constipated- I'm really frustrated
 

Switching to a homecooked diet has been such a challenge for Sugar. I am really really frustrated. First, as some of you know, we went through a lot of soft stools and bloody diharrea. After a visit to the vet and lots of advise here, I put him on a diet of only fish and potatoes and was planning to stick with that until he was regular for a week or so. He went back to diahrrea on Christmas and my mom talked me into the Pepto even though I was trying to avoid it. Well it fixed him up and he's been fine but now tonight his tummy is as hard as a rock and I can tell he is uncomfortable. I don't know what to do. He has had nothing but fish and pototoes. I swear I am about ready to go back to dog food. What do I do? I tries a search on constipation but apparently it is too common a word and wont give me any results.

His tummy is hard and he's gassy. He is passing some gas and his tummy doesn't seem quite so hard. He wimpers a little when you rub his belly. I guess it's gas?

What about canned pumpkin? Maybe try some of that.

to get rid of the constipation i'd try plain non fat yogurt or some canned pumpkin. when switching diets i always give yogurt because it helps aid in digestion.

is he just eating fish and potatoes? I'm no expert on homecooking but i believe you need to add more to the diet then that for him to get all the benefits of a home cooked diet. he needs supplements too or he won't get all the vitamins and minerals he needs. Talk to yorkiedaze, she knows a lot about homecooking!

Naturally I just threw away the pumpkin I bought from when he had diharrea. I found a thread that recommended Karo syrup and milk and gave him a tiny bit of each. His tummy is so tight and kind of quivery. He pooped this morning but hasn't tonight and he's just very gassy. I can go buy some pumpkin but I don't want to overwhelm his system with the Kayro and milk.

You're right that he does need more in the long run. I started with a much more varried diet and the other 2 did just fine but he was having problems. Fish and potatoes is the easiest to digest so that is what he's been on while his body adjusts to the transition. It wont be forever, just till his system gets normal. I have some yogurt I could try.

Edit to add- I am following the Dr. Pitcairn book that most here use and he is on the healthy powder for supplement.

My vet told me to use the infant gas drops when one of mine had Gas.
This is what he told me to use:
GENERIC NAME: SIMETHICONE DROPS - ORAL (sye-METH-ih-cone)
BRAND NAME(S): Baby Gas Drops, Mylicon

Deana
Prestigeous

oh good, i thought you were just feeding those two things. good luck! i hope he poops soon

I add 1/4 teaspoon of Canola Oil to there food portion (2x a day), it works wonders on the poop slipping right out - hehehehehe ;)

I was thinking that maybe you could top dress his food with some flax seed oil. Poor guy... being constipated is not fun!

Oh, and the Mylicon drops... that's a good thing to know!

You know the food we feed them is important, but, boy can it be confusing with all the different books and advice. I have Kayla on Welliness because it has done so well with my schnauzers. Mandy had allergies where she doesn't even scratch anymore. I think you have to be careful with changing foods and incoporating new but you have to just hit on something that works. I think every dog is different and their little systems are too I guess. We have a school teacher at our church that fed her dog (mixed) Alpo and he lived to be 17 if you can believe. I would not fed Alpo to for nothing but go figure. THen I spend a fortune on mine and still have to be careful. Good luck, I know its terrible trying to get them adjusted. I tryed cooking for a diabetic dog and just finally went back to dog food. I think if you buy a good A one brand you might do better.

Miko was gassy when he was a pup and the mylicon drops were very helpful for him. These work very well for gassiness...

The Mylicon really brought me back- it was a life saver when my daughter was a baby. We ended up at the emergency vet. It turns out he just has gas. It hurts- we've probably all been there.:rolleyes: His x-ray was fine and the vet said that while he does need a bowl movement, he isn't constipated- just full of gas. The reason is a mystery. They said he could have eaten anything like a bug- but really he is with me almost all of the time and pottys indoors- or it could be a virus. They gave him a shot to "move things along" so now we wait.

Update- right as a I was writing this my husband called me outside- SUCCESS! Sugar, um, eliminated big time! Yay!

Yay Sugar...:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Sounds like he should be feeling better now. :)

Deana
Prestigeous

Hmmm...weird about the gas. I'm glad he got things movin'!! So, did the diarrhea come back ever since xmas or just here and there? With gas all the time? If the gas was just this once, then maybe he did eat something funny.

You are still giving fish oil right? Even if you're feeding the fish itself, the oil is good bc fish is so very lean - and you want him to have fat in his diet. For some dogs, it's beneficial to have fiber supplements in their diet (I did this w/ Marcel for about 3 mths) - esp. if they've had a lot of ongoing digestive issues. You can use Benefiber -or- just something like pumpkin. For me, it was easier to just give a pinch of the Benefiber bc then I knew Marcel was getting it AND he didn't have to consume yet more food (he's small). (don't give Metamucil or stuff like that - Benefiber or its generic is the one you'd want)

I hope he stays on track, gas can be so painful for these little guys.

He's still gassy today. He is so uncomfortable.:( I haven't been using fish oil so maybe that's the problem. I've been planning to add flax seed oil but keep forgetting to buy it. Is fish oil better? I have some fish oil capsules, I'm going to break a few open and see if he will eat it. I don't want to feed him this morning until he eliminates.

The diharrea went away and so I added spinach to his fish/potatoes since the vet said to add leafy greens to help his runny eyes. He was fine for a few days and then on Christmas he had a few really loose stools. Nothing as bad as the first time but not normal. As hard as I tried to stay away from the Pepto, my mom talked me into it.:rolleyes: She's been trying to get me to use it since all of this started and and she was down visiting for Christmas and just wasn't going to take no for an answer. It did help and I stopped the spinach and was just trying to get him back to normal for a few days and then I was going to add green beans. Now we've got the gas to deal with.

