The Timing of Treatment
- When stools are not being expelled as normal, a couple of things can happen:
1. Stools remain in the colon for a longer amount of time. When there, any moisture in them is absorbed back into the body. This exasperates the problem.
2. For chronic constipation lasting 2 weeks or more, impacted feces can cause the large intestine to stretch unnaturally. This can lead to a quite serious condition referred to as megacolon that often requires surgery.
For these reasons, it is suggested to treat constipation as soon as it is noticed and to bring a Poodle to the vet if things do not resolve within a few days.
How to Treat a Poodle at Home for Constipation
- There are some home remedies that can usually resolve minor to moderate cases of constipation. For quick results, follow as many as applicable to your Poodle.
1) Encourage increased water intake. It’s easy for dogs to drink a bit less than required; some simply do not self-regulate. With others, there may be some reasons why the dog resists drinking; this may include water not being fresh or cold enough, the bowl being dirty, or the bowl being in a spot in which a dog does not feel comfortable.
You’ll want to ensure that the bowl is clean, with fresh cold water at all times.
In addition, an easy remedy, by itself or along with other treatments, is to add water-rich foods. Given either as snacks or blended into meals, fruits such as watermelon (92% water), blueberries (87%), raspberries (87%) and oranges (87%) are great choices.
2) Add fiber.
There are two types of fiber and each can aid with constipation. Soluble fiber causes more water to remain in the stools which can help with hard stools and prompt them to pass through the intestines. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to stools and this as well can cause them to pass more quickly.
For Poodles that are constipated, you may find that soluble fiber works best.
Fruit
- The previously mentioned fruits contain some soluble fiber, thereby offering two treatments in one.
Pumpkin
– This is a standard go-to remedy that works well for many dogs. You will want to be sure to obtain 100% real canned puree pumpkin and not the pie filling.
Dosing is as follows and is for adult dogs:
- Toy Poodle – Start with 1 teaspoon per day, increase to 2 teaspoons if needed.
- Miniature Poodles – Start with 1 tablespoon per day, increase to 2 tablespoons if needed.
- Standard Poodles - Start with 2 tablespoons per day, increase to 3 tablespoons if needed.
Kale, spinach
– These dark leafy green vegetables contain good levels of fiber. When ground, these can easily be mixed into meals with a Poodle noticing.
3) Coconut oil
– This is remedy that is purported to have many benefits including boosting the immune system and clearing up skin & coat issues. And it may also help cure constipation, in both humans and canines.
Typically, coconut oil can be found in the vitamin aisle often packaged in small tubs. It has the consistency of a paste. An easy way to offer this is to scoop out the amount that you will be giving to your Poodle, microwave it to liquefy it and then drizzle it over the kibble. For each teaspoon, just 8 to 10 seconds in the microwave is sufficient to melt it.
Typical dosing is 1 teaspoon for each 10 lbs. of body weight, given once per day.