How can you get your newborn puppy to defecate?

Answer 1

A safe way to get your little guy to defecate on schedule, is to dissolve a little Epsom salt in water; and then mix the water with some wet puppy food. Make sure to use pure Epsom salt (the only ingredient should be magnesium sulfate). Any scented additives could be potentially dangerous.

A good way to make a safe mixture, is to put 1 cup of water in a baby bottle, with 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts dissolved in it. Keep the bottle in the refrigerator (to keep the water from evaporating). Then just use the water/salt solution as needed.

Before use, weigh your puppy.

For potty training: Use 1 teaspoon of solution for every 5 pounds of weight. Only use once per day (always at the same meal time). Pay attention to your puppy's feces. If it starts to look like diarrhea, or if the puppy whines, then immediately quit using the solution (your puppy might have a sensitive stomach).

For constipation: Use 2 teaspoons of solution for every 5 pounds of weight. Only use this once, as a laxative. Constipation is a serious problem for young animals. If this doesn't work, immediately take your puppy to the vet.

Do Not Keep the Solution Longer than 7 days! Even though you will have some leftovers, the salt will have absorbed enough water by then to make the solution too concentrated for use. Epsom salts are cheap, so just dump the leftovers, and make a new bottle of solution.

If you have any questions regarding any information posted here, please call your local veterinarian's office. They should be able to give you information over the phone for free.