How To Help Dogs With Constipation
Just like humans, dogs “sometimes” suffer through a bout of constipation. I stress the word sometimes because it’s not very common that dogs have constipation. As I said earlier that their digestive system defers quite greatly to ours. But when they do, it’s no fun for them.
If no other symptoms (i.e. blocked urethra) accompany the constipation and if it only lasts a day or two, then generally you can treat it at home. But as always, if your intuition is telling you something is wrong, always call your vet. Better safe than sorry!
Note: The dosages I stated below are for smaller breed dogs. Always consult your vet for proper dosage.
5 Remedies to Ease Constipation
- Canned Pumpkin. Most dogs enjoy eating it. Give about one tablespoon alone or add it into his meal.
- Milk. Most dogs are lactose intolerance. On normal days, I don’t recommend giving dogs milk. However when emergency calls, milk is your dog’s best friend. Give your dog about 2 – 3 ounces twice daily until improvement shown.
- Oat Bran. Sprinkle some oat bran into his wet diet. Otherwise you have to add warm broth to his kibbles to help make the bran easier to get down. Start with one teaspoon and gradually increase up 2 tablespoons or until result improves.
Metamucil. Psyllium is one of the main ingredients in Metamucil and similar products. Metamucil contains psyllium seed husks which pull water into the stool and help move it along. Give half a teaspoon twice daily. It can also be added into his diet. Make sure that he gets plenty of water so that the psyllium doesn’t set in his stomach. My recommendation would to use Natural Moves as it contains no artificial ingredients which makes it super safe for our dogs.
4 Preventive Tips for Constipation
- Fiber. Having a high-fiber diet on a regular basis certainly helps solve the problem. If you’re feeding kibbles, look at those package labels that have at least 5% of fiber contain. Solid Gold Dry Dog Food is one of the brands that has 5% of crude fiber, except for Holistique Blendz and Barking at the moon which have only 4%. For those dogs on home cooked meals, one third of the food portion should contain vegetables. Any supplements you give should have no less than 10% of fiber contain. If your dog enjoy eating cut apples and pears, raw carrots and celery, broccoli with melted cheese topping as snacks, by all means give it to him.
- Water. Our dogs need water as much as we do, the amount they need varies from breeds. Water is important to keeping our dog’s digestive system healthy. If Fido is on kibbles diet, naturally he will be thirstier than those who are on canned food and home cooked meals. Therefore, always have fresh water available within easy reach, areas in the home where he frequently at. Don’t forget to place one at the porch or balcony. Discard the remaining at the end of the day. You don’t want to be harvesting mosquitoes breeding. :no:
- Walk. If you’re walking your dog twice a day, then you may have to increase one to two more each day. Also increase the distance or the amount of time spent during the walk. By increase the frequency of his walk, it will prevent Fido from holding it in for too long. The longer he keeps it in, the harder and drier the poop gets. Exercises keep ‘things’ moving in the right direction. :yes:
- Bone Treats. Whether it’s biscuit bone or raw bone, refrain from giving it too often. During the constipation period, total abstinence. Food like ribs or other crunchable bones can cause blockage inside. Give only those that are chewable but not edible.
On conclusion, while treating your dog’s constipation, be prepared to be disgusted by his wet poops and frequent farts! =O But Fido will thank you even more.
Aug 14th 2007
10:08 AM
im 12 and i think this website is gr8 thanks! =]
Aug 14th 2007
12:19 PM
Well, thank you Ellie! I hope you come visit us often and may be help spread a word or two. Cheers
Nov 4th 2007
1:02 PM
thank you so much this is very helpfull! my puppy is only 8 weeks old and only one of the three is having a problem ! so i will try some of your tips and see if that will help her. I hate to see her yep when she is trying to go “pottie” thank you again hugs linda
Nov 4th 2007
10:00 PM
You’re most welcome, Linda!
Please do let me know which method(s) you tried and was successful. This will certainly help fellow readers.
