Dog
Nutrition - Your Dog and Firm Stools
Pet owners are often searching for the perfect dog nutrition
that will ensure their own canine has a nice, settled digestive
system and firm stools.
This latter phrase might sound a bit gross, but if you bear
in mind that all responsible dog owners should be using "poop
scoops" (usually plastic bags) on a regular basis, it is common
to develop a bit of an obsession with their own dog's digestive
system and its waste products. Most of us are probably much
more familiar with the state of our dog's digestive waste
products than we are with our own!
Advantages of Firm Stools in the Dog:
- Indicative of a healthy, settled digestive tract.
- They are not stinking or vile (comparatively
speaking).
- Much easier to pick up without leaving residues.
- Stimulate the anal glands to empty.
The anal glands in a dog are situated near to the anus. If
they are not regularly stimulated by the passage of firm
stools, they accumulate a mass of foul, fishy-smelling fluid
which has to be expressed, usually (and preferably, in the
minds of most owners!) by a veterinary surgeon. The procedure
is carried out without anaesthetic but the resultant smell is
unbelievably horrible.
Diarrhoea in the dog is undesirable, not only because we
assume that it distresses him as it would ourselves, but also
because it is hard to pick up. On concrete or sidewalks,
onlookers have to endure the unedifying spectacle of a person
trying to scrape poo off the pavement (it's at times like this
when we wish we had a portable hosepipe to wash it away - and
ourselves with it!) On grass, it's a total nightmare and
impossible to fully shift without irrigation.
Selfish reasons aside, it's also indicative that the dog is
not absorbing the full nutritional value from his food. It is
often associated with distress - the dog may whine or whimper,
showing that he may have pains. Also gurgling sounds can be
heard from the gut.
Dog nutrition is a highly-contested subject, but one thing's
for sure - it's essential for all the reasons stated above that
your dog is put on a diet which will ensure he has firm stools.
This can take time and patience as any change of diet must be
undertaken gradually or even more digestive distress will be
caused.
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