Constipation may show up in your dog’s inability to pass a bowel movement. Or he may, with some trouble, pass dry, hard poos. Let’s have a look at how to treat constipation in dogs at home.
What causes dog constipation?
Dog constipation can be a serious business. If your dog goes two days without pooping, struggles to urinate, or cries when going to the bathroom, you need to take him to see a vet. Likewise if there is blood in his toilet.
It may be nothing serious. But there are many possible causes of dog constipation. Dehydration is the most common cause of dog constipation. Always make sure he has access to plenty of clean water!
But more serious causes can include obstructions from something he ate, or even from a tumour. It could also be a prostate problem or a reaction to medication. Whatever it is, if constipation persists, your dog should see a vet.
However, if it just seems to be a spot of plain old constipation, you might prefer to try to deal with it at home. There are a number of home remedies you can try. It is best to just try one method at a time, so that you don’t overdo things. Everybody knows what the opposite of constipation is.
You also shouldn’t try any of these methods if your dog was suffering from diarrhoea right before he became constipated.
Home remedy for dog constipation #5: Fluid
Dehydration is very often the culprit, but even if something else is causing your dog’s constipation then making sure he’s well-hydrated can help him to get on the move again.
You can add water or chicken broth to his food. Or switch to canned food rather than dry biscuit. Adding vegetables to your dog’s dinner can also help.
Home remedy for dog constipation #4: Exercise
There are lots of good reasons to make sure your dog gets the exercise he needs. Regular bowel movements are one of the less glamorous ones. If your dog fails to poop, take him for a big long walk, or even a run. Shake it all up, and see what comes out.
Home remedy for dog constipation #3: Canned pumpkin
Pumpkin in a tin (remove it from the tin) or mashed pumpkin baby food can really work a treat on those bunged-up intestines. Pumpkins are packed with fibre, which softens waste matter in the gut and adds some bulk to it so it flows through the intestines like a kitten through a drainpipe.
Home remedy for dog constipation #2: Olive, coconut, or fish oil
There’s no lubricant quite like oil. Depending on your dog’s particular palate and constitution, choose the one that is most appropriate for him.
A tablespoon of olive, coconut, or fish oil in his dinner can make everything slip-slide down a treat. Fish oil capsules can also do the trick.
Home remedy for dog constipation #1: Bran flakes
Why should you be the only one in your home who gets to enjoy the culinary treat of cold cereal? Bran flakes are another superb source of fibre, and your dog can enjoy them in a bowl with water or sprinkled over his normal dinner (or breakfast, of course).
But be careful not to give him some branded breakfast cereal that contains stuff that’s bad for dogs, like raisins. Try to get some 100% bran flakes to give his gut the breakfast treat he deserves, and hopefully everything will be on the move again once you take him out for his mid-morning constitutional.
Nobody likes to be constipated, but it’s particularly frustrating for your dog since he doesn’t have the words to express his discomfort. If your natural remedies don’t work, your vet may offer an enema, medication, or rehydration program to get the stinky back-up back on the move again.
Don't throw away that poopascoop just yet!