Thanks again for your comments.
Nov 5th 2007
12:46 PM
I was giving my puppy (science diet) puppy small bites and I was giving them to her dry and I gues this was not the best idea for her! so after coming here I gave her the canned pumkin in her meal and use very “hot” water to make the food soft and then let it all cool before giving it to her, and I will feed her moist food for now on!I have saved this pages for use later on if i need it. Thank You again Linda and baby DiDi
Nov 5th 2007
9:54 PM
Linda, just another suggestion.
“I will feed her moist food for now on!”
You might want to reconsider your options during DiDi and her siblings growing stages. Sticking to one diet for long is never a good idea, at times can be detrimental (psychologically and physically) especially for puppies.
A balance diet must consist of a variety of foods (protein, carbo, veggies, fruits) be it in kibbles, canned, raw, and homecooked.
Meanwhile you also might want to supplement some chewy stuff to help them build strong teeth and jaws.
Don’t limit your options; the puppies are at the learning and exploring stage. Expose them to more options will help them to be more adaptable as they grow, also freeing your future worries.
Jan 20th 2008
5:22 PM
I found your web site by looking up information for my daughter. Her Papillon was having trouble going potty. I just wanted to say Yeah for including home cooked meals in your information. Our dogs eat what we eat (with some exceptions of course) which is meat, carbohydrate, and vegetables. Our vet approves of the way we feed them which is a blessing because most vet’s do not. I sent for a book by Carol Boyle which gives recipes as well as information on how to feed your canines. (Natural Food Recipes for Healthy Dogs)
Jan 20th 2008
10:08 PM
Shirley,
One of the reasons some vets oppose to home cooked meals for fear owners aren’t providing sufficient minerals to their dogs. What they didn’t realize is that todays’ owners are very affluent (knowledgeable) especially with so much information easily accessible.
Another reason is monetary agenda. Vets get a bigger cut on commission (slightly more compare to retail stores) on those commercial dog foods (whose brand name shall remain nameless) displayed in their clinic. Sad but it’s true!
Mar 19th 2008
1:35 PM
The pumpkin remedy really worked. I gave my dog Gigi the pumpkin on a spoon and she pooped the next day. thanks so much for the tip.
Mar 24th 2008
11:00 PM
You are most welcome, Stacy!
Mar 29th 2008
11:49 AM
Thank you so much,
I have a very small dog named Buster that my son rescued last winter during the ice storm. He has had constipation several times since we have had him. If he is disrupted from his routine he won’t eat and drinks very little water, so we try to keep him on a schedule.
I am going to try the milk today and if that doesn’t work I will try the pumpkin. Milk was the first thing I got him to drink in the beginning until someone told me milk wasn’t good for dogs. Buster is the sweetest dog and loves to cuddle,I hate to see him in pain this way. Thank you for this website and information it is greatly appreciated!
Terri
Mar 30th 2008
9:16 PM
You’re Welcome, Terri!
Mar 30th 2008
10:58 PM
Well I just gave my small daschund the canned pumkin.
I hope it works. If not I will be returning to this site for
other methods.
Thanks in advance
Tammera
Aug 26th 2008
7:58 AM
Hello,
I just stumbled upon your website looking for a remedy for constipation. I have a 14 year old mixed terrier who just had a huge surgery, 3 tumors removed, 2 were mammory tumors, she is 9 days post surgery today. It has been a long 9 days, she is a very fussy eater to begin with, if we change her diet at all, she either vomits or gets diahrea. Well she didn’t move her bowels for a few days after surgey, our Vet told us to give her Lactalose which worked but then she ended up with diahrea, so we stopped that along with her meds and started her on Acidophilis, which seemed to be working, along with that we couldn’t get her to eat very much and gave her a couple of different varieties of things,whatever she would eat, with that, she ended up with vomiting and diahrea, she has been back and forth to the vet a couple of times, labs were run last night and all of the numbers are where they are supposed to be (THANK GOD). anyway, now we are trying to just get her back on her original diet which is, 1 handful of dry mixed with 1 can of wet (no gravy though, she’ll vomit) Yesterday we noticed she moved her bowels a small amount, kinda loose and since then has been trying to go more and she can’t. We have offered her the pumpkin she wants no part of it or anything else, any ideas???
