Bran Or Metamucil For Dogs

[Pugmum]

My girl is going through Chemo and has medication for nausea, voniting and diarrhea - but these have not been a problem, instead she seems to get a bit 'backed up' during the 5th to 10th day afterwards. She is not constipated in the normal way - her stools are soft and well formed etc, but they just wont move through the final stage to freedom fast enough during those days and she ends up with a belly ache.

The first time it happened it put her in the animal emergency as she couldn't walk properly from the pain in her tummy. as soon as they gave her pain meds she pooped up a storm and all was good again.

Same time in the chemo cycle this round, I see signs that what is coming out of her is not correlating well to what is going in, and I put in a call to her specialist to see what we can do to prevent a repeat performance.

after much discussion, he thinks Metamucil would be okay - but I read on the packet that it has to be given with heaps of water (cant just sprinkle it on her food) and I cant see how I am going to get her to take it. So I pulled all the bran out of our cereal instead and gave her that with yogurt before her breakfast - no problems getting her to take that.

So I think I need to get her some bran maybe ? Allbran? ;) Does anyone know what is best to use ? or has anyone had any success getting their pooch to take Metamucil ?

thanks

Brigitte

[poodlefan]

Pumpkin is great for keeping things moving - and most dogs like it.

You can feed it dry baked, mashed or pulped. ;)

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

Pumpkin is great for keeping things moving - and most dogs like it.

You can feed it dry baked, mashed or pulped. ;)

yes i have used this with the dog and she loves it. I have also it to biulk up her food when she needs to loose a bit of weight.

[persephone]

:D bran will absorb HEAPS of moisture from the gut , similar to the metamucil. My vet used to recommend bran for helping slow watery diarrhoea ..it ansorbs water and bulks up.

if your girl's gut motility is slowed because of the chemo- then I can't see how putting extra in there will help ? ;) i would be inclined to only feed her a small amount of highly nutritious food - something with almost NO residue to be got rid of ... then again - I'm no vet I would have thought If the gut muscles are just not moving, then nothing will make stuff pass thru quicker ?

I don't use metamucil- but rather the psyllium husks , available from chemist or health food store. I tend to use about 3/4 -1 level teaspoonful for a 20-30 kg dog . I soak it in warm water for about 15 minutes - then mix with food.

Psyllium is different to bran. Bran is coarse fibre .. psyllium ,when it absorbs water , becomes a smooth and slippery gel . The vets recommended it after Hamlet had bowel surgery... and I also use it if a dog has eaten extra bone, or something hard- as teh gel helps smooth the passage of nasties .

It does not alter the muscle tone/motility though....

[smooch]

I use Psylium Husk found the Woolworths Naytura brand the better one. I found it jells better than another brand I tried. Psylium Husk will work for diarrhea and constipation. I use a large tablespoon mixed with warm water and than mixed through the food. Smooch is a very fussy eater and I don't have a problem getting him to eat the Psylium Husk. Smooch is a 15k Kelpie who suffered a spinal stroke and now his bowls don't work properly. You may need to adjust the dose to suit your dog.

[dianed]

I agree with Smooch, I use the WW Natura brand Psylium Husks for my older girl who is constantly constipated. It works next day after I mix it in a bowl of milk, shes a fussy eater and its best to add it to milk as she leaves her food some nights.

[stormie]

if your girl's gut motility is slowed because of the chemo- then I can't see how putting extra in there will help ? ;) i would be inclined to only feed her a small amount of highly nutritious food - something with almost NO residue to be got rid of ... then again - I'm no vet :D I would have thought If the gut muscles are just not moving, then nothing will make stuff pass thru quicker ?

Agree with this.

If pain meds helped last time, perhaps this is something that might be required more often?

