Dogs usually have a bowel movement at least once a day. Many dogs, like ours, will go 2 to 3 times a day. Dogs have the ability to process food much faster than we can so they will naturally go a little more often. If your dog is constipated, it can be just as unpleasant for them as diarrhea. The buildup of waste and toxins in the body can cause a multitude of dog constipation symptoms like bloating, loss of appetite and stomach pain.
A Few Things To Try
Dogs with constipation can cause fear and worry, but there is good news. First there is no reason to panic, and there are a few things you can do to relieve dog constipation. Constipation can be caused by a number of different things, but the most common cause is diet, mainly feeding your dog low quality food that lacks in fiber. It’s important to feed your dog good quality food to ensure the proper health care.
Some other things that can be the cause are bones, sticks, chew toys. I know our Lab loves to chew sticks and her chew toys. Unfortunately these things are hard to digest, so they can cause blockages in your dog’s digestive tract. Try to keep their eating of such things to a minimum and feed them high quality, unprocessed, fiber rich dog food. A few things you can do is to mix some grape nuts or oat bran in your dog’s food. A couple tablespoons of pumpkin can be helpful and also milk will help lubricate the colon. Exercise also helps the dog’s digestive tract, so if possible make sure they get plenty of exercise. Make sure they always have fresh water.
If your dog is already constipated for 2 to 3 days, you should call your vet right away for help. They can give you some advice on what you can give or do a dog constipation remedy. Signs that your dog may be constipated can be straining when they go, decreased appetite, blood in the stool no matter how small an amount.
What You Can Do
As we mentioned earlier, the key components to keep your dog regulated and in good health are proper diet and exercise. One thing you can do, if they are constipated, is add 1 or 2 teaspoons of bran to their meal. You can also add half a teaspoon of Metamucil to their meals. Give them plenty of drinking water and half a teaspoon twice a day will be enough. Mineral oil is another option but call your vet first before you start with this. Keep their food moist by adding some water to it. You can feed your dog some canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix. Your dog will actually like the taste and pumpkin acts as a great laxative.
A common condition in middle aged to older dogs is hypothyroidism. This is a slowing down of the dog’s metabolism and a deficiency of thyroid hormone. The vet can correct the hormone imbalance with medication which will alleviate the constipation.
A great book that covers this and a whole lot of other dog health care information is The The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health. It comes with dozens of photos and diagrams that will show you what to look for and what to do about it. You can read more about it here.
