[LoveLilly]

the vet said to increase the fiber in my puppy's diet to help create a little larger stool to help his anal glands empty on their own. my husband did not ask the vet what I should add to increase the fiber. Have any of you increased fiber by adding natural ingrediants versus trying to transition to a high fiber commerical food (which I really dont want to do). Thanks!!

[Curbside Prophet]

I've heard, although I've never had to try this, but canned pumpkin is a good source of fiber. And I'm speaking or real pumpkin, not the spiced pumpkin you would use to make pumkin pies. If someone could confirm this for LoveLilly, that would be great. But, I've heard people use this in cases of constipation and diarrhea. They add 1 tablespoon to the dogs food once a day. The portions I am not certain of, so you may want to ask your vet.

[Meghan&Pedro]

You could always buy wheat bran from your local feed store or grocery store and sprinkle a small amount onto some tinned food, or in some water on top of their kibble.

I do this for my flat coated retriever - he needs more fibre than Innova Evo is giving his old gut.

[opokki]

This site has some good information:

http://www.crvetcenter.com/diseasesofmodliving.htm

Good sources of fiber include: raw sesame seeds, ground flax seed, psyllium seed (Metamucil), buckwheat, whole oats, brown rice, and wheat bran. We recommend adding 1/2-teaspoon to 2 tablespoons of bran to the patient's diet, from cat to giant dog, daily. Be sure to hydrate the dry fiber thoroughly before incorporating it into their food, so it does not cause intestinal impaction or choke. Ordinary whole grain cereals, bran flakes and the like are fine, so long as the pet does not have a food intolerance (allergy) to wheat or other cereal grains. Consult with your veterinarian for more information on fiber and essential fatty acids for pets. For information on preparing home food for cats and dogs see our recipe page.

[LoveLilly]

Great thanks for all the info!

[samnason]

Oatmeal is really easy to add to kibble with water for moisture. My dog is a picky eater and he loves it.

[srhymer]

My vet said the same thing for my 35lb (approx) beagle mix who is about 7 yrs old and has anal gland issues. The vet said to give her 1/4 tsp of Metamucil to her food each day. After a couple days of sprinkling it on her dry food, we needed ot find a better way. I thought it through and decided to make her treats and put the metamucil in the treats. I found a basic treat recipe online and then but the Metamucil in each treat as I formed it. That took forever, so i eventually just measured out 1 tsp of Metamucil for every 4 treats i wanted to make and added it to the mix (i dissolved it in the liquid first to get it mixed well) and then formed the treats in equal parts. Our dog loves them and is none the wiser that she's getting the fiber she needs :-)

[briteday]

If you are increasing fiber in the diet be absolutely sure that your dog has water available at all times. The fiber needs moisture to pass through or you could end up with an obstructed gut. I think all of these ideas are great, just be sure there's water.

[scintillady]

Canned pumpkin is one of the best sources of fiber, and dogs usually love it. It also fills up the dog without adding a lot of cqlories, so I give it quite often. Oddly enough, canned pumpkin works as a remedy for BOTH diarrhea and constipation, whichever one your dog has. Another thing I have done is to add "Benefiber" or"Fibersure" to her water dish. It is tasteless and dissolves completely, and she gets fiber every time she drinks and never even notices it! That also solves the problem of making sure the fiber has enough water with it. You can also put it in the food if you feed wet food, or bake it in treats.

[Pawper]

Great scintillady! Thats exactly what my vet brother says to do! Pumpkin is also a great way, it adds fiber without adding grain to a dogs diet (like cereals or wheat bran). But the tasteless fiber is fabulous in the water bowl