# Hernia Surgery - food sugestion



## zapzap (Apr 24, 2009)

halo again everybody,
after long time of Suffering, chronic constipation, i finaly found a good vet.
Tom is 8 years old and he suffer from Hernia.
Tom is 2 month after Hernia fix surgery, and since the surgery he ate only high fiber food - Purina OM.
since the surgery everything is OK, he didn't had any constipation (thank god).
i am in big dilemma, i really want to give him good food, but i didn't found any high quality food with high fiber.

I need some help.

*the only high quality food in my location is orijen, acana, Canidae.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Why does he need high fiber?

You can always get the higher quality foods like Orijen and add rice to it to add fiber and bulk if that is what your vet is telling you he needs...


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

does he have soft seve poo? ( this always cracks me up..lol)
If you, you may want to try a probiotic/enzyme blend which helps with tummy issues and will make the poo solid. But definitely switch from purina, I would start of with acana provincial since its not so high protein in case your dog has sensitive stomach. You can also mix in few tbsp's of plain yogurt which has natural probiotics to aid digestion.


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## zapzap (Apr 24, 2009)

first of all thanks for the help

The problem is that before the surgery his stool was very hard, and dry.
---> http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/dry-canned-dog-food/1189-obstipation-chronic-constipation.html
since the surgery he ate only high fiber food, it is make his stool bulk and more Moisture, that's make it more smooth out.

Tom had an Perineal Hernia ---> Perineal hernia
in the surgery- the vet build a "new wall", the recovery after the surgery take time until the "the wall" build Tissue.....
*i gave link cause it is difficult for me to explain. and my English not perfect.

the solution i need is for long time, add rice every time is kind of problem for me, and my experience with orijen was very hard and dry stool (maybe its because the stool was long time in the stomach, i really don't know, i try it before the surgery).


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## Todd (Jan 13, 2010)

Purina is a very poor kibble, therefore if you're going to go for a higher quality kibble like Origin, here are some natural ingredients you can add to your dog's kibble to help with constipation;

-Make sure your dogs always has fresh water available (This will help loosen stool) 

-Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise and chances to poop (If he has to hold it too often, he may develop more constipation problems) 

-Add Psyllium or Metamucil which are fiber supplements to his diet (Half a teaspoon twice a day is what I'd start with, and make sure to only use this with canned food and or plenty of water) *Remember, this method used as an enema should only be used occasionally or it may lead to obstructions in the bowel. 

-Add mineral oil to your dogs diet which will loosen stool. For dogs less than 10 lb., use no more than ½ tsp. If the dog weighs between 10 and 25 lb., use no more than 1 tsp. Medium-sized dogs weighing 25 to 50 lb. should ingest no more that 1 tbsp. per day. Give no more than 2 tbsp. a day for large dogs over 50 lb. If all else fails, you can put the mineral oil in a syringe, and use it as an enema. 

-Canned pumpkin (As a rule of thumb a couple of teaspoons daily for a small dog or a couple of tablespoons for a large dog) 

-You could try adding some bran to the food (Bran is the indigestible outer husk of wheat, rice, oats and other cereal grains) Dogs can't digest grains real well at all, so this could potentially help to form more loose stools in the case of constipation. 

-I have found that fatty acids like fish oil and olive oil are very helpful. You can give dogs the same fish oil that you take by the capsule is you wish. Just keep your dogs size in mind, and following the serving size recommendations on the back of the bottle. You can also purchase actual oil in liquid form made for dogs. Just follow the label. If you decide to give your dog some olive or vegetable oil, another good rule of thumb is to give a small dog somewhere around a teaspoon, and a large dog more like a tablespoon. Just give it a shot and see what works in your case. 

-Flaxseed (Just like the oil, try a teaspoon for a smaller dog, and a tablespoon for a larger one. Se what works for your dog's particular case) 

-And you can also try adding any other fiber enriched foods to your dogs diet. Just make sure your dog has access to plenty of fresh water to assist with the wonders of the fiber. 

Hope I could help! Good luck!:smile:


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## Todd (Jan 13, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> Why does he need high fiber?
> 
> You can always get the higher quality foods like Orijen and add rice to it to add fiber and bulk if that is what your vet is telling you he needs...


Yes, but always remember, brown rice can be helpful in the aid of constipation, however white rice can makes things worse.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Todd said:


> Purina is a very poor kibble, therefore if you're going to go for a higher quality kibble like Origin, here are some natural ingredients you can add to your dog's kibble to help with constipation;
> 
> -Make sure your dogs always has fresh water available
> -Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise
> ...


You might want to clarify as to why one would add this stuff into their dog's diet, as well as quantities which will be much more useful information.


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## Todd (Jan 13, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> You might want to clarify as to why one would add this stuff into their dog's diet, as well as quantities which will be much more useful information.


Sure thing. No problem. Thanks for letting me know. I edited my post above with more detail:smile:


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