Oct 30th 2008
7:30 PM
i just stubbled across this site. i have a shit-zu and hes very constipated and hes such a cool dog to hear him cry is so abnormal, so im going to try canned pumpkin and hope it works. thanks so much, this site has made me feel at ease, for as i was contiplating the emergency room.
Nov 4th 2008
1:01 AM
Their mother has neglected them and the vets have said I have to raise them on lactol puppy milk formula. One of the pups is crying as if in pain could it be that it has constipation. What do you advise please? Thank you.
Nov 4th 2008
1:04 AM
Hi Debbie,
It could be constipation as puppy milk formula has been known to cause hardening of the stool. What I incline to do is give 1/2 a teaspoon of can pumpkin (best to use baby food, puree) to that pup. You might want to dilute it with warm water (ratio 1:1) before giving it to the pup. You should be able to see result with one “treatment” otherwise continue it for the following meals (best before feeding). Once the stool is soft (not watery), stop the treatment and monitor it for a few more days.
Important Note: Please consult your vet before doing so.
Oh, one more thing. You have to stimulate the pups for them to eliminate waste.
Soak cotton wool in lukewarm water and gently wipe their anal areas for a couple of minutes. You could do likewise on their genital area if they haven’t urine regularly.
Hope this helps!
Nov 4th 2008
1:05 AM
Hi, I would like to thank you on your advise about giving my pups pumpkin puree baby food, one meal of it and they are all going to the toilet great now. Again thank you very much.
Feb 2nd 2009
5:13 PM
my dog needs to potty and cant so i’ll try some of this thanks
Feb 25th 2009
3:27 PM
Hi,
My dog gets constipated well this is only the 2nd time, but there is no warning until we are outside for a walk. Poor guy was in so much pain trying and trying, he finally was able to poop.
What I am wondering, is it ok to give the pumpkin to dogs and cats daily ?
thanks Dawn
Feb 25th 2009
8:35 PM
Dawn,
I won’t advise you to do so otherwise your dog would experience loose stool or even diarrhea if he has sensitive digestive system. Once your dog is able to release without difficulties, you may stop giving him pumpkin paste…until the next episode.
Feb 26th 2009
1:55 PM
Thanks Renee
Mar 3rd 2009
8:21 PM
I have a 5 week old chihuahua puppy, and we’re transitioning her from puppy formula to puppy kibble, what we’ve been doing is smashing up the kibble into almost a powder and mixing in the formula to make a sort of paste. today she was unable to move her bowels and she seems to be in a lot of discomfort. she was crying, and whining, and walking in circles trying to move her bowels, i gave her some milk about an hour ago, but she fell asleep. if she doesnt pass in a few hours, i’m going to try pumpkin puree baby food. is there anything else i should be doing?
Amber
Mar 3rd 2009
8:51 PM
Amber,
If you want to introduce solid food, you might want to consider using cooked chicken (shredded) or any meat with your puppy formula (homemade? I assume there’s milk in your puppy formula so giving her more milk is not a good ideal) instead of kibbles. When she’s about 7 or 8 weeks old then you can introduce kibbles along with any cooked meat and vegetables.
There’s no need to pound up the kibbles into powder form (too much work). Two ways of making kibble soft is either by adding hot liquid (chicken soup or water) into the kibbles or stream the dry kibbles for 2 – 4 minutes.
You can try the pumpkin puree but give in small quantity first.
