What Can I Feed My Dog For Constipation?
Many causes of constipation will not be solved by a simple diet change. You must see a veterinarian for a dog that is showing severe clinical signs. Some cases may even require surgery and an extended stay in the clinic if they are not caught early. For mild constipation, you can start by modifying your dog’s diet to help ease uncomfortable symptoms.
The following are some veggies you can add to your pooch’s diet or give on their own. They tend to be high in fiber, which will help keep things moving in the gut. Treats in the diet should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s daily calories. Thankfully, a few high fiber vegetable options with different caloric values fit in with a range of doggy meal plans.
Canned pumpkin is easy to serve right out of the can. It can be added to your dog’s meal or given as a treat. Canned pumpkin has 25 calories per quarter cup. When choosing canned pumpkin, double-check the label to confirm that you have pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling.
Canned pumpkin pie filling contains sugar, which will greatly increase the calorie count, as well as a selection of spices that may be unsafe. So it’s important to make sure that you account for this in Fido’s daily calorie intake if you plan to feed it to your pup.
Some dogs will happily chomp on a carrot and enjoy the crunch. Others might prefer it to be grated and mixed into wet food. Carrots can also be steamed or boiled and then mashed. A quarter cup of grated carrot contains 12 calories, while a medium carrot is 25 calories.
If your dog chooses to eat whole fresh carrots, make sure they are properly chewing their bites. A very large chunk of carrot in the gut might have a hard time passing through and can lead to an obstruction or cause your dog to vomit.
Another great vegetable with high moisture content and a tasty crunch is celery. Again, ensure your pup is chewing so any large pieces don’t get stuck in the gut. Cut them up if possible, to make it easier for your pup to consume. Each stalk of celery contains around 16 calories.
Zucchini is a soft vegetable. This makes it easy to chew, even for older dogs who might be missing some teeth. Zucchini is a great choice for dogs who don’t have much room in their diet for too many extra calorific treats. A half-cup, chopped, is only 10 calories.
If your pup is struggling to use the restroom, you can try making dietary changes as long as it’s been approved by your vet. Moving your pup to high-fiber dog food can help. But you can also add some wet dog food, and other ingredients to try and help get things moving.
To help with constipation, one of the most beneficial nutrients is fiber. Fiber comes in two forms: soluble and non-soluble. The soluble form of fiber absorbs water as it moves through the gut and can delay the passage of feces. Non-soluble fiber moves through the gut, largely unchanged, and quickens the movement of things through the gut.
Fortunately, you can get a good idea of the non-soluble fiber content of a food from the label. The guaranteed analysis should list the “as fed” crude fiber value of the food, which will be closely representative of the non-soluble fiber content.
A good level of dietary fiber is at least 7% on a dry matter basis. You can learn how to convert the as-fed crude fiber value to a dry matter basis right here.
Water consumption is known to help with constipation. Choosing a high moisture diet such as a canned food will ensure there is plenty of it to go along with every meal.
There are a few tricks, other than altering the diet, which can help stimulate your dog to poop. Remember to always keep an eye out for symptoms of severe constipation as a sign that you should book an emergency visit with the veterinarian.
Psyllium fiber supplements are often used to help with constipation in people. You will likely find them in your local grocery store. They are low in calories but may not be very tasty. The best way to feed them is by mixing them into wet food or a gravy-like treat. Give no more than two teaspoons in 24 hours.
Consult with your veterinarian if constipation has not improved within 48 hours of giving the supplement. When picking out a psyllium fiber supplement, choose one with no added sweeteners or flavorings, which can be toxic to dogs. Ones, in particular, to watch out for are xylitol and chocolate—these are both toxic to dogs!
Just as a high moisture diet can stimulate movement in the gut, encouraging water intake can have the same effect. Always have a freshly topped-up bowl of water available. Some dogs are more likely to drink if they have multiple bowls available in different locations.
You can add a cooled plain chicken or beef broth to one of their water bowls for an extra treat, but be sure it . However, keep in mind that broth can have up to 86 calories per cup, so ensure to fit this around a healthy treat allowance. Further, many commercial meat broths include onions or garlics, so be sure to check the ingredients before serving.
A good run or heavy session playing fetch might be just the ticket for getting bowels to pass. Exercise is known to help encourage pooping. Even simply spending more time outdoors can be a good reminder for our dogs to try to get on with their poop schedule.
Probiotic supplements and food additives are now available for dogs and may prove a great solution if it suffers from constipation. By supporting a healthy microbiome in your canine’s gut, your dog’s digestive health should improve within a few weeks of starting a probiotic regimen. But, as with all dietary changes, consult your vet before introducing this new variable.
Water, Wet Food, or Bone Broth
If your dog isnt drinking enough water, it can lead to dehydration, which can lead to chronic constipation. This becomes even more likely if your dog is on a high-fiber diet.
However, we should note that most complete and balanced diets for dogs only contain around 3-5% crude fiber, so your dog is unlikely to get too much fiber from their food. But, some well-intentioned pet parents might accidentally introduce too much fiber into their dogs diet by serving homemade meals. Always work with a veterinary nutritionist before preparing meals for your dog.
If you suspect that dehydration may be contributing to your dogs constipation, you can encourage your dog to drink more by making sure they always have fresh water available. You can also add more moisture to their diet by feeding them wet food, or offer them a more tempting drink with an all-natural bone broth, which you can feed on its own or stir into their dog food.
What Causes Constipation in Dogs?
Theres a large number of reasons that causes constipation in dogs, but lack of fiber in a dog’s diet is the most common. Other potential reasons include insufficient exercise or inadequate water consumption.
Furthermore, dog constipation can be caused by health conditions, and intestinal obstruction is one of the leading causes. Constipation can be a side effect of medications as well, or it can be caused by too much hair in dog’s stool that collects due to excessive self-grooming (hairballs).
A pelvic or hip injury can also lead to your dog becoming constipated, as well as infected anal glands and enlarged prostate gland. Rarely, certain psychological and neurological problems, or even high stress levels can lead to constipation in pets, too.
If you determined that your dog is constipated and you can’t resolve the issue in a couple of days, its necessary to take your dog to the vet for a check-up.
Top 4 Home Remedies for Dog Constipation (Safe, Natural and Effective)
While diarrhea is a more common in dogs, constipation isnt that rare either. Constipation in dogs is often caused by diet or dehydration, but some health problems can also be the culprit.
In majority of cases, this issue can be resolved within a day or two, and poses no dangers to the dog. However, severe cases of constipation, called Obstipation, will be the result of serious and generally permanent medical condition.