Canine Constipation Is Often Uncomfortable - What You Can Try To Ease Your Dog's Discomfort
It seems that the human race is being affected by an epidemic of poor health, so it should come as no great bombshell that man's best friend is equally affected. Just as in people, canine constipation can be quite irritating and even painful, possibly causing other more serious issues, like gastrointestinal blockages. While it is likely that canine constipation is caused by something serious, it is more likely a poor food choice, dehydration, or not enough exercise. However, treating dog constipation and ensuring your dog can eliminate regularly is critical for a dog's overall wellbeing.
Often, constipation in humans or animals is treated with a laxative. Doctors warn, however, that over dependency on laxatives can result in a range of other health troubles, like the inability to eliminate in the future, as the body becomes used to a laxative and will not eliminate well without it.
In nature, animals, including dogs, eat a diet high in protein. If they get an upset stomach, they are normally seen consuming fiber, like grasses. Unfortunately, most regular commercial dog foods are weak in protein and fiber and high in wheat, corn, fillers and carbohydrates. Dogs in the wild will not eat bread, it's that simple. Domesticated dogs often have another harmful habit, they will eat virtually anything, even items that we consider to be inedible!
Signs of canine constipation are usually very easy to observe, if you pay attention. A dog will not be able to eliminate, though he may well continue to try. Eventually, he will become overloaded and sluggish, less playful and less likely to eat. He may even become slightly gassier, as the undigested food left in his intestine begins to ferment.
While controlling the condition is usually the wisest route by means of a good diet, plenty of water and exercise, when 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 few cans of very high protein pet food with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. The outcomes were messy but very good. A change in diet to take 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 extreme. Don't rub too hard and always rub in a downwards direction, towards the tail. This might allow you find out such factors as a hardened stool, in which case a canine enema may be necessary. At any rate, making these adjustments should have your dog with some comfort.
Again, managing 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 more water and exercise. Should these techniques be insufficient, more aggressive methods might need to be applied, including a visit to the vet before the problem becomes more serious.
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