Apr 20th 2009
8:24 PM
So my dog has been having this poop problem like once a week for the past 4 weeks. He poops and after there’s like an inch of poop stuck in his butt and it looks like its hair or something that makes it dangle but won’t come off. So gross! I have to pinch it out. But after reading… is it because I feed him too much rawhide bones? I feed it everyday because he has a massive chewing problem. He’s a small dog and anything other than a Kong, he’ll tear it apart and if I don’t give him rawhides to be busy he’ll start munching on my stuff! Help.
Apr 21st 2009
8:51 PM
Hi Janny,
Here is my answer to your query.
Hope this helps!
May 24th 2009
9:22 PM
I have a 10 yr old dog,I picked up today that he is constipated and he is having a very heard time pooping. I gave him 3 teaspoons of canned pumpkin,how long will it take for it to work?
May 24th 2009
11:33 PM
Hi Tee,
How many times have you given him? What the size of your dog? It does take a while if it’s a chronic case. Increase the dosage if you don’t see any result after the second day.
Jun 4th 2009
6:44 PM
We have a 9+ yr old Pekingese who has recently been diagnosed with Conjunctive Heart disease (enlarged heart). Vet put her on diet to get her down in weight by 4 lbs. She has a heart murmur and her heart is 3 times a normal Peke heart. Change in diet to Hill’s Prescription H/D kibble and soft food has now caused major constipation. She hates the kibble but tolerates the canned food. She hadn’t pooped for 5 days. We tried pumpkin twice and pooped. Now she won’t eat pumpkin. Now it has been 4 days since her last poop. Vet suggested pure mineral oil. Not working either. HELP!!
Jul 9th 2009
10:42 AM
hi..my dog is 4 yrs..a doberman.he’s passing out blood in stool. i gave him many medicines bt nothing worked..cn u suggest some remedy? he feels constipated too.
Aug 22nd 2009
10:08 PM
Hi! I was so glad to find your site. My yorkie is having a really hard time and I’m so scared for her. We are going to try the milk first and if not we’ll try the pumpkin. How long should I give the milk to work?
Aug 22nd 2009
10:42 PM
Hi Cynthia,
Try the pumpkin puree, it’s much effective and less mess to clean up. It should work within the first or second try.
Good luck.
Dec 29th 2009
12:42 PM
For those of you using the pumpkin, so you don’t have to waste any of it. Put the unused pumpkin in ice cube trays and freeze it. It’s the right size for most dogs and a tasty treat especially in the summer.
Kim
Jan 3rd 2010
8:05 AM
Thank you so much for this info. My dog is 6 yrs old and we have never had a problem like this. I am going to try some of the things listed to see what works best for him thank you so much again!
Jan 3rd 2010
8:09 AM
My dog is a lasa and he is constipated so I think. He is so bloated and moves his position alot. He crys out and is in alot of pain I gave him a baby asprin like the vet said to but nothing is helping with pain, he is not wanting to eat or drink anything cause I have tryed all day what do you sugjest I do?
May 19th 2010
11:39 PM
I have a long-haired daschund that is fourteen and is very constipated. I can’t seem to get her to eat the pumpkin and really need something else to help her. She is so miseriable and need help. Is there anything else that I can give her that she may like to eat. She normally eats once a day and is not very active due to her age but she eats what I normally eat for dinner and then has her soft and moist dog food after if she is still hungry.She is very picky and does like milk but that doesn’t seem to work. Is ther any kind of pill that I can give her or other meds that humans may take for this problem. Any advice would be very helpful. Thank you
May 22nd 2010
5:48 AM
For your doxie, you would be best to consult your vet ASAP, as would not want the constipation to affect her spine. Vets can also perhaps give your doxie a muscle relaxer so that it all flows out. My vet did that for a doxie that I had prior to the doxie that I have now. If she’s not eating and not going to eat the pumpkin, definitely go to the vet.
Aug 4th 2010
8:54 AM
my 8 week old shih-tzu is having problems breathing, she went to the vet this week and they have put her on antibiotics, but myself personaly i think its making her worse. and also she has trouble going to poo, i think she might be starting to get a bit constapated. what can i do, ?? x