What should I do if my Kerry Blue Terrier is constipated? Constipation is not a comfortable thing, and the same is true for dogs. Prolonged constipation has a great impact on the health of dogs, so how to treat constipation in dogs at home?
What is constipation
When a dog’s feces is very hard and the frequency of defecation decreases, making it difficult to defecate, it is called constipation. When long-term constipation results in the inability to defecate on one's own due to various factors and requires artificial assistance to relieve defecation, it is classified as intractable constipation.
Although constipation is not a serious disease, the harm it causes cannot be underestimated. First of all, constipation will cause dogs to suffer tremendous pain. The retention of feces in the intestines will cause endless troubles, constantly releasing toxic gases and toxins, damaging the intestines. The environment of the tract can lead to gastrointestinal dysfunction, uneven endocrine system, delayed metabolic cycle, poor appetite and inability to sleep. Dogs suffering from long-term constipation usually have bad tempers, poor skin quality, unsmooth coat, and poor buttocks. One after another, spots appeared on the face. For dogs who are already suffering from diseases, constipation is adding fuel to the flames of high blood pressure and coronary heart disease.
Causes of constipation
Anything that prolongs the passage of stool through the large intestine may cause constipation. Because the feces stays in the large intestine for too long, the water in the feces is overabsorbed, making the feces very dry. In the long run, the smooth muscle of the large intestine will be damaged and its contractility will decrease, causing the dog to be unable to defecate on its own, resulting in stubborn constipation.
1. Diet
Too much fiber in bones, hair, hard foreign objects, or food.
2. Environment
Dogs with insufficient exercise, difficulty moving, or changes in environment (hospitalization).
3. Drugs
Parasympathetic inhibitors, antihistamines, barium, and diuretics, etc.
4. Caused by pain
Anal gland cyst, rupture, fistula, anal spasm, foreign body in the rectum and rectal prolapse.
5. Traumatism
Pelvic fractures, leg fractures, hip dislocations, and body lacerations, etc., because these problems can cause severe pain during defecation and lead to constipation with reduced defecation frequency.
6. Metabolic and endocrine problems
Colon smooth muscle dysfunction: hyperthyroxinemia, hypothyroxinemia, chronic kidney disease.
Treatment methods
First of all, if it is not a disease-related cause, we can deal with it like this:
1. Diet therapy: It is recommended to take diet therapy first and then medication. Let the dog eat something that it usually eats easily, such as fruits, vegetables, etc., plus drink some light honey.Honey water is also very effective (light honey water should be used with caution for puppies, as it can easily cause diarrhea).
2. External medicine: Kaiselu. Because it is a topical medicine, it does no harm to the dog's body. And generally speaking, sometimes there is only hard feces in the anus. Using Kaiselu to enhance rectal lubrication and defecation stimulation can help dogs defecate smoothly. And combined with the above dietary therapy, it is very good to solve constipation.
3. Oral medicine: Fire-reducing medicine taken by humans generally has a laxative effect, but it is not recommended to be given to dogs. If you want to give your dog some laxatives, you can take some phenolphthalein/fruit tablets. The dosage is 0.2~0.5g/time (see the "Quick Reference Manual for Dogs and Cats").
Note: Sometimes the dog keeps making a gesture to poop, but no feces comes out. It may be because there is a large piece of dried feces blocking the anus. You can touch the anus with your hands. If the dog is stretched so big that you can see the stool, you can put your hand close to the root of the anus to help the dog squeeze out the piece of dry stool (don’t be too dirty, this trick is quite effective). After that, its defecation It's smooth. You may walk for a while to poop a little, and then walk for a while and poop a little more. In short, you will poop out all the poop stored in your stomach.
If your dog’s constipation is severe, please send it to the hospital in time. In severe cases, surgical treatment may be necessary, such as enema or surgery to remove hard stool. Note that you must choose a regular pet hospital for treatment and surgery on your dog. As a parent, you must not give your dog enemas or surgeries without authorization.
