Can puppies get constipation? Definitely, yes!

Puppy constipation is fairly common! There’s almost always something affecting how their digestive system is working. Here’s a deeper look at the main causes and what’s actually happening in their body:

• Diet changes (switching food too quickly)

A puppy’s digestive system isn’t just the stomach—it includes a whole community of gut bacteria (the microbiome) that helps break down food. Each type of puppy food supports a different balance of bacteria. When you suddenly switch foods, the “old” bacteria aren’t suited to the new food and the “new” bacteria haven’t grown yet! As a result: digestion slows down or becomes inefficient ☹

• Dehydration (not drinking enough water)

After food is digested, the leftover waste enters the large intestine (colon). The colon’s job is to absorb water and to turn waste into solid stool. The amount of water in the body directly affects how soft or hard that stool becomes. When your puppy isn’t drinking enough, the body goes into “water-saving mode” and tries to preserve fluids for vital organs (brain, heart, kidneys). So, it pulls extra water from less critical areas—including the intestines.

• Eating the wrong things (like grass, toys, or bones)

Puppies explore with their mouths, like babies. They chew and swallow things because of teething (their gums are sore), curiosity or boredom and even hunger!  When a puppy eats non-food items, the material doesn’t digest properly: grass, hair, fabric, plastic, rubber (toys)… All these either don’t break down at all or only partially digest.

Signs to watch for :

• Straining or crying when trying to poop

Straining (vets call it tenesmus) is when a puppy pushes hard repeatedly, or squats for a long time and produces little or no stool. It’s the body trying to force stool out when something is making it hard to pass!

• Hard and dry stools

Normal puppy stool should be soft but formed, easy to pass and slightly moist. When it becomes abnormal, the faeces are Hard → feels like small rocks or very firm logs or Dry → crumbly, cracked, or chalky and Difficult to pass → puppy strains

• Not pooping for more than 24–48 hours

Most puppies usually poop 3–5 times a day (younger puppies) or 2–3 times a day (older puppies) . So, going a full day or two without pooping is not typical and worth paying attention to: No poop → stool sits longer → more water removed → stool hardens → harder to poop → even longer delay!

Finally, what you can try at home:

• Make sure they have plenty of fresh water

Water keeps the digestive system working smoothly and keeps stool soft and moist. It also helps food move through the intestines and prevents the colon from over-absorbing water. Thus, without enough water, stool quickly becomes hard and dry!

Water should be available at all times. Never restrict water (except before bedtime). Change water at least 1–2 times daily. A general guideline is about 50–70 ml of water per kg of body weight per day. Example: 5 kg puppy → 250–350 ml per day

• Check they’re eating a balanced puppy food

A balanced puppy food provides the right amounts of nutrients your puppy needs to grow and digest food properly, including Protein (for growth and muscles), Fats (energy), Fiber (very important for digestion), Vitamins & minerals (overall health) and Moisture balance (especially in wet vs dry food).

• Try a proprietary blend recommended by the UK vets for all constipated puppies over 12 weeks old

You can also continue to give a “usual food” to your lovely puppy but then you need to balance it with a natural digestive supplement for dogs. Ideally, tasty soft chews targeted to eliminate the underlying causes of hard stool or difficult passage of puppy faeces.

Hereby our choice is GastroBalance Dog Constipation Relief based on a proprietary blend of pumpkin powder, psyllium husk, and dandelion root.  This specific vet product softens hard stools and provides a necessary dog constipation support while also removing toxins and other unwanted wastes from the body to restore regular bowel movement in dog . These 60 delicious soft chews your dog will love is much more efficient than other dog constipation remedies, like laxative tablets for dogs or dog laxative constipation liquid.