating somewhat normally, but not pooping. It is possible there’s a blockage.
Two questions:
Is is safe to give some type of laxative?
Is not pooping painful?
Thx
Please ask your vet!
[Moderating]
While this isn’t the sort of medical question we usually get, the policy is the same. Requests for medical advice go in IMHO.
And, yes, ask your vet.
I’d expect there to be some sort of pet emergency hospital in your area or in the nearest city. I’m sure that you could get some advice over the phone, even if it’s too late for most vets.
YMMV.
But I’ve always heard laxatives(especially human ones) are never good for dogs.
Yes, see the vet.
You’ve never been constipated?
Not eliminating the bowels can cause sepsis and a slow death.
Yes it feels awful!
Hermangiosarcoma is a fast cancer that spreads rapidly, mainly in the gut.
Don’t mean to cause fear and upset but you’re not likely to get good news, on this.
I hope for the best and may your pup be pain free.
Good luck.
Is he on any medication?
Sorry to read about your dog. My 16 yr old dog had the same and had his spleen removed. The hemangiosarcoma was found in his liver and heart during the surgery.
My vet called and asked if he should put him down that day, as the outcome would not be good. I declined, and was told he had about 6 weeks left. They were a GOOD 6 weeks for him.
He was on prednisone which increased his water intake and urine output…lots of both. I do not recall any poop issues (this was in the year 2000). I agree with everyone else.
Call your vet, he/she knows best.
That’s why asked about medications. Very common result of many medications for ailing dogs (and I think humans too).
Yes, from personal experience, it does have the same effect in humans depending on the dose.
Please consult a good vet.
Some animals can have good lives for quite a long time after a cancer diagnosis, especially if it is detected and treated, or at least controlled.
Do not use human laxatives on dogs.
Thx for the replies.
Did you consult a vet?
Our dog died of hemangiosarcomas a week ago Saturday. Not even 8 years old. Took her to the vet because she seemed like she had indigestion, and they told us she’d be gone before the day was over. So we put her down. Often no warning signs in dogs, they just bleed out one day. I brought her ashes and noseprint home 2 days ago. We’re still in shock over it.
Copious drinking can be due to hemorrhaging. They become very dehydrated and thirsty.
My Grady was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma in Sept 2023, after having his spleen removed. He was doing SO WELL after the spleen removal that I opted for chemo for him, even though they said it would only give me an extra 6-8 months. I lost him 13 months later, in Oct 2024.
Like @PB_J 's doggo, his last 13 months were GOOD months. We had our Hot Dog Summer.
He drank a lot of water but he had always drank a lot of water. His bowel movements were smaller and less frequent towards the end of his life. He also didn’t eat well for a while before he went. He was never on any meds (other than in-office chemo).
Sorry to hear about this diagnosis. I stressed every day for 13 months after the diagnosis, cuz I knew every day could be our last day. But I have no regrets about the life I gave him. That’s all I got.
So sad to hear that others are having the same struggle as we are - our Bert had an emergency splenectomy the day after Thanksgiving which removed a huge tumor and also took part of his liver (likely due to adhesion), and though we are still waiting for the biopsy results, we are clear that it’s highly likely to be hemangiosarcoma, or at least not a benign tumor. Like others, we had no idea - we took him in because we thought he had aggravated an old back injury and needed his meds modified. The doctor immediately did an ultrasound, saw the tumor, and operated within the hour. Although he came through that “like a puppy” (he’s 14!!), we know that the bounceback is not an indicator of his diagnosis…though of course we’re hoping and praying for as much pain-free, high-quality time as we can get.
So sorry for everyone dealing with this.
Edited to add - we were told it could be 5 days after surgery before our dog had a bowel movement, and that it’s totally normal; beyond that you should talk to the vet, but he told us he would likely have us add pumpkin to his food before trying any chemical intervention. Fortunately, we never needed to do that!