Dog Constipation

Difficult evacuation, constipation, is difficult usuallybecause the fecal mass is too large or too hard to pass through the anus,because its consistency is such that it causes pain, or because of ineffec-tual peristalsis, weakness in the muscles that effect evacuation. Unlessthe dog is greatly overweight, an impacted mass in the rectum mayeasily be felt through the abdominal walls.

One of the most common victims of constipation is the overfat,undcrexercised city dog. For this condition there is little excuse. It iscaused more frequently than not by feeding an unbalanced mixture ofdog biscuits, meat, and bones. Biscuits are usually made principally ofsecond-grade white flour. Meat has very little residue. Bosses have a drymineral residue. When the three are fed together without other mate-rial, the stools resemble a kind of modified concrete.

Enlargement of the prostate gland frequently causes constipationwhen the diet is not regulated accordingly. The prostate, being justbelow the rectum in front of the pelvis, when enlarged will present aformidable obstruction which leaves a very small space for the passageof the feces through the rectum.

A dog whose pelvis has been broken and has healed in a partiallycollapsed position is likely to be constipated again and again. The dogmay have no more than half the natural pelvic orifice through whichthe stool can pass. Special attention must be given to its diet.

As a matter of fact, diet is related to all forms of constipation. Ifowners would simply feed their dogs properly, the bowels could be easily regulated, unless actually affected by a tumor. Too often, how-ever, owners are willing to resort to drugs rather than take the troubleto regulate the dog's diet to relieve constipation. The addition of anitem of food or the elimination of one is usually all that is needed.Certain types of food cause increased taxation: the coarse, raw fibers inbran or alfalfa meal; milk sugar in skins milk, buttermilk, or whey; rawegg white; and fruits such as pears, apples, and peaches. Other foodsare constipating: bones; muscle meat; hard-boiled eggs; boiled whiterice; barley water; and dog biscuits. If a dog's diet is regulated to in-clude the proper amounts of the right types of food, constipation caneasily be prevented or relieved.

Cure for the temporary condition is to give enemas, and if they donot enable the dog to expel the mass, the veterinarian will have tocrush it with the aid of instruments until it is small enough to pass out of a disagreeable experience for any dog.

Accidents. The intestines are less often affected by accidents thanare the other orgasms. It is not often that crushed or ruptured intestinesare found in a postmortem examination of even an dog that hasbeen run over by a vehicle. The liver and spleen may be split open andmashed, and the pelvis broken in many places, but unless the intestinesare filled with a constipated mass they are usually unharmed.It is true, however, that they can be punctured by bullets or birdshot, but sharp objects that penetrate the abdomen generally push theintestines aside. It is amazing how resistant they are. We once had thejob of replacing a yard of intestine in the intestinal cavity of a dog thathad received a four-inch tear in the abdomen. The intestine hadworked out and had been dragged through dirt and hemlock needles inthe woods. The owner brought in his pet wrapped in a blanket, withlittle hope that anything could be done. The dog was anesthetized, theintestines were washed, and the soil and needles flushed out of theabdomen. After the intestine was replaced, the wall was sutured andthe dog recovered.