Calcium polycarbophil, a water absorbing polymer, increases bowel movement and prevents sennoside-induced diarrhea in dogs.

The effects of calcium polycarbophil (CP), a water-absorbing polymer, on bowel movement were examined in comparison with known laxatives and anti-diarrheal agents in dogs, a species that resembles humans for stool output. CP increased stool frequency, fecal water content and fecal weight in a dose-dependent manner, but did not induce diarrhea. Sennoside and carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC-Na) increased fecal water content and induced diarrhea at lower doses than that which enhanced stool frequency. Trimebutine decreased stool frequency, fecal weight and fecal water content, resulting in inhibition rather than stimulation of defecation. In sennoside-induced diarrhea, loperamide and CP improved stool consistency and this was accompanied by reduced fecal moisture and frequency of diarrhea. In contrast, CMC-Na aggravated stool consistency with increased fecal water content and frequency of diarrhea, and trimebutine had little noticeable effect apart from reducing fecal weight. Our results show that CP has both laxative and anti-diarrheal effects in dogs and differed from conventional laxatives and anti-diarrheal agents. CP may be a suitable agent for treatment of idiopathic constipation, secretory diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome with alternating constipation and diarrhea and with either predominating in terms of less side effects such as diarrhea or constipation.