Dog laxative

When we start a pet, we automatically become responsible for its well-being. Feeding, raising, walking - all this is the main responsibilities of the owner. Including care about well-being. If we talk about dogs, they are often worried about problems with defecation, which the pet will not say, but will silently endure the pain. Before we understand which laxative is better for dogs, you need to understand the root cause of constipation.

Causes of constipation in dogs

Four-legged friends can feel discomfort for a long time without making a sound, and only the attentive attitude of the owners will help to determine that the dog does not handle the need properly for some time. And since this phenomenon occurs quite often, you should know in advance about the necessary actions in this case. How can you provide quick help without harming the dog?

Some pet owners, even without much thought, give them the usual drugs designed to eliminate constipation in humans. Experts strongly recommend not to do this, because the dog's body is arranged in a slightly different way than the human.

What could be the cause of indigestion leading to constipation? It is worth considering the most common options:

• Errors in nutrition . Boiled bones, especially in large quantities, an abrupt change of diet - from natural to dry, or vice versa, an insufficient amount of fiber in food - contribute to the development of constipation. Frequent feeding of foods that strengthen the intestines also provokes difficult bowel movement.
• Lack of water . Experts recommend organizing a timely drinking routine for your pet. In addition, you need to monitor the freshness of the water, replacing the fluid daily, as many dogs will not drink stagnant water, and will suffer from thirst. In pets, drinking intake increases during heat, with intense physical exertion, feeding with dry food. If the animal does not have enough water, the body begins to use the fluid that is in the large intestine, thus dehydrating the feces, making them solid and dry.
• Parasites . Worms and other parasitic organisms often damage the intestinal walls, thereby disrupting the absorption of nutrients and fluids, which leads to disruption of the intestinal activity.
• Getting wool in the digestive tract . If this happens regularly, whole lumps of wool can form in the intestines, leading to constipation. Of course, this is most often a problem of cats, but this can also occur in dogs that lick themselves.
• Chronic diseases . In most cases, the intestines are affected by diseases of the urogenital system - in males it is prostatitis, in females - inflammation of the uterus and appendages, as well as inflammation in the anal glands.

As you can see, there can be quite a few reasons, and, on the basis of them, it is worthwhile to select a suitable laxative for the dog.

Why not to give human drugs

Any owner who watches the pet's torment at least once will have the thought: “If it helped me, it will help the dog too.” And here and there, in animals such help may not pass.

Most dog laxatives have one focus - to stimulate the bowels. These include such well-known drugs as Guttalaks, Bisacodyl, etc.

These funds will act on the dog's body as follows: penetrating the intestine filled with solid stool masses, the drug literally causes the intestine to shrink intensively. The body begins to be active, and pressed feces can not budge. Such exposure often leads to injuries of intestinal mucous membranes, tissue breaks and invagination.

Even if such complications did not occur, the animal will feel intestinal colic, bloating, painful spasms. So is it worth risking the health of the dog by offering it human means?

What remedies can be used for constipation in dogs

The best option for constipation of a dog is to go to a veterinary clinic, or at least to a specialized pharmacy. But not always there is an opportunity for this, so it’s worth knowing about homemade methods of getting rid of a pet from constipation. These include: liquid paraffin and magnesia.

Vaseline oil is allowed to use without special restrictions. Being, in essence, liquid paraffin, the oil is not saponified from the effects of bile, is not digested by the intestines, is not absorbed by its walls and leaves the body naturally in the same form in which it entered the body.

And it works as follows - makes the feces softer, envelops what provoked constipation - a stopper made of feces, a formed ball of wool, cellophane and other foreign objects that have entered the intestine, and also spreads its effect on its mucous membranes. And with all this, unlike other means, does not strengthen intestinal peristalsis.

You need to know that you can not replace liquid paraffin with vegetable or creamy product. As for the reception of vaseline oil, then small dogs need to give it inside, at the rate of 2-3 ml every 10-12 hours. For this, it is best to use a syringe without a needle, filling it in half a milliliter so that the dog can swallow it. Larger pet sizes give more.

If the use of vaseline oil did not bring the desired result, but under the tail the dog had already spread a greasy stain - it means you need to cancel its use. In this case, you can use the enema with cool water.

Magnesia is a fairly effective drug used to eliminate constipation in dogs, but not safe, as there are a number of serious contraindications. It should not be given to a pet if he has gallstone disease, ailments affecting the heart or kidneys.

The tool has a laxative effect due to the fact that it has a very low absorption, and thus attracts fluid to the intestines. With additional moisture, fecal masses are liquefied, and peristalsis becomes more intense.

A concentrated solution is poured into the pet, which is prepared from powder and water, or liquid is purchased in ampoules. For an adult pet of a small breed, 2 grams of the active substance is enough. And if you take a 25% solution, it is an average of 6 ml for one dose. Magnesia tastes very bitter, therefore it always causes intensive salivation in animals.

The above funds are among the most successful options for eliminating constipation in dogs. They have a slow effect, after their use, the act of defecation can occur after 5-6 hours, and sometimes later. In addition, they are not stimulants of intestinal contractions. Such a soft way has virtually no complications and side effects.

Enema with constipation

Enema is another option to eliminate constipation in pets. It can be used even during pregnancy of the dog and the presence of any diseases. The procedure requires boiled chilled water and a rubber pear for small animals, or the Esmarch cup for large animals.

Pear before boiling need to boil. At the same cup only the tip is exposed to boiling. To make the introduction more comfortable and not painful, the tip of the instruments should be plentifully lubricated with petroleum jelly or a fat baby cream. Filling the pear with water, you need to squeeze it a little so that excess air is released.

Before the procedure, you need to wear medical gloves, and a muzzle on the dog, if the pet is small, then you can bandage the face with a bandage bandage. The dog is placed in a basin or bath, laid on its side. With a certain experience and a calm attitude to the enema of a dog, you can use the standing posture.

With one hand you need to raise her tail, and the other gently enter the end of the pear. After this, a liquid is slowly injected. Not all pets calmly react to such an action, so it would be better if during the enema the owner calms the pet and strokes it. And there should be no sudden movements! After the end, the tip is removed from the anus, and the tail is pressed for a few minutes. This will help retain water in the animal's body. To avoid trouble, you can put a special diaper on the pet and take it for a walk as often as possible.

Of course, enema and laxatives will not help eliminate the causes of constipation, so a visit to the veterinarian is still necessary. He will be able to tell you what the problem is and how to solve it correctly without detriment to the health of your beloved pet.