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Chapter 7 – What Goes In Must Come Out. How Your Dog’s Diet Affects His Waste

It seems that Mother Nature came up with the rule that what comes in must come out and your dog is no different. What goes in must come out and it is not always pretty. In fact sometimes it can be down right scary.

If you dog’s food contains a lot of fiber, you will know. Their waste will be runny and large. Depending on certain foods your dog eats, the smell can vary from a little to a “oh my god what did you eat” smell that stays with you for a few minutes. My dog has some wicked ones, especially if he grabbed some food from my daughter. He can go about his business and five minutes later you can still smell the stench on him as he trailed it with him. Thankfully I never clean up my dogs business. I think that is a man’s job.

By watching what you feed your dog, and making sure they are on a balanced diet you can help make the process of them doing their business and you or whoever won the task of cleaning it up a lot more easier.

This is also why it is so important to keep your dog on a good feeding schedule. If they are on a feeding schedule they will also get on a good pooping schedule. Not only that but if they are eating a balanced diet, they will also get on a good schedule for doing their business. This is another reason why you want to avoid table scraps. Table scraps can make a dog have to go more often because of the problems some food can cause to your dogs stomach. The greasier the food, the worse it will be.

Of course there are going to be times when there are problems. Dogs can get diarrhea in younger dogs such as puppies who have not yet been vaccinated, you should call your vet right away. Diarrhea can mean your pet has contracted a virus such as the parvo virus which can be deadly to your pet. For older dogs, you might want to wait it out a day or so. There are many reasons for the cause of diarrhea in older dogs. If you switched your dogs food recently with out a transition this could be the cause of it. If you give your dog table scraps, stop immediately because more than likely that is what is causing the diarrhea. If your dog was outside he might have grazed on some grass and some sticks. All of these are common reasons your dog might have diarrhea.

The most common form of diarrhea is acute diarrhea. It can start suddenly and last a few days. As long as your dog is acting normal, and playing, you can treat it at home. Put you dog on a bland diet. This can be cooked meats like chicken or boil hamburger without any fat. You should give them about 1/3 of a cup. You can also give 2/3 of a cup of white rice or oatmeal. Try to keep away from oils and fats when your dog has diarrhea. If you want, you can go ahead and add some plain yogurt also. The key is to keep this up for a few days after the diarrhea has cleared up. If you dog is acting sick, dehydrated or has blood in his stool, then call your vet right away. More serious causes for diarrhea can be worms, and viruses.

I have had experience with diarrhea and my golden retriever. He got into the trash (another cause of diarrhea as you will see) and from what we gathered, ate some soiled paper towels. He woke up at 2:30 in the morning having to go out and then proceeded to wake up almost every hour on the hour having to go. We kept him on rice and chicken for the next 2 days and he was back to normal in no time.

If dogs can get diarrhea, then you better believe they can get constipated also. You can tell your dog is constipated if they are straining to go, and when they do they produce small round waste. The biggest culprit of constipation is not enough water. Your dog needs constant water, especially during those hot summer days. Make sure you always keep a bowl of fresh water out for your dog.

Another reason for constipation is waiting to much time before potty breaks. Some people feel that if they keep water from their dog during the day, they will not have to go to the bathroom as often. While technically this is true, they are also doing a job on their dog’s intestines. If you have changed your dogs diet or cut back on their food intake to help them lost some weight, it is probably a good idea to add some vegetables into their diet. This will help.

You can also use a little bit of Metamucil. Use about half a teaspoon twice a day and make sure he has plenty of water. A final suggestion is to give your dog a little milk. We have said before that dogs are lactose intolerant, but a few ounces might help them along and soften their stools.

A dog doing their business is a normal part of life for them, just like it is with us. Also just like with us, there are going to be times when our system gets a little whacked out and needs a few days to get back to normal. Most of the time diarrhea and constipation can be dealt with at home. If you ever have a concern or feel that your dog is not acting right, call your vet right away.