Kristopher’s Pet Blog

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.

Often, constipation in humans or animals is 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.
Wild animals naturally eat a high protein diet. If they get an upset stomach, they are often seen consuming fiber, like grass. Regrettably, commercial dog foods contain little protein, but plenty of fillers like corn, wheat and other carbohydrates. Animals living in the wild don’t eat bread! Domesticated dogs often have another unhealthy habit: they will eat just about anything, even items that are inedible.

The signs of a constipated dog are usually easy to spot, if you pay attention. 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 be a bit more gassy, as undigested food his intestine begins to create turmoil.

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. The first thing is to boost your dog’s water intake. A quick solution I have used myself is a mixture of high protein food with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. The results were messy but very effective! Changing your dog’s diet around to include oil and more protein can do the trick.

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 vital. Prevention is clearly best, but should your best buddy be unable to eliminate, it’s necessary to deal with the problem immediately, usually with a change in diet and in increase in 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.

Diarrhea Cure when the Doctor Is Not Available or Close by…

There is an immediate safe cure that can be tried in emergencies right at home with the use of a simple, natural product found at the corner grocery store.

Pumpkin for Diarrhea and Constipation - It’s quite amazing that canned, plain, pureed pumpkin 100% natural UNSWEETENED does wonders for both the occasional bout of diarrhea. And, it will also cure the opposite, constipation in dogs. I’ve used it over the last two years with great success as it firms up dog’s loose stools or diarrhea within a few hours. When diarrhea first begins, stop feeding all foods immediately and keep fresh ample water nearby. Depending on the size of the dog, a couple of teaspoons of pure, unsweetened pumpkin for a small dog or a couple of tablespoons for a larger dog will start helping the pet diarrhea

Make sure that there is FRESH water always available to keep the pet from dehydration. If your dog will not eat it the pumpkin, add some brown rice with a small amount of very finely shredded chicken breast for flavor and scent. If your dog has chronic diarrhea seek medical help as it can be life threatening - especially for puppies.

First, Some Hard Core Facts about Dog Diarrhea…

If the diarrhea has come on suddenly, consider if you have made any changes to diet or if the dog ate something it should not have like candy or a snack food that people eat - like potatoe chips. Big point to remember is that cheap dog foods with junk fillers and full of salt often cause diarrhea. A sudden change in diet can also rumble a tummy. Feed your dog a good, high quality diet - feed your dog the best possible food that you can afford as you would your baby. Cheap dog foods are filled with useless carbohydrates and high levels of salt which pass straight through your dog. Bottom line: If you put in rubbish, rubbish will come out. The type of pet cure is crucial to overall well being.
Very important is that diarrhea can also be caused by dairy intake in dogs due to lactose intolerance. Dogs and puppies should not be given milk or ice cream to eat or to drink. Steer away from all people food. It is a proven fact that a good, high quality diet can keep any dog alive for at least 20 years. Hey, my large Labrador dog is now going on 14 years and the vet said most labs are blind or crippled at 12 years or dead. He is given brown rice, organic eggs and green peas every day. Good food, exercise and diet can improve any pets life and extend it too! There are some basic supplements that will greatly improve pet health

Closing Thoughts…

In most almost cases, dogs and cats can get a bout of diarrhea when they eat something that is not good for their stomachs which is human food. Table left over’s “scraps” or deserts can wreak disaster with your pet, so don’t think that you are doing them favors when you give them a “treat”. For example, ice cream is a bad culprit while spicy or salty foods can cause major problems too.

As we mentioned in other chapters, dogs and cats should be thought of like babies that never grown up and require attention and close observation so you can insure that nothing goes wrong - they can’t talk and it has been discovered that animals are pretty tough and stoic. You wouldn’t feed a baby table human food like fried chicken, meatloaf, spaghetti, bacon, or doughnuts would you? This is exactly why aliments like dog diarrhea occur.