What helps against constipation in dogs?
Digestive problems are a common problem in dogs. In addition to diarrhoea or flatulence, dogs can also suffer from constipation. If this is the case, you should take your dog's complaints seriously. In the worst-case scenario, untreated constipation can lead to permanent damage to the dog's intestines.
Fortunately, in most cases, constipation in dogs is only a temporary problem that can be treated quite easily. The following section explains how to recognise and correctly treat possible constipation in your dog.
What is constipation in dogs?
When a dog suffers from constipation, its bowel activity and emptying of the bowel are significantly reduced or can even come to a complete standstill. In medical terms, this is known as constipation.
The body of a dog with constipation can still digest the food it has ingested. But it is no longer able to excrete the leftovers. As a result, the faeces accumulate in the large intestine, which then leads to pain and an inflated stomach.
Usually, constipation is only a temporary problem for the dog. However, if your dog regularly suffers from this type of problem, it may well indicate a chronic disease of the intestine.
What causes constipation in dogs?
If your dog suffers from constipation, it can have many causes. To be able to effectively counteract the symptoms, it is therefore important that you know exactly what causes them.
Your dog's constipation can be caused by the following factors, among others:
- Fractures in the pelvic area
- Pelvis malpositions
- Metabolic disorders
- Low crude fibre content in the feed
- Poorly digestible foods, such as bones
- Foreign bodies stuck in the intestine
- Too little exercise (especially with older dogs)
- Side effects of medication
- Disorders of intestinal function
How do you detect constipation in dogs?
If your dog is constipated, it is extremely unpleasant for the four-legged friend and sooner or later it is associated with pain. As a rule, you can easily recognise constipation in your dog by various symptoms.
The typical symptoms that indicate constipation in your dog include
- A bloated and cramped stomach
- whimpering and whining due to pain
- Unsuccessful attempts to defecate
- Very small (often slimy or bloody) amounts of faeces
- Sliding around on the back (so-called sledge riding)
If the dog's constipation is not treated promptly, other symptoms such as vomiting, loss of appetite and exhaustion will be added to the already existing symptoms over time.
Permanent problems due to dog constipation
If your dog is not able to get rid of faeces, it is possible that the digestive problems have already developed into a chronic problem. If constipation persists for a long time, the dog's intestines may be overstretched.
In this case, one speaks of megacolon. Such overstretching is associated with permanent, untreatable damage. If your dog is affected by this, they will have constant problems and pain with defecation in the future.
What helps against constipation in dogs?
Given the unpleasant symptoms as well as the possible consequences of untreated constipation, you must counteract your dog's digestive problems as soon as possible. Try natural laxatives such as linseed or flea shell seeds, for example. Also, make sure your dog gets enough exercise and drinks enough.
If excessive stress could be responsible for your dog's constipation, it is, of course, important that you avoid it in the future and ensure that your dog gets more rest in everyday life. This is particularly important when your dog is going to the toilet, and you should give him plenty of time for this.
Nutrition for dogs with constipation
Nutrition is particularly important concerning possible constipation in dogs. Frequent feeding of bones can lead to problems, as can feeding mainly dry food in combination with insufficient fluid intake.
If your dog is constipated, the use of high-quality wet food such as Bellfor Favourite Menu can often help. Bellfor Lieblingsmenü (Favourite menu) is characterised by a cereal-free recipe without artificial additives.
The tasty wet food provides your dog with the ideal amount of animal proteins and easily digestible carbohydrates from food-grade ingredients. This makes Bellfor Lieblingsmenü particularly well tolerated and helps to promote your dog's digestion naturally.
Natural food supplement for dogs with constipation
Apart from switching to our high-quality wet food, it may be advisable for dogs with constipation to take a natural food supplement for digestion. We recommend Shiimun Gastro for this purpose.
Shiimun Gastro is a completely natural product with carefully selected ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms, anise, sage and turmeric. Thanks to its special composition, Shiimun Gastro can help stimulate your dog's digestion and counteract constipation.
Do dogs with constipation need to go to the vet?
In most cases, you can easily ease your dog's constipation yourself with these simple means. However, if you do not succeed in relieving the symptoms promptly, a visit to the vet is highly recommended.
The veterinarian can get to the bottom of the exact cause of their constipation and determine any necessary treatment measures. In this way, with a bit of luck, constipation in the dog can be completely removed and permanent complaints can be avoided.
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