Home Remedies For Dog Constipation

 

There comes a time in everyone's life when constipation rears its ugly head. The same holds true for dogs, unfortunately. Lack of exercise and proper diet can lead to bouts of constipation (sound familiar?). While you may seek a variety of ways to "eliminate" this problem in your own life, let's explore some home remedies for dog constipation which can be utilized in the eventuality it occurs in theirs.

As mentioned earlier, a proper diet and exercise are key components in ensuring your dog has the ability to move his bowels as often as necessary. House dogs usually need to be walked twice a day while maintaining a proper diet. If your dog becomes constipated, one method to alleviate this problem is by adding one to two teaspoons of bran to his meal. This allows for extra moisture in the stool.

Another method to soften the stool would be to add psyllium (Metamucil in the adult world) to his diet. Half a teaspoon twice a day, in addition to drinking plenty of water, will suffice. A third option would be mineral oil. This may be used in cases where there is a large build-up of hard stool. Two teaspoons, twice a day should be added to his meal, but for only a week. There are several other steps you can take to alleviate your dog's constipation. Keep his food moist by adding a bit of water. If your dog is getting on in years, add some raw meat and vegetables to his diet.

There are certain signs which can alert you to potential problems, and for which you can take immediate steps. Long hair on dogs can cause feces to become entangled; therefore, keep your dog properly groomed. Dogs tend to eat everything in sight, ensure no bones or other material has been ingested. Just as we experience constipation due to certain medications, dogs are no exception. Psychological stress is another indicator relating to constipation.

While it has been suggested that all breeds and dogs of any age are prone to constipation, there are other aspects which you may need to consider, and for which many dog owners are culpable. Never feed your dog from the dinner table. While you may indulge the dog with a few scraps here and there, you are contributing to his constipation.

Foods that contain flour, sugar, rice, dairy and high protein are the main source of the problem. Ice cream, cookies, bread, chocolate, or other unhealthy food items can cause your dog unnecessary pain. As mentioned earlier, a lack of fiber and dehydration are common causes. Another cause for concern would be a condition known as mega colon. This simply means your dog has an inflamed colon which prevents the discharge of feces.

The time to visit the vet will become evident when your dog's inability to defecate is hampered by a decreased appetite, passing blood in minimal amounts, and overall lethargy. Keep in mind, contributing to the overall health of your dog should be of the utmost importance. A dog's love is unconditional, therefore, he or she is totally dependent upon you to maintain a healthy and harmonious life. Be ever vigilant to any signs of stress and ensure his diet and exercise regimen is appropriate and on-going.

Concerned about your pet's health? Ethan recommends "boning up" on holistic pet health care right away at: http://www.NaturesHealthyPet.com

 

How Sesame and Sunflower Seeds Can Relieve Constipation

Sesame seeds for constipation

Using sesame and sunflower seeds for constipation make a lot of sense. If you like to eat seeds then this is once way you can add more fiber, vitamins and minerals to your diet and at the same time reduce your constipation.

Maoshing Ni, Ph.D., C.A. and Cathy McNease, B.S., M.H. in their book, The TAO of Nutrition,1987, recommends using black sesame seeds for chronic constipation. Here's what he says,

"Grind black sesame seeds into a meal by using a small coffee grinder.
Mix with dark honey into a small ball.
Eat one three time a day dipped in rice wine."

Black sesame seeds also provide nutrition and action on the liver, intestines, kidney, and blood.

You can also prepare a sesame seeds soup with brown rice.
Soak 10 parts of sesame seeds with 1 part brown rice in distilled water
After they are soft, about an hour, pour out the water grind them in a small food grinder to produce liquid. Strain the remaining liquid to remove coarse particles.

* Dilute liquid with distilled water and add some honey.
* Cook on low heat until liquid becomes syrupy
* Drink around two cups to relieve constipation with in hour or so.

And also, peas and brown sesame seeds - help to lubricate the intestinal walls. This makes it easier for fecal matter to move through your colon.

Sunflower seeds for constipation

Sunflower seeds promote regularity. Use them raw shelled and unsalted every day. They contain omega-6 fatty acid just like olive oil. You can use them grounded and add them to your morning smoothie, 1-2 teaspoons, or to your homemade salad dressing

* Add them to your salad
* Add them to your morning cereal

Here's a sunflower drink you can make.

Take 1-2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds. Grind them in a coffee grinder. Add them to a cup of boiling water. Sweeten this mixture with honey, maple syrup, or blackstrap molasses. Drink this combination morning and night to help you with you constipation.

When you use grounded sunflower seed to add to your salad dressing your can also use sesame seeds at the same time. Use both of these seeds and experiment and find out how you like preparing them and eating them.

Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He is the author of Constipation, Acne, Hemorrhoid, and Fatty Acid e-books. He writes a newsletter called natural-remedies-thatwork.com and his information on other topics can be seen at http://www.stop-constipation.com or at http://www.constipation-remedies.for--you.info

Using psyllium for relieving constipation

If you have asthma, do not take or use psyllium. Some people with asthma have had allergic reactions to psyllium and the powder from psyllium can cause an asthma attack.

Some you may be allergic to psyllium. If you are, you may become constipated or develop dark areas under your eyes.

Psyllium is the fiber part of seed husks from plantain. It is high in a soluble fiber that is called mucilage, so it absorbs water and becomes bulky. It contains almost no insoluble fiber, yet it acts like it has both soluble and insoluble fiber. Stomach enzymes do not easily breakdown psyllium, so it moves into your colon like insoluble fiber.

Psyllium fiber acts on your colon relieving constipation.

