Canine Constipation: Taking care of your dog at home

Canine constipation is not really life threatening but it can be very painful and uncomfortable. In most instances, canine constipation is easy to detect. The most common signs of canine constipation includes stiff stools, frequent attempts on the part of your dog to defecate but without much success, yelping and straining on the part of the dog every time it attempts to move its bowels, bloating and loss of appetite.

In most cases, canine constipation can cause your dog to become sluggish and irritable. Even if your dog is one of those dogs which seem to have an unlimited supply of energy, your dog can become quite sullen and sluggish when it has constipation.

Preventing Canine Constipation

The best way to deal with canine constipation is to prevent it. Prevention is always the best remedy in any types of illness and to help prevent canine constipation, you should watch what your dog eats. Note that a proper diet can promote proper digestion and foods that are rich in fiber can be very beneficial to your dog. Try not to feed your dog those big bones that can cause blockage in their system. Instead, give your dog small bones that are raw. Raw bones are easier to chew and digest so there is less of a possibility of causing canine constipation.

If your dog is still very young, it may not be very good at judging what things are foods and what are not. Puppies are notorious when it comes to swallowing things such as buttons, coins, plastics and other small things that could cause irritation in their stomach. If you have a very playful little dog in the house, keep harmful objects out of its reach.

Another thing that could greatly help in preventing canine constipation is water. Like human beings, dogs need water to help them process their food. If your dog is dehydrated, its body will not be able to function properly. Giving your dog plenty of water is very important especially after eating. Buy a dish for water and put it beside your dog's food dish so that your dog can drink after eating.

Remedies for Canine Constipation

There may be times when you simply cannot prevent your dog from having constipation. If your dog shows signs of constipation, it would be best to bring your dog to the vet immediately. Although there are some over the counter medications that you can find to help relieve your dog of constipation, it is still advisable to see a vet. Note that using over the counter laxatives may not be good for your dog. To be on the safe side it is best to seek professional help.