What home remedy can I give my dog for constipation

Have you noticed any changes in your dog’s bowel movements? Maybe you’ve seen it dragging its bottom across the ground. Or a more obvious sign would be if your pooch tries but fails to defecate several times throughout the day. These could be possible signs of constipation.

In this blog, you’ll learn about the causes, symptoms, and at-home remedies for dog constipation.

What is constipation in dogs? 

Canine constipation happens when your pet experiences difficulty in and less frequent bowel movements. Dogs that experience constipation may experience pain while trying to empty their bowels and struggle to defecate in general.

Fortunately, this condition is only temporary and can be easily treated at home. However, if the situation worsens, your dog may lose appetite and turn lethargic. Your pet may also develop more serious health problems such as obstipation, a more severe form of constipation. Consult your vet if your dog is experiencing any symptoms and is unable to defecate within 48 to 72 hours.

What causes dog constipation?

Digestive system irregularities are often the cause behind irregular bowel movements. Constipation can affect all breeds of dogs but older canines are more prone to this condition. 

Several factors contribute to your pet experiencing constipation. These include:

• Age: The older your dog gets, the more prone it becomes to difficulty in bowel movements.
• Lack of exercise: Regular exercise helps regulate blood flow. If your dog gets little to no exercise, it might experience difficulty digesting food properly. As a result, it could make your pet more prone to bloating, excessive gas production, and constipation.
  
• Poor diet: Fiber is essential to your dog’s diet since it helps regulate and promote regular defecation. A lack of fiber intake could cause irregularities in bowel movement.
• Dehydration: Water is essential to your pet’s digestive system. Failing to consume enough water makes digestion slow, which could affect how your dog gets rid of waste. 
• Ingestion of foreign objects: If your dog ingests foreign objects like grass, hair, or tissue, proper defecation could prove to be difficult. After all, any foreign objects could cause bowel obstruction. 
• Side effects of medication: If your dog is on medications, constipation could be one of its side effects.
• Other conditions: Constipation could be the sign of a deeper health issue. For example, your dog could be experiencing problems in its kidney or anal glands.

What are the signs of dog constipation?

If you’ve noticed irregularities in your dog’s bowel movements, there’s a possibility that it could be constipated. Here are some dog constipation symptoms to watch out for:

• Infrequent bowel movements: Your dog hasn’t defecated within 48-72 hours.
• Hard stool: Your dog’s stool can be described as hard and dry, and look like pebbles.
• Pain and difficulty: Your dog shows signs of struggle and pain during defecation. Pay attention if your dog growls in pain when you touch or press its stomach.
• Restlessness: Constipated dogs tend to move around a lot before trying to defecate. Apart from restlessness, you may notice your dog dragging its bottom across the floor.
• Loss of appetite: If your dog is constipated, you might notice changes in its appetite. A loss of appetite could be a sign that your dog feels uneasy when eating.
• Weight loss: Since constipation could cause a loss in appetite, it’s possible for your dog to lose weight due to its condition.
• Vomiting: Dogs with constipation may experience vomiting to get rid of the waste in its system.

How is dog constipation diagnosed?

If your dog shows signs of being constipated for more than a few days, take it to the vet ASAP to help relieve your pet of its discomfort.

Your vet will start with a general physical exam and ask about your pet’s medical history. Make sure you tell your vet everything about your dog’s condition for a more accurate diagnosis. Moreover, your vet may check to see if your canine’s abdomen is firm and tough, which is a sign of constipation. They may also conduct blood tests and urinalysis to see if the constipation is caused by dehydration or an infection.

In most cases, constipation can be treated with medication and other natural remedies. For example, your vet may inject fluid to your pet’s bowels through his rectum to stimulate defecation. 

Your vet can also perform manual removal of your pet’s stool via surgery and fluid replacement to prevent dehydration. Since the cost for surgeries and other medical treatments can be costly, be prepared and get a dog insurance plan for better security.

Home Remedies for Dog Constipation

You’re probably asking yourself: “What can I give my dog for constipation?” The good news is that constipation is easily treatable, even from the comfort of your home. Look no further for the best at-home dog constipation remedy for we’ve listed everything to help you relieve your dog of its discomfort.

Increase Fiber Intake

Taking dietary fiber supplements or consuming foods rich in fiber can help regulate your dog’s bowel movements. Pumpkin, for example, is rich in fiber and moisture. Since it’s a natural stomach soother, it can help your dog defecate more comfortably. To top that off, it’s also a tasty treat!  

Get Enough Exercise 

Getting your pet to exercise frequently promotes overall long-term health. Exercise helps maintain healthy digestion because it increases blood flow, especially to the colon. Proper blood flow to the colon is important because it’s the organ responsible for digestion and proper bowel movement. 

Consume Canned Foods

Canned foods are high in moisture, and it could be all that your dog needs to loosen up its insides. Feeding your canine canned goods can aid in digestion and promote softer stools. Just keep in mind that your dog should still maintain the proper diet, and feeding it canned food is only a temporary fix to aid in relieving constipation. 

