dogmatic Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 I have a 13-year-old GSD. All her life, she has been fed the same diet - raw meaty bones (chicken, lamb, beef, pork - whatever's cheapest - almost always chicken wings, necks, frames, whole, etc plus a harder bone to chew on), premium canned food, a small tin of fish in the morning (started off as the cats' leftovers before they passed away, now cheap sardines in springwater) and sometimes a raw egg or two. Over the last two years, I started giving a glass of warm milk and yoghurt before she goes to bed - she now demands this is part of the nightly routine. Over a longer period of time - probably three or four years - she started to become occasionally constipated - becoming more frequent as she gets older. It can take three or four - even five - goes over a period of up to ten minutes before anything comes out and it's usually a little larger than normal. Is there a safe remedy that I can introduce to her daily diet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vehs Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 (edited) I find if I give my boy a 'working mums meal' of canned food he'll have a soft/poo run the next day, the same with sardines. Maybe add a bit of those more frequently? What type of yoghurt are you giving her? eta: it might also be worth a trip to the vet to have a bit of a probe. When my boy was straining to poop it turned out he had anal fistulas, but his main symptom was constant licking at his bumhole. You could also try adding some mashed pumpkin Edited November 12, 2013 by Vehs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogmatic Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 Maybe she's so used to canned food and sardines that they don't do the trick. The sardines I give are in springwater. Wondering if I should try the ones in oil. The yoghurt is the same that we eat - full-cream biodynamic - she gets a single spoonful every night. "a bit of a probe"? Honestly, I don't think it's that serious at the moment. :) Next time I'm at the vets I will ask though. Thanks. I have used mashed pumpkin for the opposite reason - no idea if it works, because it's usually just a 24-hour affair anyway. Thanks for the suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Avanti* Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Just a thought, could she have an under active thyroid? I know in humans one of the symptoms is constipation. Maybe a general check-up at the vets could be a good idea, they may also give some dietary advice. I would try cooked pumpkin but don't really know. I hope things improve for your dear old girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vehs Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 LOL I just meant a finger probe, the vet should do it in a normal consult time/cost Try to note what she ate the night/morning of her difficult poos and cut that out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogmatic Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 Just a thought, could she have an under active thyroid? I know in humans one of the symptoms is constipation. Maybe a general check-up at the vets could be a good idea, they may also give some dietary advice. I would try cooked pumpkin but don't really know. I hope things improve for your dear old girl. She was at the vets for an operation not long ago, and came through wonderfully. I didn't ask about her other issues. Personally, I think the constipation is a simply dietary issue for geriatric dogs (hopefully). She doesn't have any other ailments apart from stiffness when she gets up. I guess what I am looking for is a mild laxative that can be given on a regular basis, or avoidance of anything that might tend to block things up. Pumpkin is cheap and she will eat it if mixed in with other things. I suppose it won't hurt, but seems like a pain to prepare. Vehs, I think I knew what you meant.. but still. :) I will start taking note of what she eats, and see if there is a pattern. Good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Avanti* Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 (edited) Pumpkin is cheap and she will eat it if mixed in with other things. I suppose it won't hurt, but seems like a pain to prepare. I worked out a really easy way to cook pumpkin for my dogs: Using an apple corer put about three holes into the top, through to the inside, then put the whole thing in the oven (in one piece) and bake it in the oven a tray with about 1cm of water. In about an hour or so (depending on the size) you have a fully cooked pumpkin easy to cut/mash up. I feed mine the skin as well and some of the seeds. Mine are big dogs (Labs) so the seeds are ok too. Edited November 13, 2013 by LabTested Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogmatic Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 Wow. Thanks for the recipe. Definitely worth trying! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bianca.a Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Yes I would try pumpkin too, it works both ways for some weird reason! My girl was a bit the same this morning so she had pumpkin with her dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Some dogs like other veggies too - pumpkin's brilliant for constipation and diarrhoea apparently - mine also enjoy carrot, peas and some of them like broccoli and cauliflower even! I wouldn't feed anything with oil as that could lead to other issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Tried all sort once for a dog with constipation & nothing did much until I tried brussel sprouts. Cooked a few until soft in the microwave, mashed & mixed in with food & it did the trick like magic. Added them for about a month & stopped & lucky the problem never recurred. Old dogs get things & sometimes there is no cure only relief. Worth a go & not expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogmatic Posted November 14, 2013 Author Share Posted November 14, 2013 She was straining yesterday, and it is gradually becoming an almost daily struggle. I'll try the pumpkin tonight. If not better in a couple of days, it's off to the vets to see what they prescribe. I'm reducing the amount of chicken bones and increasing the amount of canned food, but keeping the harder chewing bones. Thinking of switching to low-fat milk and yoghurt for her bed-time tipple. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll save the brussel sprouts as the last resort. Flatulence? :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowanbree Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 I would get some lactulose from your vet. My old cat gets it on her food daily to keep her regular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podengo Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 My sister cooks pumpkin in the microwave and swears it is amazing and super quick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 My vet dosed my old Cattle girl on Metamucil when things got bad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll save the brussel sprouts as the last resort. Flatulence? :laugh: Flatulence wasn't a problem at all. They just softened her stools so she was able to go. I had tried metamucil, pumpkin, liquid paraffin & making half of her food mixed vegetables & non of it worked but the sprouts did on the first feed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpha bet Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 (edited) Constipation can be a common problem with feeding older dogs bones. My old shepherds would be given plenty of charchol biscuits to keep their teeth clean and rarely be given any bone - on the odd occassion if they went to a friends house and found a bone to chew I would let them have this as a treat but then ensure I added extra oil to their diet for the next couple of days to ensure they kept loose. However I would also recommend you put the old dog on the Vets All Natural diet which will process thru her system much easier - and pumpkin does work very well. Edited November 16, 2013 by alpha bet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogmatic Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 (edited) I'm very happy to report that things were a lot easier today; first pop (so to speak) :) Slight variations in the usual diet - less bone, slightly more canned food - and the addition of pumpkin at a proportion of less than ten percent of the canned food - not much at all really. Over the coming days and weeks, I'll test out some subtle variations to fine tune the diet, and let you know of any developments. Thanks for all the suggestions. Edited November 16, 2013 by dogmatic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 My vet dosed my old Cattle girl on Metamucil when things got bad! Yep! I had an old girl who absolutely refused things like pumpkin. The tasteless invisible variety of metamucil was the only thing you could sneak into her food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogmatic Posted November 20, 2013 Author Share Posted November 20, 2013 The other night I forgot the pumpkin, and it was back to same old struggle. From what I have observed, the small proportion of pumpkin softens the stools and gives a bit of colour. :) I have also been feeding the same dish to the younger one, but didn't notice much difference. She is still getting lots of meaty bones though. Yesterday, the older one was lagging behind for the entire walk - first time in her life. Ordinarily, I'd think it was the heat which she doesn't tolerate, but I felt it was something more. So, it's off to the vet for a checkup in a day or two. Still worried about that "bit of a probe" though. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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