My dog is constipated but acting normal. What home remedies can I try?

Poor guy. I am glad that he was able to have a normal bowel movement. Thanks for the update. From here moving forward it is best to add fiber to his diet daily. You can either purchase a Food that has added fiber in it already, such as Royal Canin Gastrointestinal high fiber or the Hill’s Science diet W/D, both prescription brands. Or you can try adding in 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) into his food daily. I hope this helps and best wishes with your pet Maui. Take care.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Oreo. Give her a tablespoon of canned pumpkin pureee (not pumpkin pie filling) with each meal to see if that helps. Also feed her canned food and add water to it. If these things do not help, you will have to have her seen by a vet. Best of luck.

I'm sorry to hear that Buddy is not feeling well. If a dog is very constipated oftentimes they will stop eating because they have an overall feeling of fullness. Since I don't know what other medications Buddy is on it is hard to know what to recommend in this instance. Of course calling or taking him to see your vet that prescribed the medication would be a good starting point. If you are unable to do that at this time some things you can do at home are making sure he's drinking plenty of water (because sometime dehydration can lead to constipation) and trying to get him to eat something with a lot of fiber such as canned pumpkin. If these suggestions aren't working I would take Buddy in to see your vet. Sometimes there is a serious underlying problem to constipstion and you dog may need fluid therapy, an enema and/or a diet change.

Constipation can be a very serious condition, it can be caused by a physical blockage (foreign body like a bone) or a functional peristalsis deficiency of the intestines. In order to treat simple constipation, you should increase the fibers in the food (e.g. canned pumpkin) and can add a little mineral oil to the diet. I strongly advise taking your dog to the vet in order to check if there is a serious condition causing the constipation first.

Hello, and thanks for your question. Poor Niko! First, I would ensure that Niko is truly constipated. Dogs don't actually get constipated very often, and the vast majority of patients I see who came in with concerns of constipation, turn out to have diarrhea. Diarrhea causes inflammation of the GI tract, which gives the sensation like they need to defecate - even if their colon is empty and nothing comes out. So, we tend to see a fair bit of unproductive straining with diarrhea. There are many common causes of diarrhea in puppies, such as intestinal parasites, parvovirus or simply eating things they shouldn't as they explore the world with their mouths! Constipation is possible, but again, pretty uncommon - especially in puppies. If Niko is bright, playful, and otherwise acting normal, you can offer him some bland food that's easy on his GI tract today. I recommend a combination of white rice and lowfat boiled chicken. You can add extra water to make this a gruel, which will help with hydration. This may actually help with either extreme - diarrhea or constipation. If the concern continues tomorrow, or if you see any other symptoms such as a decreased appetite, lethargy, vomiting, or excessive straining, then Niko should be seen by your vet. He may need meds to get his GI tract back on track, and it's important to make sure there's nothing more serious going on, especially since he's such a little guy! Hope this helps and he feels better soon!

I would definitely not add salt as this can cause him to have salt poisoning and subsequent neurological problems. I would suggest adding 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) to his food daily which will add fiber and hopefully allow him to go #2 a bit easier. If he is still having issues then I would have his prostate examined to check if it is enlarged and possible the underlying problem as to why he can't go easily. An enlarged prostate will push up on the colon, making the hole narrower so that poop can't easily pass through. The cure for this is to have him on a laxative through your vet and ultimately getting him neutered can resolve this issue for good. I hope everything works out for your pet Kitty. Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You can try adding 2 teaspoons of canned pumpkin to his meals which can help with cases of mild constipation. If this does not work, have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!