[RowdyboyHank]

Not to sure on where to post this, so I will post it here.
Took Hank to the vet today for an exam, his last round of shots and fecal exam and was told that he needs to eat more fiber because the vet had to do an anal gland expression. I was told this the last time I took him and started adding carrotts to his food. If I add carrotts to his food now, he will not touch it. What else can I add to get more fiber in his diet? Thanks for the help.

Andrew

 

[Zhanna]

Henry likes green beans and parsley.

I buy the unsalted cut green beans in a can and give him some at "lunch", usually just a handful.  He also likes fresh parsley.  I don't know if those add fiber or not.  Maybe you can get some whole grain treats of some sort?

 

[BurningRiver]

Your vet is telling you to add bulk fiber because his stools are likely not solid enough to express the glands naturally. In dogs with a healthy stool, the stools press against the glands as the dog defacates, which causes expression. If your dog's stools are loose, it is likely that adding bulk fiber will only help in the short term. The best course of action is to identify why the stools are loose and correct the problem that way. (Is it that he's not tolerating his diet as well as he should be? Does he have a bit of bacterial overgrowth in the colon?)

You can try adding bulk fiber in the form of 100% pure canned pumpkin (NOT the pie filling). Add only 2 tsps per meal, as adding more can cause a laxative effect. Also add a high quality probiotic supplement. The supplement will put good bacteria into the colon, which will combat the bad bacteria and the bulk fiber will give the good bacteria something to eat.

I'd try this for a week. If you see no improvement, I'd look at changing his diet to a different protein source, like lamb (if he's currently on chicken, that is).

Good luck, hope this helps!

 

[hgar78]

i'm beginning to add pumpkin to Madeline's diet.  she has a pretty soft stool and i'm not interested in giving her w/d food at all!!!

 

[mybox1]

Good idea on pumpkin!  I buy mine at our organic grocery store.  Do you do yogurt too?  I've read about a cottage cheese that now has the probiotics added into it.....is that good to give to the dogs?? My bf adds an egg to our dogs food once or twice a week.....any thoughts on this???

 

[hgar78]

mu husband adds an egg every so often, too.  maddy seems to like it but i've not noticed a difference in anything.

 

[MannysMommy]

We add pumpkin to Manny's food. It works for him the best. He loves it!

 

[hgar78]

added pumpkin to last night's feast and madeline snarfed it down!!  i think she liked it...  

 

[RottsnBox]

I have the same issue with a non-Boxer, but this true for all canines.  I go to the health food store and get their stuff in prepared bags, like bulk supplies, so it's way cheaper than the grocery store and it has no additives or preservatives.

I buy oats and bran flakes this way.  I use a cup for my beasts, so a half cup should work for a Boxer's tummy.  Pour the oats into their dinner bowl and I add hot water from the tap.  Don't boil it you may forget how hot it is and set it down by mistake.  Let the mix set a minute or two and then mix in their reg amount of kibble.  I do this 3x a week, like Tues, Friday and Sunday.  Use another week day for Pumpkin. As was already said this stuff is great.

If you are going to give a dog vegetables you will need to put them into a food processor first.  A dogs stomach does not break down the cellulose walls of vegetables and wouldn't get any of the benfits from them if given raw. They go right through them same as they ate it. Just watch for the carrots in their poop and see what I mean.

If you cook the veggies for them then a lot of the nutrients are lost as well and aren't as good for them either that way for that reason. I make a big batch of veggie glop and keep it for the week in the fridge, so there's less daily work involved.

Good luck!