Canine Constipation Cure

Alternative dog laxatives
Question:	At my vet's suggestion I have been giving our Golden Retriever 1 Tbsp of canned pumpkin in the am and pm with his food. This has been working great, but now there is a world-wide pumpkin shortage, and I can't buy pumpkin anywhere. Is there an alternative vegetable that would work like pumpkin?
Answer:	Hi Wanda! Thank you for inquiring. Is it still hard to find canned pumpkin at your grocery store? Well, i don't know details about your Golden Retriever but I will tell you the single largest reason I see constipation in animals is because they are given a diet of dry food. And I usually see this in senior animals. It makes sense, just like elderly people canines and felines fluids dry up making it harder to pass stool. I do not know the details of your dog but I would ask you to consider supplementing his diet with natural nutrition and human food. If you are not wanting to cook a natural diet that meets all the specific canine needs I would ask if you can supplement his diet with salmon,(pretty oily) sweet potatoes, yams, lots of squashes (lots of fiber) steamed kale, collard greens with a spraying of olive oil. (Boiled chicken is not for constipation but you can add with some cold pressed olive oil to his mainstay.) If you are interested in home prepared diet I will give you more information. Canine needs are very specific and we want to make sure we meet all of the them so you can consult with a holistic vet for proper nutrition. A regular allopathic vet will tell you regular dog food. I say no, because if we fed superior nutrition designed for our animals, veterinarians would lose a ton of business. And so would the monopoly of pet food corporations. Natural nutrition dog foods like Prairie, Wellness, Avoderm make a decent canned food. To his diet i would add flax seed oil. I do not know the size of your dog but start with 1 tsp if s/he is constipated twice a day. If no bowel movement you can add a little more. To keep regular you can use small amount daily but it is best to supplement the diet with good clean food that is not processed or desiccated. I dont know if your dog has a weight issue, but be sure to add squashes to his food if anything and then when a bout of constipation comes up, use the flax seed oil! Keep me posted! Shanti My line of thinking is eliminate the reason for constipation, (if elderly or senior, certainly help with declining functions) and that usually has to do with the diet the dog is being fed to start with.