Dogs have a very strict pooping routine. They are creatures of habit, and they like to go early in the morning or sometimes in the evening. Either way, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out your dog’s routine. The animal also understands that it is not supposed to pee or poo in the house, so it gets quite anxious when it has to go.

While dogs can’t talk, they do know how to communicate with their humans. Within a few months, you will understand all of its habits and will know just when you have to take your dog out for it to relieve itself. However, what if your dog is constipated? After all, what can I give my dog for constipation? Let’s find out.

Understanding Constipation

Despite what most people think, constipation isn’t just limited to humans. Your dog’s plumbing is also likely to get backed up from time to time, thus preventing the animal from relieving itself. What’s worse is that the animal can’t tell you about it, but the signs become quite clear.

When you take your dog out to its regular pooping spot, check to see if it defecates properly. If the animal seems angsty and anxious and you realize that it’s not pooping properly, it’s probably backed up. Constipation is simply the inability of animals to pass a normal stool on a consistent basis.

While the problem is easy to fix, you have to understand that some dogs, especially older ones, can suffer from chronic constipation. This is an ongoing condition that can be managed, but can also lead to other things such as obstipation. In this situation, the stool becomes harder and drier, thus severely limiting the animal’s ability to poop properly.

What Causes Constipation in Animals?

During normal digestion, the dog’s poop contains a bunch of electrolytes and water. Due to peristaltic waves, the poop is pushed through the colon and down into the rectum. During this movement, the water is absorbed by the colon and the rest is moved out of the body.

However, if the movement becomes slower, the colon will continue to absorb the water. The stool will become harder and more compacted with the passage of time. Ultimately, it’ll get stuck and your dog won’t be able to get it out. This causes severe discomfort for the animal as well.

There are several common causes of constipation, such as:

• Lack of fiber
• A poor diet
• Improper exercise
• Dehydration
• Problems with the dog’s anal gland

Symptoms of Canine Constipation

There are some clear symptoms that your dog is constipated. First of all, if the dog doesn’t defecate for several days, it’s obvious that the animal is constipated. Secondly, you should check the texture of the animal’s stool. If it’s hard and pebble-like, the animal is suffering.

More importantly, if you think that the dog is in severe pain or is having difficulty in defecating, it’s probably because of the animal applying too much pressure to get the stool out. That’s another sign of constipation. If there is a discharge of blood, it’s probably a sign that the stool is heavily compacted and causing problems.

Now, you might be wondering about what to give your dog when it’s constipated. There are several things that you need to do, starting by making a change to the animal’s diet. Here are some of the main things that you need to give the animal in order to help relieve its constipation.

Give Lots of Water

Water is essential for keeping the digestive system moving. Your dog needs lots of exercise and lots of clean water to help push the stool out. This is essential to get the inner juices flowing and you will notice your animal becoming much more comfortable within a few days.

Remember to change the water on a daily basis and make sure that the dog has access to fresh, clean water at all times. If it’s hot out, put some cold water in the bowl so that the dog can drink it whenever it feels a bit thirsty. Replenishing the dog’s water levels is going to go a long way in helping the animal relieve itself.

Add More Fiber

Just as with humans, dogs also benefit from increased fiber in their diets. If you already have fiber-rich foods in the house for your dog, start feeding those to the animal. If not, you just need to take a trip to your local grocery store and buy what you need.

You can also buy fiber directly and mix one teaspoon for around 10 pounds of the dog’s body weight. For example, if your dog weighs 20 pounds, you should put in two teaspoons. You also need to feed your dog some dark, leafy vegetables and add some psyllium powder to its food.

Now, I understand that most people are confused about how they can feed all of this to the animal. It’s obviously a bit difficult because dogs don’t really like to eat vegetables or psyllium powder. However, if you crush them and mix it properly in the dog’s wet food, it won’t be a problem at all.

Give Your Dog Some Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics

You also need to add some probiotics and digestive enzymes in your dog’s diet. However, these are preventative measures and not curative ones, so it’s a wise idea to regularly feed your dog a few probiotics. It’s going to reduce the chances of maldigestion by a considerable margin and you won’t have to worry about diarrhea either. In most cases, it’s generally better that you fight these issues before they rear their ugly heads.

Feed it a Beef Broth

A broth made of beef, ginger, or chicken is also a fantastic choice. You can mix the ginger either with chicken or with beef, and it creates a fantastic remedy for constipation in dogs. The ginger will get things moving along the line and will help your dog relieve itself with ease.

These are just some of the things that you can do in order to prevent your dog from serious constipation. As long as you make sure that your dog has a healthy lifestyle and exercises on a consistent basis, it is going to live a great life without having to worry about any issues such as constipation or diarrhea.