COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCE NAVANIA

DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

SUBMITTED TO – DR. SANDHYA MORWAL

SUBMITTED BY- NEERAJ Soni (44)
4th year BVSc & A.H
Constipation
• Definition:
• It may be ascribed as difficult or infrequent
passage of hard faeces. It is observed in adult
animal and the incidence is more in old aged (senile)
animal. Faeces become dry and hard and excessive
straining is required for defaecation. It may remain
as a transient problem or may turn to a habitual
chronic problem.
etiology:
• Confined, fatty animals have been found to suffer frequently.
• Lack of exercise.
• Dry hard food especially bones.
• Impaction of colon.
• Lack of roughage in diet.
• Unaccustomed environment.
• Lack of bulky food in the diet.
• Hepatic insufficiency.
• Disease of anal gland and perianal regions (abcess, fistula, fissure,
stricture, sacculilis, proctitis).
• Painful conditions of the pelvic regions (pelvic fracture, hip dysplasia,
fracture of limbs).
• Obstruction of the lumen of intestine (stricture, torision, volvulus,
tumor, intussusception, colonic stricture).
• Stone formation (enterolith, faecolith, phyolith, pilolith).
• General muscular weakness.
• Lack of calcium (Hypocalcaemia-Milk fever).
• Lack of glucose. (Hypoglycemia-ketosis).
• Chronic conditions leading to continue loss of water (Ascites,
vomition).
• Chronic peritonitis.
• Hypertrophy of prostate glands.
• Endocrine disorders ( hyper or hypothyroidism)
• Use of astringent drugs.
• Use of anticholinergic drugs.
• Use of diuretics drugs.
• Use of opium group of drugs.
• Use of sulphonamide group of drugs
Pathogenesis
• To induce peristaltic movements there must be bulk in the ingesta and at
the same time there must be adequate tone of the intestinal musculature.
There should be movements of ingesta towards colon and faeces must
descends freely. For the purpose of defaecation animal must be able to
adopt a posture of characteristic of it. The act of defaecation should never
be difficult and painful. For any reason if the ingesta remains for more than
usual time in large intestine-particularly in the colon excess water is drawn
from the ingesta and it becomes harder and harder in consistency and
remains stagnant. But, when the faeces is retained for a considerable long
period there will be liberation and absorption of toxin produced by
putrefaction of protein. The toxic materials are phenols, cresol and various
amines. Thus “auto intoxication” may result. These products are usually
metabolized by liver through the process of oxidation, reduction,
conjugation and acetylation. Due to deleterious effects of toxin on vomiting
Centre (CTZ) or through stimulation of vagus nerve. Faecal stone may
induce irritation of mucosa of colon setting up show the sign of excessive
straining (tanesumus) with the resultant blood streaked faeces. Mild cases
while neglected may die due to toxemia.
Clinical findings
• Diminished frequency of defaecation. Faeces is dry and hard. Faeces
is voided in small fragment along with mucus and blood accompanied
with tenesmus. There is complete caessation of defaecation. Animal is
dull and depressed. Gradual diminish of food taking and later on
complete anorexia. In obstinate condition animal may vomit. There is
foul breath (halitosis). Extreme weakness of the hind quarter. Extreme
weakness may follow nervous debility and paralysis of hind quarter. In
some cases there is gaseous distension of intestine (tympany).
Abnormal palpation or rectal exploration in small and large animals
respectively may reveal hard faeces. Signs of toxaemia may be
evident.
Clinical pathology:
• Faeces should be examined for bacterial and parasitology
investigation.
• Packed cell volume (PCV) should be measured to assay the degree of
dehydration.
• Liver function test may be performed to know the status of liver.
Diagnosis:
• Retention faeces, unfruitful, ineffective attempt to defaecate and the
presence of desiccated mass of ingesta lead to diagnosis.
• Radiography and barium enema will help to detect stone, intestinal
obstruction, tumor, food mass etc.
• Proctoscopy may help to detect megacolon.
• Lumber weakness and anal gland disorders should be viewed
properly.
• Attempt should be made to differentiate it from dysentery.
 Line of treatment:
• Correction of predisposing factor(s).
• Mineral oil preparation e.g. Liquid paraffin by mouth or as enema.
• Use of anesthetic drug and then removal of mass with the help of
whelping forcep in dog.
• Fibrous diets, bran in the food.
• Vitamin A therapy.
• Vitamin B complex therapy (prepration containing B1, B6, B12).
• A course of liver extract may be given.
• In pig, MgSO4 30-60 g orally.
• In Horse Aloe compounds may be tried or
preprations containing ½ gallon liquid paraffin and
½ gallon MgSo4 may be attempted.
• Enema may tried: water enema, soap enema, 5%
sodium bicarb enema.
• Adequate exercise of the animal should be given.
• For Cattle
• MgSO4 – 250 g
• NaCl – 250 g
• Pulv. Nux vom – 10 g
• Water– 500 ml
• Mft Haust