Cat constipation and dog constipation is less common than diarrhoea. Using liquid paraffin in the diet is not your only option, palatable pastes such as Katalax and treats such as Defurr Um can also be bought making life a whole lot easier for you and your cat......

At some point during their lives, most dogs become constipated. If your dog seems to be straining yet cannot pass a stool, or if the stool is exceptionally hard, he's probably constipated. It’s usually nothing to worry about but if the constipation lasts more than a few days you should take action. Observe your dog closely to be certain that he is straining to defecate rather than urinate. Difficulty in urinating can be life threatening and you will need to seek medical help immediately.

Perhaps the most frequent cause of ‘simple’ constipation in dogs is a lack of fibre in the diet, eating the wrong foods such as rich meat from human plates or scraps from the dustbin or from dehydration. Try changing your dog’s diet by adding fibre to his food. You can buy special high fibre diets that will result in better colon motility. Alternatively you can just add fibre to his diet in the form of 100% bran cereal. Try not to make sudden changes to your dog’s diet but instead gradually change the diet over a period of a few days. Some colons will perform better if the stool is smaller. To achieve this, a high digestibility, low ash residue diet is used. With this diet a larger proportion of nutrients are absorbed by the dog' resulting in a lower volume of stool.

Monitor the water intake of any dog you suspect to be constipated. Generally dogs need, at minimum, one ounce of water per pound (about 0.03 litres per 0.45 kg) of body weight per day. If a dog is very active and in hot weather, its water requirements go up. If the dog drinks less than these suggested amounts, dehydration as a possible cause for constipation.

Eating items like rocks, gravel, fabric, bones, dirt, toys, or plant material can also cause constipation. A small object generally passes in a day or two but if the objects are abnormally large or could injure the dog while trying to pass them, it may require surgery to remove them. Other causes of a bowl blockage include excessive licking of the fur that can cause hairballs to form, which can block the colon. You should find and treat the cause of the excess licking to totally eradicate the problem.

Dogs that are older may lack muscle tone in the rectum, which can mean the dog will not push hard enough. Stool can back up and harden in the bowel, making it more difficult for the dog with poor muscle tone to do his business. It can help to soak the dog’s food with water so that stool is naturally softer, since discomfort upon producing a hard stool can result in withholding stools.

An enlarged prostate gland may be the problem in older male dogs. As it enlarges, it presses against the colon, narrowing the pathway. Alternatively, there could be a tumour on the prostate gland, which also narrows the colon. Neutering the dog and/or removing the tumour will usually correct these problems.

A simple, isolated episode can be treated with a stool softener. Read and follow the label directions carefully to be sure you do not overdose your dog. An old remedy for lubricating the colon that is still in use today is mineral oil. Veterinarians usually advise mixing it in with food rather than feeding raw. Be sure and follow dosage instructions to the letter to avoid further complications.

Obstipation is the more correct medical terminology when dealing with a chronic constipation problem. When obstipated, the dog is unable to empty the colon without outside help. The obstipated colon will dilate and fill with an enormous volume of rock-hard feces. The dog is extremely uncomfortable, with frequent unproductive straining. If the colon is not cleared, the dog can become lethargic, lose his appetite, and begin to vomit. Once you know this is a problem for your dog, get him to your vet as soon as possible.

Disclaimer: The above article is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a veterinarian nor is the source to be used as a diagnostic tool as there may be various conditions that may resemble the descriptions provided.