We certainly feel bad when our dog is uncomfortable in any way and sometimes find it difficult diagnosing what the real problem is. If your dog is very restless and uncomfortable, wants to go out but seems to have difficulty defecating. . . or spends so much time trying to only have a couple of “rocks” seem to come out, chances are he is constipated. We all know how uncomfortable that can be and analyzing the problem is step one in helping our pup.
Establish why your dog may be constipated. Sometimes when your dog is licking himself excessively, just like with cats, they can have “fur balls” that seem to be clogging their systems, as well as eating some forbidden foreign object that is blocking their colon. Your observations are so important so that you can relay them to your Vet for his professional diagnosis. Make sure that he has been drinking a lot of water to be well hydrated at all our times. Maybe that is one of the main reasons for the bowel troubles if he is not drinking as much water as is necessary for his system to be working well.
Next we need to analyze our dogs’ diet and may need to make some adjustments so that his diet is a little more balance for full bodily functions. A few things that you can add to his diet are some vegetables such as a little chopped up green beans added to the food, a teaspoon or two of canned pumpkin, a few drops of salmon or olive oil, or a small amount of warm milk. How much you do give of any additive does depend on the size of your dog as well. Sometimes rubbing a warm cloth on their tummy in a downward motion, much like the momma dog did, in the direction of the rectum, can help.
Talk to your Vet in regards to a good fiber enriched food that you can feed your dog on a regular basis to keep his system in harmony and working properly. Science Diet is a great choice, the sensitive stomach variety is certainly good but a more effective variety prescription diet may be needed per the Vet to relieve the constipation. When your dog is regulated, then you can use the Sensitive stomach variety to keep your dog in good shape. Again, I would speak with your doctor for his professional advice.
Monitoring your pets’ behaviors is the best you can do for your pet, providing a very good balanced high fiber diet, plenty of water, and ample daily exercise will keep him in tip top shape. My dogs seem to sense when their tummies are not feeling at their best and choose to eat grass, later vomiting it. They seem to sense when their stomachs may feel uneasy and are fine once they throw up the grass. They have never had problems with constipation. The last thing we want for any of our pets is for them to be feeling discomfort so if you follow all these guidelines combined with your Vets’ advice, your best canine should be as happy as a lark.
About Susan Lee Susan Lee holds a certification in dog grooming and pet care, and has worked in the pet industry for more than 25 years. Susan is also the Rockford Pet Care Examiner for Examiner.com and writes articles for various other internet sites. You can reach her at pupelv7@charter.net for any of your pet related concerns.
