As dogs age, the functions of various parts of their body, especially the function of the digestive system, continue to degrade, the metabolic function gradually slows down, and various diseases follow. Among them, one disease threatens elderly dogs for a long time. Health, but has been ignored by the owners, that is constipation.

Under normal circumstances, after a dog eats, the food will enter the digestive tract, where it will be decomposed and absorbed. Then the food residue will enter the colon to further absorb water, turn into feces, and be excreted through "intestinal motility".

However, if the function of the gastrointestinal tract is damaged or the peristalsis speed slows down during this process, the feces will stagnate in the colon and continue to lose water, becoming harder and drier, and it will become more difficult to pass out. It gets bigger and eventually leads to constipation.

Elderly dogs are prone to constipation for many reasons:

First of all, elderly dogs usually lack exercise. Muscle atrophy caused by physiological aging will lead to slow intestinal peristalsis and insufficient defecation strength.

Secondly, fecal matter remains in the intestine for too long, causing excessive water absorption and becoming very dry.

Thirdly, the aging of the teeth and the degradation of the digestive system function, and the food intake is relatively small, are not enough to stimulate intestinal peristalsis.

Finally, many of the diseases that older dogs are prone to may also affect their defecation reflexes.

How do we tell if our "old friend" is suffering from constipation?

In fact, it is obvious that if you find that your dog has not defecated for more than two days, or the feces is very dry or even as hard as a rock, then you can basically determine that your dog has been constipated.

There are also some dogs that frequently defecate when they are constipated, but they are unable to defecate or can only excrete a very small amount every time. During the process, they will whine or groan with a very painful expression. In severe cases, There may even be a small amount of liquid stool mixed with blood.

The most important thing to relieve constipation is to adjust the daily diet of elderly dogs. Owners can add more high-fiber foods to their dogs' food to help them pass feces more easily. Of course, they can also provide them with foods with a higher water content. , or soak dry food in water and feed it to them.

Sufficient water intake can also effectively relieve constipation in elderly dogs, because one of the main causes of constipation is too little water intake in the body. In daily life, elderly dogs must be replenished with water in time and ensure that they want to drink water. When possible, sufficient clean water can be found in a timely manner.

Dudu highly recommends that owners of elderly dogs purchase several automatic water dispensers at home, which can very well help elderly dogs maintain adequate daily drinking water.

In addition, because dogs are prone to swallowing foreign objects, such as toys, bones, etc., this may also cause intestinal obstruction and constipation in dogs.

Therefore, it is best for owners to keep these items out of reach of their dogs, and they should always pay attention when using them to prevent their dogs from accidentally eating them.

In addition to adjusting the diet, strengthening exercise is also the key to solving the constipation problem in elderly dogs. On the one hand, sufficient exercise can promote the gastrointestinal motility of dogs and improve the condition of constipation;

On the other hand, it can also enhance the dog's physique, maintain their physical condition at a better level, and make them more resistant to health problems such as constipation.

However, due to physical degeneration, elderly dogs must exercise appropriately during daily exercise and try to choose lower-intensity exercise types, such as walking, sniffing, etc.

If after trying a variety of methods, the constipation of your elderly dog ​​still does not improve, or even becomes more serious, then you should consider taking your dog to the hospital for examination, because constipation, especially chronic constipation, may It is a symptom of certain serious diseases, such as tumors.

Before seeking medical treatment, owners need to know as much information as possible about the symptoms of constipation in dogs, including:

·The time of the last normal bowel movement

·Color and hardness of stool

·Dietary status

·Have you ever swallowed foreign objects

·Do you show any obvious pain or discomfort when walking?

· Medication status

· Whether there are other symptoms, such as vomiting, drowsiness, etc.

Although it is difficult to accept, we must accept the fact that these cute furry children will always age. They will gradually become clumsy, slow, and start to have various problems, but the happiness they once brought us and happiness will not disappear, and their love for us will not fade.

I hope every pet owner can take good care of their "old companions" so that they can happily enjoy the last days of their lives.