Adding Fiber to Dog's Diet

Question:

My 6 year old lab's anal glands keep swelling and a holistic vet told me that he needed more fiber in his diet. My dog goes regularly and eats Nupro for adults, and takes nupro powder and vits to prevent arthritis and joint pain which is common in this breed. Any suggestions for a product? Thank you.

Response:

Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. There are several ways you can add fiber to your dogs diet. The most natural ways would be adding pumpkin or canned green beans to your dog’s food daily. You also may try adding Benefiber to the food, it appears to be more palatable to cats and dogs than other commercial fiber supplements and comes in powder form. One thing to consider with dog food, the higher the starch in the food such as rice, potato and corn the less fiber it contains. With diets that contain whole grains such as wheat, oat bran and barley the higher the fiber in the food. Best of luck.

Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA