My dog eats paper and has dry, hard stool. Is she constipated?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She may be constipated. You can start by trying to use something to try to relieve her if she has constipation. You could start giving her 2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin with her meals which may help with cases of mild constipation. If that does not improve this, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment though it is likely that this will resolve. Good luck and have a great day!

It’s possible Bruno’s food does not contain enough fiber or moisture to meet the needs of his body. I recommend a diet called Royal Canin. It is a low residue, highly digestible food and most pets who eat this diet have great stool quality. It comes in canned and dried and even has a breed-specific Chihuahua diet. I recommend to switch him to this food over 5 to 7 days and see how his body responds best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to not drinking enough water. I would encourage you to ensure that she is drinking enough water as that would be something that is easy to fix. You can also feed her canned diet which will have a higher water content for example. If no improvement is noted after ensuring enough water intake, I recommend you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. Best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, switching to a dry diet can help. If no improvement after switching to a dry diet, you could consider adding a probiotic to her diet to see if that helps as sometimes that regulates the gastrointestinal system as sometimes there is an imbalance of the good gut bacteria. If no improvement, have her re-evaluated by your veterinarian to look for other reasons such as food allergies or sensitivity or intestinal malabsorption. Good luck!

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A few tablespoons of plain canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) or a tablespoon of Psyllium powder (unflavored) can help move things along. However the other symptoms you mentioned do sound concerning to me. Decreased appetite along with drinking more water frequently and constipation may signal a kidney function issue, liver issue, or may be due the development of diabetes among other causes. My recommendation would be to have Pretty girl seen by her veterinarian as soon as possible for an exam and perhaps some blood work to check her organ function as there may be an underlying health issue here. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Without seeing Jessi it's hard to say. The diet you are feeding is lacking in vitamins and minerals but I doubt that is causing the issue. I recommend taking Jessi to a vet to determine she's constipated and not straining because of diarrhea. If that's the case, I recommend having her stool tested for parasites and an X-ray to confirm constipation. After she is well, I would transition her to a commercially made puppy food. In the US I like Hills, Royal Canin, or Iams. Good luck and kisses to Jessi!

Travelling is always a stress on the system. Try to increase fluid intake & make sure she gets plenty of exercise while you are travelling. We often advise feeding canned pumpkin , 1- 2 tablespoons twice a day to help move the bowels. As long as she is not vomiting, try feeding her some special treats like some chicken or cooked hamburger. If she actually seems unwell, or starts vomiting, you will have to find a veterinarian to see her. I hope she is feeling better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.