In your colon, psyllium activates peristaltic action and helps to clean your colon of any stagnation that has occurred there. By adding moisture to dry hard fecal matter, psyllium helps to move fecal matter through your colon. As psyllium seeds bulk up in your colon, they push against your colon walls stimulating peristaltic action. The soluble fiber in psyllium provides food for good bacteria, which helps them to multiple.

One added benefit of psyllium is its ability to pull toxins out of bowel pockets known as diverticuli.

Psyllium is a popular ingredient in many remedies on the market for relieving constipation. Choose a psyllium product that does not have sugar, maltodextrin, or artificial sweeteners. If possible, buy psyllium in bulk form from a health food store, which may offer it in bins. In this form, it is processed less and usually contains no additives.

Heres how to use for relieving constipation.

For mild constipation, take 1 teaspoon in a glass of juice or warm water 3 times a day.

Work up to taking one teaspoon of psyllium by starting with teaspoon in a glass of water or juice. The next day take teaspoon and so on until you are taking one teaspoon. Do the same when considering taking up to 2 teaspoons of psyllium.

Start by taking 1 teaspoon just before going to bed. After drinking your glass of psyllium seeds, follow this up each time with another 8 oz of clear distilled water.

For moderate constipation, take 2 teaspoons in a glass of juice or warm water daily. Start by taking 2 teaspoons at breakfast time.

It can take up to 3 days to get constipation relief and that depends on the dose you take.

Use psyllium seeds with care. Some cases have been found where psyllium seed parts have lodged in the colon wall, causing an irritation. When using excessive psyllium seeds, it is possible that it can deposit on your colon walls if you have deposited toxic waste there. This adds to the encrustation along your colon wall.

Continue to drink water during the day, up to 4-6 glasses a day, when using psyllium seeds. This helps push the seeds through your colon and not deposit along your colon walls. Remember the seeds bulk up and absorb water and you dont want them to cause constipation by bulking up and getting stuck in your colon.

Use psyllium seeds only long enough for relieving your constipation. Excessive use of psyllium can cause allergic reactions and can cause constipation if used incorrectly.


Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He is the author of Constipation, Acne, Hemorrhoid, and Fatty Acid e-books. He writes a newsletter called natural-remedies-thatwork.com and his information on other topics can be seen at http://www.stop-constipation.comor at http://www.constipation-remedies.for--you.info

Are You Suffering From Chronic Constipation?

Embarrassing as it may be, we have all suffered from constipation at one time in our life or another. According to the National Health Interview Survey as many as 3 million Americans suffer from frequent if not chronic constipation. While constipation is not recognized as a degenerative disease or serious disorder, people who are constipated often feel bloated, uncomfortable and even sluggish. Constipation by itself is miserable enough, but sufferers often experience painful bowel movements that can become compounded by hemorrhoids that form due to straining.

To understand constipation, it is important to understand how our digestive system works. When we eat, food is ground up in our stomachs so it can be digested. This liquid food passes into the small intestine where nutrients are extracted. It then moves on to the colon, where water is removed, allowing a stool to form. If too much water is extracted from the stool as it passes through the colon, it can become hard and difficult to pass leaving you constipated.

There are a number of reasons why people get constipated. These include not eating enough dietary fiber, not drinking enough liquids (water), lack of exercise, ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement and plain old stress. Other causes can include having a lazy colon that does not contract properly, causing waste materials to pass through the colon slowly, food allergies that can cause the colon to contract, or mechanical obstructions that inhibit the movement of waste materials. Many prescription drugs and certain neurological disorders can also slow down the movement of waste materials through the colon. Constipation can also be brought on by an abuse of laxatives that over time can damage the nerve cells in the colon and interfere with its ability to contract properly.

Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to relieve chronic constipation naturally.

Recommendations For Wellness

Consume a high fiber diet made up of lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. If that is not possible, incorporate a dietary fiber supplement such as psyllium hulls, Natures Sunshines Natures Three or their Irritable Bowel Fiber into your daily health routine. Dietary fiber holds water and help to keep the stool soft, while added bulk help to move the stool through the colon.

If other fiber supplements fail in your attempt to become regular, try taking Chitosan (a form of dietary fiber) along with vitamin C. The chitosan binds to fats from the foods we eat making the stool soft and smooth. The vitamin C helps to activate the chitosan in the stomach.

Drink plenty of water, especially if you are taking supplemental fiber.

Try eating a few dried prunes or drinking some prune juice. In addition to adding fiber, prunes have a mild laxative effect.

Avoid sugar and other processed foods.

Begin a regular exercise program to help promote normal bowel movements.

If you think allergies are the cause of your constipation, try an elimination diet to help you to identify what may be triggering your body and causing your colon to contract.

Meditate, do yoga, go for a walk. Do things that will allow you to reduce your stress levels and help your body to relax. This can help relax your colon.

Get a colonic to flush out any old fecal matter that may be trapped within the colon or try a colon cleanse.

Take a good probiotic such as acidopholis or bifidophilus to help promote a healthy environment within the colon.

Peppermint (3910-9) has a long history of helping relax the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract.

Supplementation with magnesium and large doses of vitamin C, have a mild laxative effect on the body.

If all else fails, herbs such as casgara segrada, turkey rhubarb or herbal combinations such as Natures Sunshines LBS II and LB-X can be used to evacuate the colon. While these should be used with caution, they are less aggressive than many commercial laxatives that are available at the supermarket.

About The Author

© Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer 2005. All rights reserved.

Dr. Rita Louise, PhD is a Naturopathic Physician and it is her unique gift as a medical intuitive that enlivens her work. Author of the books Avoiding the Cosmic 2x4 and The Power Within, Dr. Rita Louise, Ph.D. a can help you identify what is really going on and provide you with straightforward guidance and advice. She can be reached by calling 972-475-3393 or visiting her website at http://www.soulhealer.com.

rita@soulhealer.com