Canine Constipation Is Often Distressing - What You Can Try To Minimize Your Dog's Discomfort
It seems that humanity is suffering from an epidemic of poor health, so it should come as no great surprise that our dogs are as well. Just as in people, canine constipation can be quite uncomfortable and even painful, perhaps leading to other more severe issues, like intestinal blockages. While it is possible that canine constipation is caused by something threatening, it is more likely a poor diet, dehydration, or not enough exercise. However, treating dog constipation and ensuring your dog can eliminate regularly is critical for a dog's basic health.
Often, constipation in humans or animals is cured with a laxative. Doctors warn, however, that over reliance on laxatives can result in a series of other health troubles, like the inability to eliminate in the future, as the body becomes accustomed to a laxative and will not eliminate properly without it.
In nature, most animals, including dogs, eat a diet high in protein. If they experience an upset stomach, they are often seen taking fiber, like grasses. Unfortunately, most typical commercially available dog foods are low in protein and fiber and high in wheat, corn, fillers and carbohydrates. Dogs in the wild do not eat human food, it's that simple. Domesticated dogs often have another harmful habit, they will eat just about anything, even things that are inedible!
Signs of canine constipation are usually very easy to spot, if you pay attention. A dog will not be able to eliminate, though he may well continue to try. Sooner or later, he will become bloated and sluggish, less playful and less likely to want to eat. He may even become slightly gassier, as the undigested food left in his intestine begins to ferment.
While prevention is usually the smartest route through a good diet, plenty of water and exercise, at the point your dog is constipated, it will be time to take more proactive steps. First, increase your dog's water consumption. One solution I have myself used included a couple of cans of very high protein dog food with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. The effects were messy but very helpful. A change in diet to include more oil and protein is normally quite effective.
It is often a good idea to give your dog a nice little stomach rub. This shouldn't be anything too drastic. Don't rub too hard and always rub downwards, towards the tail. This might allow you ascertain such issues as a hardened stool, in which case a canine enema may be necessary. In any case, making these adjustments should provide your dog with some relief.
Again, handling canine constipation is essential. Prevention is clearly best, but should your best friend be unable to eliminate, it's necessary to treat the problem immediately, usually with a change in food and an increase in water and exercise. Should these methods be insufficient, more intense methods might need to be used, including a trip to the vet before the condition becomes more serious.
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