Tips for your new Family Addition 

Dietary and Environmental treatment strategies for preventing megacolon.

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Ensure Siberian is on 100% canned or raw food.

 
- As soon as the Siberian has transitioned to 100% wet food diet, begin to increase fluid content of the food by adding chicken stock (broth). 
-Then after Siberian adjusts to increased fluid content of wet food, add a teaspoon of cooked plain pumpkin to each 5.5 ounce can of wet food - or about 1 1/2 teaspoons of additional fibre daily.

Increase hydration through improved water sanitation practices.

 

1. Swap the Siberian’s water bowl for a ceramic or stainless steel fountain.

-use chilled, filtered water in the fountain. 
-clean entire fountain daily. After cleaning, spray fountain with vinegar and let sit 10 minutes. Then rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse again and refill fountain, plug back in.

 

2. Offer a second water source. Using a medium to large sized ceramic mixing bowl (human grade), offer still, filtered, chilled, water. This bowl must also be emptied, washed with soap daily, then sprayed with vinegar. Let bowl sit 10” then rinse, rinse, rinse, and refill with chilled, filtered water.

 

3. Locate water fountain and water bowl separately.

-not near litter boxes
-not near food
-not in trafficked areas or ones accessible to children
or small dogs.
- not near each other.

 

Assess environmental enrichment opportunities.

- add climbers, window seats, wall shelves, scratching posts, bed warmer (lektro kennel), hiding places.

If megacolon repeats, push for surgical intervention. Long term fiber, diet , medications only prolong what is sure death sentence.

Attempt above protocol before assuming that correcting diet, stress, and dehydration won’t work, and moving to a surgical solution.