constipation in german shepher

Question
I have a 90 lb. female shepherd who is 12 yrs. old.  She is constipated from her Synovi-G supplement (she takes this along with Rimadyl), and this occasionally happens, but it is really bad today (tonight, I have been up 3 times with her so far).  Can I give her an ex-lax? In the past I have given her a small amount of citus laxative, but as she is older and fussier, she is refusing to drink it, and I just don't know what to do for her. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Answer
Sounds to me like she could really use an enema.  That is generally what we do at the clinic where I work when we have an animal who is constipated.  At the very least make sure she is getting plenty of fluids to helps things along as well.  I wouldn't give her any medicine without speaking to your vet first...to be honest we have never recommended a laxative so I'm not sure if there are any over the counter that are safe to use.  Since this is a persistent problem she is having due to her medicine, I would also speak with your vet about prescribing her something for the constipation that she can take on a regular basis or in the future if she has more problems.

Amanda