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01-26-2015 01:50 AM
I just changed my dog's food from Blue which he was not that fond of to Merrick which he loves! I gradually did this over a couple of weeks and now have him totally changed. Also last Monday we took him to the vet for his annual visit, got his booster shots, and the vet put him on HeartGuard. My sister has her dogs on this for years & they have done great. Now my problem is, now he has had constipation for maybe 3 days. He seems to strain & just puts out this little bit. And only once a day. He was doing one really good poop a day. It seems to bother him when he goes. I just wondered if anyone thinks this is a side affect of the heartguard or the food? Other than that he is fine. Plays, is active. He has never had this problem before. Always been real regular. I wondered if anyone else has had this problem & if so how did you take care of the problem. Thanks
01-26-2015 03:22 AM
Henny, I doubt if it's the Heartguard, the active ingredient is a very well investigated and long-used, and if constipation is not listed as a common side effect in the packaging, then I'm sure it's not the cause. If you need to soften things up with his digestion so he's not uncomfortable, you can try adding canned pumpkin to his food. The fiber in pumpkin is a good digestive regulator. Make sure it's plain pumpkin, not spiced pie filling, of course. Most dogs love the stuff. I have one elderly Scottie girl who has "gland" problems, and she gets a tablespoon of pumpkin in her dinner every day, which keeps her much more comfortable, and avoids her needing major removal surgery, at her age she doesn't need to be anaesthetized. If pumpkin doesn't help your boy in just a couple of days, there might be something else going on, which might need another trip to the vet, I'm afraid. Oh, one other thing you can do is to get your dog to drink more water, you can add a little beef or chicken broth to his water bowl to make it more attractive to him. More liquid might help to soften things up and move them along as well.
01-26-2015 05:11 AM
Can you get more water into him? Have the vet check before long, that's not good. In case of an obstruction. (Far reaching possibility).
01-26-2015 12:48 PM
Make sure he's getting plenty of exercise too. You could add a couple tablespoons of water into the kibble to increase fluid intake.
01-26-2015 07:45 PM
Thanks guys! Well, got up this morning & didn't have pumpkin but did have some pineapple & remembered that someone told me once it was good for them so I mixed some pineapple juice in his food & actually gave him a couple of pieces. So around noon he went out & pooped!! Seems normal so we will watch & see. After that he must have felt better because he has been running & playing all afternoon! The weather is really nice too, sunshine & 50, so might be a combination of both! Always worries me when something with my babies isn't normal!
01-26-2015 10:10 PM
Good news! Tell him to keep up the good work!
Be sure to check on the safety of different fruits and vegetables for dogs because there are a few better left out of their diets.
I've fed Merrick kibble for years, and it works well for my dog. I add 2T cooked chicken and vegetables with the kibble. Occasionally I switch off with Taste of the Wild kibble.
01-27-2015 12:45 AM
On 1/26/2015 happygal said:Good news! Tell him to keep up the good work!
Be sure to check on the safety of different fruits and vegetables for dogs because there are a few better left out of their diets.
I've fed Merrick kibble for years, and it works well for my dog. I add 2T cooked chicken and vegetables with the kibble. Occasionally I switch off with Taste of the Wild kibble.
HaHa I will tell the little guy! Glad to hear about the Merrick food. I did a lot of research on food & decided it was the one I wanted to try with him. He really seems to like it & even my 15 1/2 yr old female likes it! It & the HeartGuard were the only changes we have had so that is why it worried me. I read all the side effects of the HeartGuard & nowhere did it say constipation. He has really been outside having a good time today. Now he is laying in his daddy's lap asleep! He did eat a good dinner tonight too. Hoping to it was just a little glitch in his system! Don't you wish they could tell us what was wrong!! That would be nice!! Until then mommy will just worry a lot!
01-29-2015 11:22 AM
I would add some water to the food that he likes to eat.. I always give my dogs [I have four rescues] dry dog biscuits as treats. The biscuit's encourage them to drink more water. More exercise also encouraging them to go easier and more often.
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