Constipation

jaragr · 05-05-2010, 08:36 PM

Is it safe to give a dog a human stool softener?

I often give my dogs pumpkin in their food, but I don't have any, and I was hoping to do something now to give my dog relief. He's squatting like he needs to potty, but not doing anything - just wondering about the stool softener.

pawzaddict · 05-06-2010, 12:07 AM

Only thing I give my dogs is pepto...but does that help with constipation? lol

Dawnben · 05-06-2010, 05:11 PM

I dont know but I just read this ( you learn something every day ) Check your food maybe all they need is more good fiber.
Almost all manufacturers use stool hardening agents in pet food.
Convenience again triumphs over pet health. Stool modifiers make clean up easier and mask the effects of nutrient malabsorption. Who's going to buy a pet food if you've got to SCRAPE up after your dog? It's easier to just stack those little bricks into a pile or kick them elsewhere. Consider however the strain on your pet's innards. Would you put concrete mix in your pancake batter? How about sawdust? If you were dieting, would you mix ground peanut shells into your breakfast cereal? Well, they do all that and more for your beloved pet. See if any of these made it into your pet food bag: sodium bentonite, powdered cellulose, beet pulp, tomato (or any other) pomace, ground peanut shells? The explanation for including these usually is that they are fiber sources for your pet's well being. Maybe a little truth there but not the real reason they are added. Whole grains provide great fiber content. A bit of bran would do well too. The real goal is to make you buy the food again because clean up time is so easy and enjoyable with brand XYZ's designer stools. Before you do this to your pet, try it yourself for a few days. One question to ask a company representative is this, "Aren't there times when my pet needs to evacuate it's system rapidly such as when a toxin is ingested or when the kitty or doggy flu comes around? Is having a cork in there at all times really a good idea? You'll then likely hear mumbling about "Our research..." and "regulating intestinal transit time for optimal nutrient absorption". Do you buy that one? If the food is good and fed properly, stools will be fine without forcing your pet to work a brick through their digestive and excretory systems.

**kmes** · 05-06-2010, 07:26 PM

Someone recently said that they gave their dog some pineapple whe he was constipated. I'm not sure that it actually works...
Perhaps someone else here knows!

pawzaddict · 05-06-2010, 08:26 PM

we gave pineapple to our dogs so they would stop eating each others poop lol. It may help with that I am not sure? I would definitely check your food if this is a normal occurrence. Or talk to your vet

Criosphynx · 05-07-2010, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaragr

Is it safe to give a dog a human stool softener?

I often give my dogs pumpkin in their food, but I don't have any, and I was hoping to do something now to give my dog relief. He's squatting like he needs to potty, but not doing anything - just wondering about the stool softener.

I would rule out a bowel obsruction at the vet

**kmes** · 05-07-2010, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawzaddict

we gave pineapple to our dogs so they would stop eating each others poop lol. It may help with that I am not sure? I would definitely check your food if this is a normal occurrence. Or talk to your vet

Haha! That must be what I was thinking of! Sorry! I guess I'm just going a bit crazy!

valentinosamoyeds · 05-10-2010, 11:41 AM

ask your vet if you can use maalox and metamucil to see if there is a blockage. i dont remember the amounts but my pup passed a nice strip of towel haha. maalox gives gass relief and metamucil coats any undesirables and sends them on there way.

Mikey · 05-14-2010, 05:12 PM

Quote:

I dont know but I just read this ( you learn something every day ) Check your food maybe all they need is more good fiber.
Almost all manufacturers use stool hardening agents in pet food.
Convenience again triumphs over pet health. Stool modifiers make clean up easier and mask the effects of nutrient malabsorption. Who's going to buy a pet food if you've got to SCRAPE up after your dog? It's easier to just stack those little bricks into a pile or kick them elsewhere. Consider however the strain on your pet's innards. Would you put concrete mix in your pancake batter? How about sawdust? If you were dieting, would you mix ground peanut shells into your breakfast cereal? Well, they do all that and more for your beloved pet. See if any of these made it into your pet food bag: sodium bentonite, powdered cellulose, beet pulp, tomato (or any other) pomace, ground peanut shells? The explanation for including these usually is that they are fiber sources for your pet's well being. Maybe a little truth there but not the real reason they are added. Whole grains provide great fiber content. A bit of bran would do well too. The real goal is to make you buy the food again because clean up time is so easy and enjoyable with brand XYZ's designer stools. Before you do this to your pet, try it yourself for a few days. One question to ask a company representative is this, "Aren't there times when my pet needs to evacuate it's system rapidly such as when a toxin is ingested or when the kitty or doggy flu comes around? Is having a cork in there at all times really a good idea? You'll then likely hear mumbling about "Our research..." and "regulating intestinal transit time for optimal nutrient absorption". Do you buy that one? If the food is good and fed properly, stools will be fine without forcing your pet to work a brick through their digestive and excretory systems.

Would you mind providing some links to where you read this? Also if you could name any stool hardner? It's one thing to say their are stool hardner, named x, seen here in the ingredients; and it's quite another to make a sweeping statement that they are in dog food.
All ingredients must be listed on the bag. So please share at least a name of one hardner that can be found in dog food? I'm quite interested.

Dawnben · 05-14-2010, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikey

Would you mind providing some links to where you read this? Also if you could name any stool hardner? It's one thing to say their are stool hardner, named x, seen here in the ingredients; and it's quite another to make a sweeping statement that they are in dog food.
All ingredients must be listed on the bag. So please share at least a name of one hardner that can be found in dog food? I'm quite interested.

The names are in the article
these made it into your pet food bag: sodium bentonite, powdered cellulose, beet pulp, tomato (or any other) pomace, ground peanut shells? The explanation for including these usually is that they are fiber sources for your pet's well being.
this is the link but there are many out there that say the same thing I found 10 others while was trying to find this one Pet food secrets