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Dog Constipation
Dog Constipation
Dog constipation is one of the most common digestive ailments in dogs. This is one of the ailments that dog owners have to deal with. Dogs that suffer from constipation may find it extremely painful to defecate and may produce hard and dry feces.
Constipation can be a very unpleasant experience to our dogs. This could affect their appetite and activeness because of the pains they are feeling.
Causes of Constipation
The type of food you give your dog can be a major cause of your dog’s constipation. Unlike humans, dogs do not normally chew their food. Chewing is the most important step in food digestion. During digestion, food is broken down to smaller pieces to make food easier to process in the stomach. Large chunks of food are therefore more difficult to digest. Refrain from giving your dog processed food for they contain hardly any fiber. A high fiber diet has been shown to prevent constipation. Fiber absorbs large amounts of water which makes stool softer and easier to pass.
Another cause of dog constipation is dehydration or inadequate water intake. So be sure to provide your dog water. Constipation could also be a side effect of a certain medication that your dog is undergoing. Always check the label of the medicine and see its side effects.
Treatment and Prevention
To prevent dog constipation, make sure that your dog always has plenty of clean water. This could help flush his intestinal tract. To achieve a high fiber diet, include vegetables in your dog’s diet. You could also give him plenty of exercise to help stimulate his bowels. You can walk your dog around everyday to keep his digestive system in tip top shape
To relieve the uneasy and bloated feeling, try increasing the amount of fluid your dog is taking and apply light pressure on his stomach while rubbing downward toward the anus to encourage him to eliminate the waste.
You can also try adding a couple of teaspoons of mineral oil or even olive oil to your dog’s food. If not necessary, do not give your dog any medication as this may complicate the situation.
If after doing these home remedies and adjusting the dog’s diet your dog still displays dog constipation symptom, it is high time to visit your veterinarian for a consultation.
Dog Diarrhea Treatment
In case your dog suffers from acute dog diarrhea, try to cure it using home remedies such as bland diets for your dog.
The following bland diets can be used as a 1 to 2 day diarrhea treatment for dogs. The initial step is to keep close watch on your dog. As soon as you notice that your dog is suffering from dog diarrhea immediately convert him to bland dog foods. These foods should be consumed by your dog until the diarrhea phase is over and the dog’s stool is normal again.
Dog Diarrhea Treatment – Home Remedies
To suggest on some bland foods that can be prepared easily at home are
- Cooked white rice without any flavorings including any type of oils or butter.
- Plain cottage cheese without any thing not even water.
- Boiled eggs but do not use any butter or oil in the boiling water.
When you start feeding these diets to your dog at first give him small quantities of food divided into 4 to 5 meals a day. Slowly and gradually increase the quantity of food you feed your dog every time. When you notice that the stool is firm and normal again slowly reintroduce your dog to his former diet.
Re-introducing should also be done properly like if when you would introduce a new dog food or brand to your dog. Initially mix some of his normal diet with the bland food and gradually decrease the quantity of bland food and increase the amount of normal food in your dog’s diet. At the end your dog will be back to his normal diet and so will his stool.
Puppy Diarrhea
Puppy diarrhea is mainly the result of parasites and viruses and should not be ignored at any cost as it can result in lowering the puppy’s immunity levels and in severe cases due to diarrhea even death can occur. Mentioned here are some of ways through which diarrhea can be cured at a very early stage
Puppy Diarrhea Treatment
1) If your puppy does not show signs of dehydration it is advised that you fast your puppy who should be at least 7 weeks old for a minimum time of 12 hours so that the puppy’s tummy can rest. If there are signs of dehydration you should regularly feed on water and other fluids to replace the depleting water or fluid level in the puppy’s body.
2) Feed you puppy a bland diet; initially start with small servings stretched to 4 to 5 times throughout the day. Slowly and gradually increase the amount of food until the puppy recovers from diarrhea. Cottage cheese, cooked white rice, scrambled egg, boiled chicken or potato or boiled turkey are the best options to feed your puppy. There should be no seasoning or flavoring added to the food. Canned pumpkin is also known to be a source of treating diarrhea in dogs and puppies.
3) Also a puppy if stressed in any situation his digestive system may responds to it in the form of diarrhea. This stress could be because of separation from mother or siblings or coming to a new environment. It is your job to make him comfortable and at ease.
4) Also if your puppy is 6 weeks or older you can give him a dose of Pepto Bismol after every 6 hours in quantity relative to the puppy’s weight (1 ml for every 10 lbs). Another thing that can be used is Imodium AD that can be given every 8 hours in the same dosage quantity as mentioned earlier. For puppies who are younger than the mentioned age you should consult a vet.
As puppy diarrhea is a common occurrence it is the duty of the pet owner to be aware of the basic knowledge of dealing with puppy diarrhea and its remedies. Researches have proven that 90% of diarrhea can be treated at home, but it should be kept in mind that if your puppy suffers from other symptoms such as fever, vomiting or pain a veterinarian examination should be conducted to avoid serious consequences. You might also be interested in information regarding dog diarrhea.
Treating Dog Diarrhea
If your dog is suffering from acute dog diarrhea that is if symptoms of diarrhea is present but your dog seems playful and lively and not much difference in behavior is experienced, simply follow the treating dog diarrhea steps below to help your dog come over the disease.
Treating Dog Diarrhea
- The amount of food you are feeding your dog should be reduced to half, this will cease diarrhea occurring due to overeating.
- You should feed your dog home cooked bland diets which are far more superior than commercial bland diets promoted by many veterinarians today.
- The list of bland foods include:
- 1/3 portion of meat (meats that are cooked and low in fats such as chicken or boiled hamburger, boiling meats kills the amount of fats to a considerable level)
- 2/3 portion of bland grains such as rice, cottage cheese, white rice or cooked oatmeal
- Never add any oil or fat substance to your dogs diet at any point
- 1 to 3 tablespoons of yogurt should be added to the dog’s meal as it is a soothing agent
- A Pro-biotic preferably Healthy Flora should be added to the diet.
- 2 to 4 tablespoons of boiled sweet potato should also be a part of your dog’s diet.
You should continue to feed the dog with this bland diet at least until the diarrhea is over. You should consider taking your dog to the vet when you observe these symptoms in your dog
- Signs of laziness
- Looks severely ill
- Show signs of abdominal pain or bloating
- Develops a fever of about 103.5 degrees F
- Signs of dehydration ( an easy way to assess whether your dog is dehydrated is to check the gums if they feel tacky or dry these are signs of dehydration)
- Passing large amounts of blood with stool
- Developing a continuous vomiting pattern.
If after you try treating dog diarrhea without any success, you will need to get your dog to the vet as soon as possible.