Is your dog passing soft stool? Wondering what could have caused the infection? Are you finding ways to firm up the dog stool to ease any digestive discomfort?
The best way to give your dog some relief is by changing your dog’s food pattern, which can help to ease its tummy and help your canine to clean up better.
Your Dog’s Stool Is An Indicator Of Its Health
The quality of stool that your dog passes is an excellent indicator of its gastrointestinal health. When you see that your dog’s poo is malodorous and runny then you need to act fast to tame your dog’s upset tummy.
Your dog could be having digestive problems because of something that it may have eaten off the road or because of some medication that it may be on. All that it takes is some dietary adjustments to cure the condition.
6 Tips On How To Harden Dog Stool
Here are a few ways in which you can harden your dog’s poop.
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Feed less
When you feed your dog less then this will help to relieve strain in the digestive system of the dog. The dog may be stressed because of the change in food, exercise, noise, etc. You may try to not feed your dog for 12 to 24 hours. Also, feed half the ration to your dog the next day when you resume feeding it. The result may be seen in three day’s time.
When your dog overeats, it causes loose stool or increases the frequency of stool deposits. You should also feel your dog’s body, which can be done by running down your hand along its sides. If you cannot feel its ribs then your dog is overweight and you should cut back on its food. Make sure that you measure your dog’s daily food ratio accurately and also reduce dog treats.
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Feed food to firm up stool
Feed the food items to your dog that helps to harden its stool. Canned pure pumpkin is a healthy treat as pumpkin contains dietary fiber, which will help to soothe your dog’s digestive tract. Fiber should be introduced in your dog’s diet to firm up its watery stool.
The soluble fiber helps to absorb the excess liquid in the digestive system and this helps to firm the stool. Offer approximately half a teaspoon of fiber for every 15 lb. of dog weight.
This will help to firm up the stool and absorb the moisture, which helps to harden (stool hardener) the stool. Add a small quantity of canned pumpkin to its regular meal to see the difference.
You may also try adding cottage cheese that is low in fat and yogurt to your dog’s daily food to harden its stool. These foods are rich in lactose, which helps to firm your dog’s stool. Rice that is cooked in chicken broth also helps to firm up the stool.
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Omit dairy from your dog’s diet
Do not feed your dog any dairy products for a few days. Some dogs find it hard to digest lactose that is present in cow’s milk. You may see that your dog’s stool has started to firm up when it quits drinking milk.
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Bland food helps to firm the stool
Bland food helps to soothe your dog’s intestinal tract and gives its digestive system a vacation. You could feed your dog some rice and chicken meal. This is a good mix of protein and carbohydrates and it digests fast. Eating this food helps to firm your dog’s stool. Turkey can also be used instead of chicken.
Your dog should be fed mild food until its bowel movement gets solid. The loose stool may continue even after the dog is cured. You should switch your dog’s food to mild food and then gradually reduce the mixture and get back to your dog’s original food.
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Include lots of water
Your dog should stay well hydrated. Dog diarrhea leads to dehydration so make sure that you offer lots of water to your dog while it’s upset stomach. Also, ensure that you replace the minerals and the electrolytes that the dog has lost because of its loose stool condition.
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Canned dog food may also help
Feeding your dog canned food can also help to harden the stool. This dry dog food is especially recommended when you are switching your dog’s bland diet. The food is soft and wet and this helps the dog to digest the food faster. Feeding the canned food for a few days will help in the transition and lets your canine clean up easily.
The Digestive System Of A Canine
There is a significant difference in the way dogs and humans digest food. The shape of the human jaw and the salivary enzymes helps to break the food in the mouth. The jaw and mouth of the dog are made to tear and crush and their salivary enzymes are designed to kill bacteria. This is why the dog is able to digest the food that humans cannot.
The food travels fast down the esophagus of the dog and this enters its stomach in chunks where the digestion happens. The acids in the stomach of the canine are stronger than that of humans so it can digest food fast. In normal cases, the food reaches from the mouth to the intestine in 10 hours and this produces a firm and hard stool.
However, many things can disrupt the digestive system of the dog and cause loose stool. Something may not be serious like eating grass but if the dog eats stone or has a disease like cancer that causes chronic diarrhea then this is serious.
Conclusion
Your dog could be suffering from loose runny stool because of many reasons. This could be because of some disorder or virus.
The dog develops loose stool because it may have eaten something that does not agree with the digestive system of the dog. You need to offer some soothing food to your dog so that it helps to ease its condition.
However, if your dog experiences bloody diarrhea that is severe and it lasts for long which is more than 24 hours, and if your dog has fever, excess thirst, and abdominal pain then contact the veterinarian immediately.
References:
https://pets.thenest.com/can-feed-dog-firm-up-his-stool-4353.html
