How to Help Your Pet Deal with His Prostate Problems

Nowadays it seems pets have most of the same health problems that humans have. Throughout my childhood we always had a dog for a pet and I never remember hearing about pets having so many health problems, perhaps it’s due to new technology and an increase of medical research. There is also more concern for animals in today’s society so we are aware of the different diseases that pet’s may have. Some outward appearances or symptoms would alert us that something is wrong but our pets can’t communicate with us directly. However, thanks to medical research we now know that pets can have serious health problems like us even though our pets can’t tell us what hurts or where it hurts.

Just like many of my other articles about pet health issues this article explains prostate problems in pets and how we can help our pet’s deal with prostate problems. Similar to male humans, as male pets age, their prostate gland swells. It may begin pressing on the urethra, causing your pet to have difficulty urinating or having bowel movements. Also, male pets can develop a painful infection or swelling of the prostatitis gland. If your pet is having difficulty urinating or having a bowel movement along with difficulty walking, take him to the vet, surgery can be performed to correct their condition. Medication may also be prescribed to alleviate the pain and help your pet deal with his prostate problem much better. To know if your pet is in pain, he may whimper or squint when urinating or having a bowel movement.

There are some things you can do to help your pet deal with his prostate problems and become the tough male dog he once was. If your pet stays in the house, take him out more frequently so he can urinate often. Prostate problems may prevent your pet from urinating all at once or holding it until “bathroom time.” Taking him outside more often allows your pet to urinate as much as possible. This can also help to cut down on any urinary tract infections that may develop from not urinating enough. Another way to help your pet deal with his prostate problem is to refrain from taking him on too many walks or reduce the amount of playtime. Prostate problems result in inflammation and soreness; too much walking can cause more pain allow your pet plenty of rest time.

An enlarged prostate may press on the large intestine making it difficult for your pet to have a bowel movement. Make sure you give your pet a stool softener to make his bowel movements softer and less painful. Give your pet about one teaspoon for every 20 pounds your pet weighs 2 to 4 times a day. However, always ask your vet what is a good dosage or follow the instructions on the stool softener. If you pet develops diarrhea, cut back on the dosage. You can also give your dog some aspirin to help him deal with the pain, but avoid giving your cat any aspirin and don’t use any other painkillers, such as Ibuprofen or acetaminophen, which can be dangerous to dogs and cats. Consult your vet on what type and how much aspirin you can give your pet.

One important way to help your pet to deal with his prostate problems is to make sure he gets plenty of water. The more water your pet drinks the more he will urinate. This can help to prevent urinary tract infections and pain when urinating. Water also helps to flush out any bacteria that could lead to infection. The last thing to do to help your pet deal with his prostate problems is to give the medication that the vet prescribed at the recommended times. Give your pet the medication after they urinate so the medicine will not be flushed out before it has time to be effective.