Ensure Proper Hydration 

Prevent constipation by keeping your pet properly hydrated. Make sure it has access to fresh and clean water to prevent dehydration, which is a common cause of constipation. 

To learn more about how you can help address canine constipation and other related conditions, explore the TLPOInfo blog.

It is more likely that your dog will suffer from diarrhea than constipation, but it's still possible that the dog will have trouble pooping at some point.

Puppy constipation is more common but adult dogs can suffer too. Pet owners should know the symptoms and home remedies for dog constipation.

Home Remedy for Dog Constipation First Step Noticing the Symptoms

If your dog hasn’t had a bowel movement in 2 days, he is probably constipated.

Signs of constipation in dogs include straining when trying to “go”, crouching for long periods without producing any stool, and whining while trying to poop.

If you notice symptoms that are more severe, like blood around the dog's anus or blood in the stool, you need to skip these home remedies for dog constipation and head straight to the veterinarian’s office.

Natural remedies will not be effective enough.

For constipated dogs, a veterinarian may recommend a stool softener or laxative to help get things flowing again.

These can usually be bought over-the-counter. The vet will also tell you the appropriate type of medication and the correct dosage for the dog.

Note: Even though you can buy most laxatives and stool softeners for dogs online or at a local pet store, you should NEVER give your pet over-the-counter medication without consulting with a veterinarian first.

For a mild case of canine constipation, you can try a home remedy that's more natural yet still effective.

If it is taking your dog longer than normal to poop, you see the dog straining particularly hard while going, and/or he is only producing a small amount of stool, it is likely that he has a mild case of constipation.

Home Remedy for Dog Constipation

The first thing that you’ll want to do if your pet is constipated is to check his rear end.

Look for matted fur or a foreign object that may be causing a blockage in or around the dog's anus.

You should also be looking for signs of a more serious issue, such as bleeding, sores, anal gland issues, or even a tumor.

Once you get that part out of the way, you can try one of these five home remedies for dog constipation.

1. Increase Water Intake

One of the most essential parts of the digestion process is water.

Dogs that eat dry kibble can become dehydrated easily if they don’t have access to enough clean drinking water throughout the day, or if they refuse to drink for some reason.

The first step is to make sure that your dog has access to fresh, cool water and also that the dog is actually drinking enough of it.

If the dog refuses to drink, you can entice him by making chicken/bone broth – due to its smell, dogs are more likely to drink it.

2. Try Canned Dog Food

To increase water intake even further, you can add some canned food to your pet's diet.

This shouldn't be a permanent or a complete switch; a temporary addition of wet food for 2-3 days will usually be enough to fix constipation in a dog.

Canned dog food has a higher moisture content, and this will add more liquids into the dog's diet and help to rehydrate him.

However, do NOT switch to a 100% canned diet from kibble very suddenly, because that could lead to more digestive problems.

Instead, you should just switch out 25%-50% of your dog’s kibble for canned food; mix it up.

3. Exercise

Exercise promotes normal movement inside the dog's intestinal tract. If your dog is constipated and feeling bloated, he may be a little lethargic.

Encourage him to get up and play or go for a walk outside. Try some of your dog's favorite games or visit some of his favorite places for a long walk.

4. Canned Pumpkin

Pumpkin is extremely high in fiber, which helps to draw water into the intestines and get things moving.

Be sure that your dog is properly hydrated before adding pumpkin to his daily diet. The fiber will draw water into the intestinal tract whether your dog is well hydrated or not.

Small dogs will only need about 2 tablespoons added to their meal once per day, while large dogs could eat about ¼ cup of canned pumpkin per day for a snack or you could add it to their kibble.

Be sure that you’re feeding your dog 100% pure pumpkin, and not the pumpkin pie filling that is sold in the same section of the grocery store.

5. Olive Oil or Mineral Oil

Both of these ingredients act as a natural laxative for dogs. Add 2 teaspoons (small breeds) or 2 tablespoons (large breeds) of olive oil or mineral oil to your dog’s meals.

It should help to get things moving after 2-3 servings.

If your dog does not begin pooping normally within 48 hours after beginning a home remedy, you need to seek veterinary care immediately.

Without proper treatment, the backup of stool could lead to life-threatening health problems.

Home Remedy for Dog Constipation Final Thoughts

These 5 home remedies for dog constipation can be done in addition to adding fiber into a dog's diet. Certain dog foods are manufactured this way and will contain 2-3 times more fiber.

Some of the best high fiber dog food brands are below; however, you should not make the switch very suddenly but rather make it a gradual change after your veterinarian has approved it.

Laxatives and stool softeners for dogs may be necessary if you are not having success with the home remedy for dog and Puppy constipation.

You should NEVER give laxatives, stool softeners, or any other over-the-counter digestion aid medication to your pet without consulting your veterinarian first.

Once you've consulted with a vet and got it approved, the below brands are some of the best on the market.

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