Is there any safe dog laxatives that can actually help with constipation, or are they all considered to be unsafe?
Although using them can be can be very tricky, if you know what to look for and how they actually work, they can be extremely effective and provide immediate relief for your dog.
There are two basic types you can select from; conventional as well as natural or homemade and contrary to a lot of misconception, they are both very safe.
In selecting the most effective dog laxatives, it is very helpful understand exactly what dog constipation is as well as the signs you can watch for.
Constipation in dogs is no different than it is in humans.
It is a situation where your dog begins to have difficulty eliminating any type of solid waste form their body.
When they can finally force a bowel movement to occur, the feces will be both very hard as well as very dry.
It is almost exactly like it is in humans in that it can very easily cause your dog a lot of abdominal discomfort.
However, it can also cause a lot of strain on their abdominal muscles.
Although the lack of sufficient amounts of fiber in your dog’s diet is generally the cause, there are also several other potential causes.
If your dog does not drink enough water on a daily basis regardless of the amount of fiber they consume, it will only be a matter of time before they become constipated.
This is often one of the most overlooked factors with this condition, as water is considered to be one of the most effective of all the dog laxatives.
The lack of exercise is another potential cause as well as some type of an intestinal condition as the result of a parasite infection.
Stress as well as anxiety your dog may be experiencing is also potential causes, as well as eating garbage.
If your dog gets into the garbage and consumes spoiled food or articles such as clothing or hair, it will not only cause constipation; it could also cause garbage toxicity.
In the vast majority of cases, constipation will not be the signs of a serious underlying medical condition, but if you do use dog laxatives and it continues, you need to seek immediate professional help.
Medical conditions that can cause constipation include some type of an intestinal obstruction, an endocrine or metabolic condition, as well as infected anal glands.
Another major factor in selecting the correct form of dog laxatives is to fully understand what to watch for as well as what you can do.
By far and away the most important thing that you can do is to watch your dog when they defecate and then look at their stools.
If they are very hard and very dry this is a real warning sign, as well as your dog struggling to defecate.
As any dog owner knows, when your dog is healthy and has to go, the only factor that comes into play is selecting the correct spot. Once this is completed, the process is generally very fast.
If your dog is a breed that has an extensive hair coat, check their rectum area to make sure that it is free of any hair obstructions.
If it is blocked in any way, it will not only block the discharge of their stools, it can also very easily cause inflammation.
This then becomes another obstacle, and because of this inflammation, you dog will be hesitant to defecate leading to constipation.
There are several conventional dog laxatives as well as several natural ones that you can make very easily, and in the vast majority of cases they are all very effective.
However, there should always be a note of caution when selecting any form of laxatives; if the constipation persists more than a day or so, you need to seek professional health.
However, regardless of which form you select, you should always use the most effective of all the dog laxatives; water.
It may sound trivial, but water is by far and away the most important nutrient for your dog as well as the most effective relief for constipation.
While all owners understand its importance, not everyone understands the amounts your dog should consume to not only prevent constipation, but also to maintain normal health.
The rule of thumb is that your dog will need to intake 2.5 times the amount of water in comparison to their daily food intake.
For example, if you feed your dog 2 pounds of dry dog food each day, they should have 5 pounds of water as well.
To put this into perspective, there are 8 pounds in a gallon of water.
If your dog only eats 4 ounces of dry dog food, that would equate to 10 ounces of water.
Extra water consumption will cause no harm at all in your dog, but too little water could be catastrophic to their overall health.
If you feed your dog a moist dog food they will not need the same ratio, but again too much water causes no harm at all and it is always better to be safe than sorry.
There are several conventional dog laxatives that have been used for several years and the first of these is Laxatone, which has been used for over a hundred years in this country for dogs as well as cats.
Lactulose solution syrup has also been used for decades and it is a special prescription liquid laxative that is also very effective, but perhaps the best of the conventional forms is referred to as lax air.
Lax air is an emollient laxative, which means it has the power to soften as well as relax, and is filled with several essential vitamins, fatty acids, as well as iron.
In laymen terms, it is an enema that will work very quickly.
However, it does take a bit of practice to use it correctly.
There are also several forms of natural dog laxatives other than water, and the first of these is pumpkin.
There are two different ways that you can make this for your dog and they include mashing the pumpkin yourself depending on the season, or buying it in a can.
However, it is very important that if you buy the canned form that you buy only pumpkin puree, as it does not have any spices in it which are not good for your dog.
The reason pumpkin is so effective is twofold; it contains a lot of moisture as well as fiber.
If you select this as a remedy, make sure that you limit it to just 2 teaspoons full at one time and 2 to 3 feedings about an hour apart should relieve your dog .
Next on the list is bran in any form which includes wheat, rice, as well as oats.
Simply take any of the three forms, mix some water in it, and place one teaspoon into your dog’s food. It may take two meals to work, but after that you will begin to see results.
Summary
There are other natural dog laxatives such as milk and several types of oil that are also very effective.
Although milk for dogs can easily cause diarrhea, one half cup two times a day will give them just enough to eliminate the constipation.
Olive oil, mineral oil, as well as castor oil mixed into your dog’s food twice a day are also very effective and very safe.
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