Pets

Most of us these days are suffering from an epidemic of poor health, so it should come as no great surprise that man’s best friend is as well. Dog constipation is a painful and uncomfortable complaint and can lead to other more serious issues like intestinal blockages. Constipation in dogs is usually due to dehydration, a bad diet or insufficient exercise. However, treating dog constipation and making sure your dog can eliminate regularly is critical for a dog’s overall health.

Traditionally constipation both in humans and animals gets treated with a laxative. Doctors warn, however, that over reliance on laxatives can cause a series of other problems, like the inability to eliminate in the long run, as the body becomes accustomed to a laxative and will not eliminate properly without it.
In nature, animals eat a diet high in protein. If they get an upset stomach, they are often seen consuming fiber, like grass. Unfortunately, most typical commercial dog foods are low in protein and fiber and high in wheat, corn, fillers and carbohydrates. Animals living in the wild don’t eat bread! Domesticated dogs often have another unhealthy habit: they will consume pretty much anything, even things that we don’t even consider to be food.

The signs of a constipated dog are not hard to find if you look for them. A dog will have trouble eliminating even though he keeps trying. At some point he will become bloated and lethargic and will be much less energetic and may even refuse to eat. He may even become a little gassier, as the undigested food left in his intestine begins to ferment.

Taking steps to prevent constipation from ever occurring is usually the most advisable way to go by means of a healthy diet and enough water and exercise. At the point when your dog actually becomes constipated, it will be necessary to take more drastic action. First, increase your dog’s water consumption. A quick solution I have used myself is a mixture of high protein food with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. The outcome was a bit of a mess but it worked! A change in diet to include more oil and protein is usually quite effective.

It is a good idea to give your dog a nice little tummy massage. No need to go over the top here. Don’t rub too hard and always rub downwards, towards the tail. This might help you detect such things as a hardened stool, in which case a doggie enema might be necessary. In any case, making these changes should provide your dog with some relief.

Again, handling canine constipation is important. Taking steps to prevent constipation from ever occurring is usually the most advisable way to go by means of a healthy diet and enough water and exercise. Should these methods be insufficient, more aggressive methods might need to be used, including a trip to the vet before the problem becomes more serious.