I also feed dried cranberries and dried blueberries - that makes them go poop too! If you have these, maybe feed him about 4 and see if it helps. It certainly makes Roxy go - all I have to do is give her a few blueberries :D

Spinach could be the reason for the gas,
this is off the ivillage

Gas, flatulence and bloating are all part of the natural process of digestion. When fat is digested, gas is produced in the small intestine. When simple sugars (carbohydrates) are digested, gas may be produced in the large intestine; that occurs when carbohydrates are not completely digested, resulting in fermentation. The incomplete digestion and resulting gas can give you the feeling of stomach rumbling (also called borborygmus).

Certain foods are more likely to cause gas and intestinal discomfort; these include dairy products such as milk, cheese or yogurt; whole grains such as bran or wheat products; vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and spinach; and fruits such as apples, pears or peaches. As many of these foods are also part of a healthy diet, it is important that you try to isolate which foods cause you to have gas. To do this, eat only one of these foods for a few days and keep track


Deana
Prestigeous

Thanks for finding that.:) He hasn't had spinach since the 24th so I don't know. Ugg it's so frustrating. He was getting egg and cottage cheese with breakfast up until a week or so ago so it's interesting about the dairy. He just ate 2 capsules worth of fish oil so maybe that will make something happen. The shot the ER vet gave him desn't seem to have done anything.

This is interesting also.

Fish oil May reduce triglycerides May cause a fishy aftertaste, bad breath, gas, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea


Deana
Prestigeous

Yeah!! Glad to hear he's feeling better :)

I would use fish oil. Flax can make some dogs itchy bc they can't convert it. I think flax is wonderful, but it just doesn't work for some dogs bc of its origin (grain derivative-ish).

As for the spinach...oh yeah...just like us humans, veggies can be very tough. Were you giving it raw? If so, that could be your answer right there. Raw veg is much tougher for these guys to digest than steamed and pureed. Even though you lose some nutrients by steaming, it is often so much easier for them to digest. When I do green beans, I would steam, then puree - and even then I could still see some pieces undigested in their stool - but it does help alkalize the system.

Hang in there, you'll find out the culprits as you go along! :D

Thank you. I put some olive oil in his and Spike and Gracie's food tonight because I didn't want to buy anything until I heard from you. The spinach was cooked and like I said it's been several days since he's had any. I'm thinking it is likley because I wasn't adding oil. Spike and Gracie are still getting a variety of meats (chicken, beef and fish), veggies and different grains (rice, oatmeal. potatoes) so that's maybe why they weren't affected.

I was really about to put him back on dogfood I was so frustrated but I'm going to figure this out darn it!:p I really appreciate all of your help. If worse comes to worse, I'll schedule a phone consultation with your nutritionist.

I prefer the Flax Oil over fish oils. The reason behind this is that fish oils (like Cod Liver) are made with the LIVER of the fish-and the liver is what filters toxins out of the body, so I feel like that's not the best choice. I have heard that other fish oils (like Salmon Oil) run the risk of mercury poisoning, so I've avoided that too. Flax Seed oil has a nutty flavor, so most dogs like it. It also has the beneficial Omega 3's in it, just like fish oil does.

Sorry to hear Sugar's having some more tummy troubles! Poor guy! I agree with Wylie's mom-steam the spinach first, that may help. I also agree that adding yogurt with probiotics will probably be a good thing for him-the beneficial bacteria in the yogurt will aid in digestion. Try a plain or vanilla flavor, of something like Dannon Activia. Give him maybe a tablespoon or so to start-you can also top it with a few berries, or pieces of dried fruit (just not raisins).

Finally, if he continues to have tummy upset, you may try either the chicken and rice again since that worked for him before, or going to just fish and potatoes, then adding veggies back in slowly, and one at a time. Another recommendation is the BRAT diet-it works well on children with tummy upset. (If you're not familiar with it, BRAT stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast-basically a bland, easily digestable diet for upset tummies.) My dogs both really like Mott's all natural applesauce-you can get the same effect by steaming a couple apples in the microwave, then puree with a little water. I mix this into oatmeal, and serve with 1/2 a hard boiled egg for breakfast.

Hi Suzy! Thanks for responding. I was cooking the spinach and took it out as soon as I saw slightly soft stools. He's literally had nothing since Christmas eve but fish and potatoes. I did get the Benefiber and will start adding that tomorrow. I think I will start with the flax seed oil and watch for itchies because the fish oil got in his fur and I had to bathe him. I couldn't get the smell out with a washcloth and I sure can't bathe him every day.:p The fur on his face is so thick it worked like a sponge. He's been fine for most of the day but has a little bloat now after dinner. It's not painful thank goodness. I have some yogurt I'll try, maybe put a little Benefiber in it. Gracie and Spike have been a breeze but my little Sugar man sure is a challenge!

:thumbup:
I agree about the fish oil being better for some dogs. I would not recommend cod liver oil though. And yes, steamed veggies are easier on them...

Btw, Nikki, I'm not talking about cod liver oil - and I'm pretty sure you already knew that bc we've posted about fish oils before (in the same post). Usually (at least on this board) when folks toss around the "fish oil" term, we're talking about salmon type oils. Just clarifying. :D

I'm so frustrated for you, I know exactly how it feels to have ongoing digestive issues!

I knew what you were talking about, Wylie's mom :)