Digestion and Stool Quality
Digestion and stool quality are two factors affecting every pet owner as these are the finer details that require scooping! There are several common issues surrounding stool quality please see details listed below
Constipation
This is the infrequent or difficult passage of motions. Here the bowel isn’t emptied effectively and matter becomes compacted in the bowel. This is quite a rare condition however can sometimes occur when the diet has a high bone inclusion which may impact on the bowel. Other contributing factors include a lack of exercise, reducing the overall metabolism of the dog and slowing the gut motility down. The condition of the pet needs to be assessed and whether the health of the pet has been compromised reduced its mobility for example due to injury or illness. The diet would need to be reviewed in light of this change; with an increase in fibre to the diet incorporated to help stimulate the gut. Raw vegetables can be freely added to the diet along with the pet’s normal food to try increase the dietary fibre and encourage tool formation. Water should also be freely available to the pet at all times.
Stools too hard
Here you may find the dog straining as it passes a motion. Again a small diet amended will try to eliminate this. Choose a food that has a good fibre level and one that you can identify where the fibre is coming from. The following ingredients will help increase the fibre content to seek a product that you are happy includes some of these ingredients. Oats, maize, wheat, vegetables, beet pulp, psyllium seed or husk, vegetable pomace or cellulose are all components that will added natural fibre to the diet. You can also add raw vegetables to the diet to help soften the stool and remember limitless water.
Stools too soft
Diarrhoea is unfortunately very common with many dogs and can be distressing for both you and your pet. There are several causes for diarrhoea and the target cause needs to be investigated to allow the right treatment to be established. The most common cause of diarrhoea is generally the consumption of bacteria or food containing bacteria toxins or decomposing food. Some common bacteria associated with diarrhoea include; Salmonella and Campylobacter. Other causes are poisons, viral and dietary. The best method to treat this issue is to remove food from the dog for 12hours and then reintroduce it to a bland food in small portions; for example chicken and rice. When the dog has passed a firm motion on this supplementary food reintroduce its standard diet gradually over a couple of days and simply watch the results if diarrhoea persists consult your vet.
Chronic diarrhoea can also be a condition called colitis; this is an inflammation of the colon/rectum. Some breeds of dog are susceptible to colitis in particular boxers, collies and Shetland sheepdogs. The condition limits the large bowl and reduces its ability to absorb water and therefore it produces liquid motions containing mucus and sometimes fresh blood. Frequent motions and considerable straining are also experienced however due to the inflammation of nerve endings this makes the dog feel as though it needs to pass further motions however it has in fact emptied the bowel. This condition requires an exclusion diet; one that won’t irritate the gut i.e. plain chicken and rice. This needs to be fed until a consistent motion is passed without straining or pain. The diet then needs to reintroduce potential allergens that could be the triggers for the colitis one at a time to try to identify the allergen and so eliminate this from the diet all together. Possible food allergens are mainly protein sources along with diary products and some cereals in particular wheat.
With all of these conditions should you have any concerns over the health of your dog you should always consult a vet.
References:
Simpson JW, Anderson RS, Markwell PJ. Clinical Nutrition of the Dog and Cat (Blackwell Scientific Publications)
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