[Pugmum]

Thanks you all so much - I feel so ignorant sometimes :D

I will definitely get the psyllium husks on my way home tonight. Maggie is on a highly nutritous diet (cooked meat - mostly organic chicken - veg, fruit, fish oil, sardines, yogurt, quark, plus other oils) with pumpkin and brocolli as her staple veggies. Buit she eats two meals a day and needs food in her tummy to cope witht he other medication (Piroxicam). Only so much can go in before something has to come out ;)

She is generally very regular, just not on these days of the chemo cycle. the vet is surprised as this is not really a side effect, and does not really think there is a problem as she is not trying to poop. but I know her tummy hurts and I am the one walking at midnight with a dog that cant settle, until she can poop. It broke my heart to see how bad it got last time and I am going to do all I can to see it does not happen again.

Thank you again for your advice, its greatly appreciated.

Brigitte

[persephone]

Perhaps ask the vet exactly what the drugs DO to her system? or , using the name of the drugs- do some research... When you KNOW what is happening to her stomach/gut, THEN you can add stuff or take stuff away to help .

IF it is that the smooth muscles in her digestive tract are either in spasm or flaccid- then perhaps there is some medication which can alleviate it??? If she has pain- it may well be those muscle groups are spasming ...and 'stuck; in one position--- not moving in nice waves as they should to push food along.... Please check with the vet/specialist ...so you know exactly what you need to do to help.

[alpha bet]

As others have already said - pysllium is fantastic - getting natural husks from the heath store/department etc is the best way to get. It acts as a bowel normaliser - helps to prevent the runs and blockages. Works by improving the natural gut action.

Another thing to give when any animal is having lots of drugs - is a teaspoon of pure oil per day - usually something like olive oil - sunflower oil. Not one that just says vegitable oil as this tends to be made from leftovers. Oils will help to boost your dogs immune system which is degraded from the use of the drugs.

To help settle her stomach you can add some finely grated fresh ginger into her food......

Best wishes.

Edited April 14, 2010 by alpha bet

[Pugmum]

Thank you all again.

I have researched her medication and the chemo in general.

This is now the 4th conversation with vets, 2 emergency ones at the specialist centre where she gets the chemo and twice with the specialist treating her. the first time it was strongly suspected that she was going to have abig bout of the squirts - but they did not eventuate.

The chemo works on the cells that multiply the fastest - the cancer,and unfortunately the stomach lining (I think just the stomach - not the bowel) Maggies situation is not normal, and as I have said they are not convinced there is a probelm as she is not straining to go. And yet she is uncomfortable and not pooping as regularlay as she normally does - strangely, at the same time as I began to get concerned last cycle.

She only received 3/4 of the original chemo dose because her white cell count went too low last time. It was thought (hoped) that if the issues were related (which they should not be) it would be different this time.

There is limited remedy available as many things will interfere with the chemo and apprently this is not really considered a problem - yet. Also it seems that only the last part of the freedom for poop cycle is affected which is strange. The pain meds are only available via injection, hence they need to be administered at the vets and that would be only when things get really bad. I'm hoping to avoid that this time.

Maggie is already on fish oil twice a day, and a rotation of Olive, canola, peanut and sesame oil.

I am prepared to walk her as much as I need to, but it was hoped that the metamucil would help my efforts - it was all they could come up with. I'll try the psyllium husks, they cant hurt, and they may help. At least it looks as though I should be able to get her to take them

regards

Brigitte

[cazxxz]

it was hoped that the metamucil would help my efforts - it was all they could come up with. I'll try the psyllium husks, they cant hurt, and they may help. At least it looks as though I should be able to get her to take them

You may already know this, but psyllium husks are the main ingredient in Metamucil anyway. Metamucil has lots of extra things added to make them easier to consume. Psyllium husks on their own are cheaper but it's like eating cardboard, so definitely mix them in with your girl's food Good luck! I love psyllium, we should all be eating it! (Just remember to make sure medication is taken at least two hours before or after.)

[dancinbcs]

I have used Metamucil with an old dog. Just mix it with the food and add plenty of liquid to the meal.