My French Bulldog Is Constipated: Constipation is intermittent or challenging passing of your Frenchies poop or feces and is usually temporary. Often your constipated French Bulldog may endure straining or discomfort while trying to defecate.
Obstipation, a serious type of constipation, is commonly connected with a serious, chronic, or persistent health condition. Treatment of constipation usually is a combination of therapies, including enemas, suppositories, manual removal, and medications.
One of the colon’s primary purposes is water absorption; the leftover stool can harden and become dry, making it difficult to poo and pass the stool. If your Frenchie is constipated, he may pass small amounts of blood or liquid feces due to them excessively straining to poo. The liquid feces can be confused for diarrhea. However, a tiny amount of liquid feces can squeeze around the hard fecal mass whenever your Frenchie strains to poo.
How Often Should My Dog Poop?
Depending on various factors, the exact number of times your French Bulldog should poop per day will fluctuate, including their size, eating habits, activity level, amount of walks, and age.
The majority of Frenchies poop around 1 to 5 times a day.
The top end of this scale will be for young and older dogs that eat small regular meals. Frenchies with health problems can poop more or less, depending on the severity of their problems.
French Bulldogs will fall into a habit pooping a comparable number of times a day, generally at about once.
What causes constipation In My Dog?
Normally, fecal matter passes through the digestive system to the colon, where moisture and electrolytes are drained from the material. Water intestinal absorption is the main feature of the colon.
The fecal content in the colon is transported by a mechanism known as peristaltic waves. If this mechanism is disrupted or slowed considerably, the fecal mass can accumulate in the colon and begin to lose water, becoming hard, dry, and eventually unable to move.
Other common causes of constipation in dogs include:
| Fear, anxiety | Drugs that cause constipation like diuretics and pain relievers. |
| Diseases of the colon | Intestinal obstruction |
| Hormonal diseases | Inadequate exercise |
| Neurologic diseases | Painful conditions such as osteoarthritis |
| Pelvic injuries | Sudden change in diet |
| Tumors or masses |
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How Can I Tell If My French Bulldog Has Constipation?
Most Frenchies produce feces at least once every day; they will have bowel movements corresponding to a daily intake of food. When your Frenchie is constipated, you may have watched them trying to pass their poop many times unsuccessfully.
In extreme cases, you can witness your Frenchie circling, scooting, squatting regularly, or even whining. Common clinical symptoms can include reduced appetite, nausea, small quantities of watery feces or feces containing mucus, blood, and losing weight.
A few constipated French Bulldogs will have a tight, sore belly and whine or snarl if they press their stomach or back muscles. Things to look for:
| Circling, frequent squatting | Crying out or showing signs of discomfort when trying to poop |
| Stools that are hard and dry | Going two days or longer without poop |
| Lack of appetite | Passing mucus or liquid poop after straining |
| Lack of energy | Sporadic vomiting |
Things to look for:
Constipation Treatment
Veterinary Response
Your Frenchies veterinarian will help them get back to a healthy normal state. A clinical diagnosis would be made at first to assess the seriousness of the constipation of your French Bulldog.
Suppose diagnostic tests are required to figure out what’s happening with your Frenchie. Some situations may require a sample of the intestine, and it will need to be provided or intestinal surgery performed. In that case, your vet will then suggest lab tests, x-rays, or endoscopy.
When your Frenchie has been fully investigated, the veterinarian will settle on the appropriate course of action to treat constipation. It may involve the addition of fiber supplements to their food, dietary modifications, or manual extraction.
They may also give your French Bulldog probiotics, laxatives, or stool softeners.
| Fiber supplements | Dietary modifications |
| Manual extraction | Probiotics |
| Laxatives | Stool softeners |
What You Can Do From Home For Dog Constipation.
As always, we recommend that you still consult with your veterinarian for possible solutions to relieve your Frenchies’ constipation. For very mild incidents, and when waiting for the vet consultation, there are a couple of constipation management suggestions you can attempt:
| Plenty of water: Please ensure that your Frenchie has access to clean water. Constipation conditions can be improved if you ensure your French Bulldog gets sufficient water. You will find that providing wet food instead of dry food will also help. |
| Exercise: Getting your Frenchies’ bodies moving will make their intestines more active as it may move things around. |
| Regular feeding schedule: Planning the Frenchies’ feeding habits will also help manage their poops. A daily feeding schedule (2 to 3 meals a day) may benefit. |
| Food: The quality and nutrient content of the food eaten will majorly affect managing your Frenchies’ constipation. Particularly, the amount of fiber in the food can impact constipation; therefore, having the right amount should help improve intestine motility and minimize constipation. Feeding too much or too little fiber can exacerbate constipation, so talk to your veterinarian, and they should be able to provide adequate diet recommendations. |
Avoid These When Your Frencie Is Constipated
There is indeed a lot of misleading advice online regarding natural treatments for dog constipation. It is important to remember that you must always speak to your veterinarian before offering any remedy to your Frenchie.
| Enemas: Enemas must only be delivered by a veterinarian and therefore should not be given at home. The chance of harm or even contamination is significant, so professionals need to manage this procedure. |
| Milk: Since so many dogs are lactose-intolerant, certain people say that dairy is a successful home cure for constipation by functioning as a laxative. Even milk can lead to diarrhea and is not recommended, as it can cause more health issues on its own. |
| Laxatives: Your vet should be the only person to prescribe laxatives or stool softeners. Don’t ever offer human laxatives to your Frenchie, as these will be way too powerful for them and risk causing even more complications. |
What Happens If Dog Constipation Goes Untreated?
If the constipation of your Frenchie is not resolved, then obstipation – the inability to expel the colon on their own may happen. In this situation, the bowel becomes filled with an unbearably large volume of feces.
Without medical treatment, your Frenchie may suffer from this more serious type of condition and typically progress to the point that the following symptoms become visible:
| Lack of appetite | Vomiting |
| Depression/lethargy | Weight loss |
| Dehydration | Vomiting |
Treatment
Treatment of obstipation is usually thought to be one of the few instances of serious medical conditions for which a surgical procedure is considered a cure. Even so, the following medical techniques are frequently performed in preparation for surgery:
| Enemas and removal of feces | Frequent hydration |
| High fiber diets | Psyllium |
| Petroleum jelly or other laxatives | Lactulose |
| Cisapride |
Preventing Constipation In Your French Bulldog
Providing a targeted approach to prevent this disorder in your French Bulldog. As mentioned above, regular exercise, fiber-filled food, and a healthy diet with plenty of freshwaters are major prevention factors. Routine veterinary tests will also help recognize any health problems that can raise the risk of constipation.