Reading the Sign
Some of the great heroes of world literature have an intimate familiarity with dung. "Sign" is the old hunter's term for animal droppings; an experienced hunter could learn to judge the age and state of the droppings, and from that deduce the distance and condition of his prey. Which means that the great trackers of legend — from Orion in the Greek myths to Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings, from James Fenimore Cooper's Hawkeye to the X-Men's Wolverine — have all spent a lot of time on their hands and knees, sniffing and examining things that you or I would step around, should we find them in our paths.
Now, most of us will never get quite so up close and personal with pet waste. Most of us will never need to. Still, a little attention to your pet's bathroom habits can reveal information vital to his overall health.
Stop Ahead
When looking at a dog's digestion, urinary habits send health signals that are sometimes complex. Problems with defecation, though, tend to be more straightforward. Most dogs suffer from constipation occasionally throughout their lives. Occasional constipation may be brought on by
* changes in diet
* insufficient exercise
* side effects of medication
* ingestion of non-food items such as hair and bones
Occasional constipation tends to resolve itself with time without harm to the dog. In some cases, your veterinarian may recommend a stool softener. These medications, gentler than laxatives, may come in the form of a pill, a powder to mixed into your dog’s wet food, or as a suppository.
In extreme cases, untreated constipation may lead to obstipation, or long-term inability to move the bowels; it can even result in intestinal blockages. In some cases, intestinal blockages can become so severe that they require surgical intervention to remove. So it is vital to keep an eye on your dog’s defecatory habits, lest minor inconvenience become something dangerous, even life-threatening.
Starting Up the System
If your dog suffers from periodic constipation, these three keys to healthy digestion can prevent the problem from escalating:
* plenty of water
* sufficient exercise
* a diet with at least 10% fiber
The first two are self-explanatory. Your dog should be drinking roughly a pint of fresh water a day for every twenty pounds of body weight. But judging your dog's fiber intake can be tricky, if you're not an expert in reading pet food labels. If you suspect your pet's diet is not providing sufficient fiber, try mixing few tablespoons of bran or plain pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) into your dog's wet food; it's a quick and easy way to bulk up his fiber intake, and the results will be simple to judge.
Author Resource:
Jack Feerick is an editor for PurelyDogBeds.com — your source for dog beds and more
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