Puppy hasn't pooped in 36 hours after first vet visit — is this normal?
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lucia_m·1 day·541 views
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Brought home a 9-week-old Lab puppy (Winston) on Saturday. First vet visit was Sunday — vaccinations, deworming, general exam. He ate fine Sunday evening and this morning, but it's now been about 36 hours since he last pooped. He's not straining or acting uncomfortable, just... nothing.
Could the stress of the vet visit + new home do this? Is 36 hours something I should be worried about with a 9-week-old?
2 replies
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dr_yamadaVET· 1 day
Extremely common and almost certainly stress-related. The combination of new home + first vet visit (new smells, handling, vaccines) can absolutely slow a puppy's GI for 24-48 hours. As long as he's eating, drinking, not bloated, not vomiting, and not straining unsuccessfully, give it until hour 48. A short walk outside often helps trigger the reflex. If nothing by 48 hours or if he seems uncomfortable, call the vet — but at 36 hours post-stress event this is textbook.
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rescue_sam· about 20 hours
My rescue puppy did the same thing for the first 48 hours. New environment completely shut his system down. A gentle tummy rub and a few laps around the yard did it. Puppies are super sensitive to environmental changes.
