It seems that humanity is suffering from an epidemic of poor health, so it should come as no great surprise that man's best friend is also. Just as in people, canine constipation can be quite uncomfortable and even painful, possibly creating other more serious issues, like intestinal blockages. While it is possible that canine constipation is caused by something serious, it is more likely a poor eating habit, dehydration, or insufficient exercise. However, treating dog constipation and ensuring your dog can eliminate systematically is critical for a dog's general health.
Often, constipation in humans or animals is treated with a laxative. Doctors warn, however, that over dependency on laxatives can lead to a series of other health difficulties, such as 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, including dogs, consume a diet high in protein. If they have an upset stomach, they are often seen eating fiber, like grasses. Unfortunately, most usual commercial dog foods are low in protein and fiber and high in wheat, corn, fillers and carbohydrates. Dogs in the wild do not eat bread, it's that simple. Household dogs often have another bad habit, they will eat just about anything, even things that we consider to be inedible!
Indications of canine constipation are usually easy to spot, if you pay attention. A dog will not be able to eliminate, though he may continuously try. Sooner or later, he will become bloated and sluggish, less playful and less likely to want to eat. He could even become a bit gassier, as the undigested food left in his intestine begins to ferment.
While prevention is usually the smartest route by means of a good diet, large quantity of water and exercise, when your dog is constipated, it will be time to take more proactive actions. First, increase your dog's water intake. One solution I have personally used included a couple of cans of very high protein dog food with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. The results were unpleasant but very good. A change in diet to include more oil and protein is generally quite effective.
It is often good to give your dog a nice little body rub. This shouldn't be anything too drastic. Don't rub too hard and always rub downwards, towards the tail. This might help you find out such factors as a hardened stool, in which case a canine enema may be necessary. At any rate, making these changes should provide your dog with some relief.
Again, handling canine constipation is important. Prevention is obviously best, but should your best friend be unable to eliminate, it's necessary to handle the problem right away, usually with a change in diet and an increase in water and exercise. Should these methods be insufficient, more aggressive strategies might need to be applied, including a trip to the vet before the issue becomes more serious.
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