Re: If an animal doesn't deficate, what will happen? Will it explode?

This is not an uncommon symptom of a dog, cat, or rabbit.
There are different reasons why an animal may not be able to deficate.  
There may be a tumor causing a constriction in the intestine, the animal 
may have eaten something that can not be passed (leftover meat bones or 
rocks), or the animal may have ingested a lot of hair (from grooming 
itself - very common in rabbits).  
The animal will not explode because it will get sick first and stop eating. 
 With good veterinary care, the pet has a good chance of recovering.  If 
left unattended, the body system would shut down, the animal would 
eventually go into shock and die. 
 I hope that your elephant is feeling better.