Dog Diarrhea: When Is It Serious And How Do I Stop It?
Sometimes being a dog owner is not easy. Actually, it can be fairly challenging mainly when your dog is ill. Dog diarrhea is just a fact of life sometimes, but it can be worrying if you are not sure what causes it. It is imperative that dog owners are conscious of any variations in their dog’s everyday lives and what this may mean.
Diarrhea is the ways your dog communicates with you to show you that something is not quite right. Responsible dog owners understand that they need to spot these changes and act on them right away.
What Is The Cause Of Dog Diarrhea?
Quite a few factors can in the end lead to your dog having diarrhea. Diarrhea is not a disease, but simply a symptom of a basic cause. Overall, diarrhea will usually resolve itself within 48 hours without any further issues. Though, this is contingent on the original cause. The source of the diarrhea may be something as unassuming as a troubled stomach. Or else, it might be a symbol of a more severe disorder, it is important not to panic but you will need to take measured steps to calculate what exactly is going on. Dog owners have a duty to get down to precisely what is causing the diarrhea in their dog to guarantee that the it is treated suitably so that it does not keep occurring. There are wide ranging numbers of things that can cause dog Diarrhea.
- Changes in diet
The most common reason that dogs get diarrhea is because of a new diet. Numerous dog owners might not understand that it will commonly take more than a few days for your dog’s digestive system to fine-tune to new food when you have made a change. It is fine to make a change, especially for health reasons, but you will need to think through the best way to do this. Where a new food is not gradually transitioned into your dog’s daily diet then it will probably have the outcome that it ends up with diarrhea. This frequently happens when you begin to transition a new puppy into a new diet. Vet advice is to gradually introduce any new food into your growing dogs diet a little at a time by dividing it up with their existing food. Head over to our review of the best dog food for puppies for more alternatives.
- Eating everything
Another tremendously common cause of dog diarrhea is poor dietary behaviors. Some dogs like eating just about all they can find, together with things that they absolutely must not be putting in their mouths. This can consist of garbage, old food, and even faeces. Poor dietary behaviors likewise include overeating. All the things that dogs eat may result in a troubled stomach and diarrhea. A poor diet is which is full of sugar, processed chemicals, salt, fatty foods, will lead to a disturbance in the balance of your dog’s digestive system and to diarrhea. It is imperative not to contribute to your dog’s bad eating behaviors and ensure that they have a nutritional diet. Feeding your dog scraps and treats off your plate will rapidly lead to a spell of diarrhea. Too many dog treats will often also lead to diarrhea in general as you are over feeding your dog. Dog treats must be given a little more thoughtfully and not numerous times a day.
- Parasites
Although diarrhea is more often than not the consequence of something comparatively minor, it may sometimes be a primary symptom of something much more grave. Intestinal parasites can plague your dog and things like roundworms, and hookworms can lead to stomach difficulties for your dog. Dogs will get parasites from drinking polluted water so keep an eye on what they are up to when you are out and about. Dogs with debilitated immune systems are likewise at a higher risk of picking up parasites but it may be problematic to detect. If you think that your dog might have parasites, a vet will need to undertake an exam of your dog in order to get a proper diagnosis. Only then can an effective treatment plan be issued.
- Allergies to food
Many dogs have trouble with diarrhea on a constant basis owing to the fact that they have a food intolerance. Every dog breed has reactions to food especially dairy and fats. But some dog breeds are more disposed to these reactions. Regrettably, it might be difficult to work out exactly what your dog has an allergy to, and it can take time and testing to get to the bottom of it. If it is a big reaction, then veterinary involvement will be essential. With any luck, the allergic reaction will just create a distressed stomach that your dog will get over quickly. Vets in this case will usually endorse a food elimination regime to allow you to find the route cause. This involves starting from the beginning and re-introducing all foods gradually to regulate what the root of the reaction is. The most usual offenders are rabbit, dairy, wheat, beef, egg, and soy.
- Eating toxic substances
As formerly mentioned, dogs do appear to like eating just about everything. When you have not altered your dog’s dietary ways, unexplainable changes in your dog’s health are naturally the initial indications of poisoning. Soon after your dog has eaten a poisonous substance, abdominal pain and diarrhea will start. Consumption of poisonous materials is very dangerous and will cause health problems if left untreated. If you think that your dog has swallowed a toxic substance like a poisonous plant or a household product then it is vital to take them to your vet immediately. Toxic substances likewise consist of things like mushrooms, human medications, chocolate, detergents, along with several plants.
- Infections
Irritating situations that cause dog diarrhea as a symptom can often be caused by a variety of bacterial and viral infections. Parvovirus and bacterial infections like salmonella frequently go together with severe diarrhea. When your dog has a fever alongside the diarrhea and has accompanying vomiting or lethargy then they might have an infection. In the majority of cases, Infections are extremely contagious. This might be wearisome in a home with other dogs owing to the nature of the uncontainable diarrhea. Ensure that you quarantine a dog with an infection from other dogs and be cautious when cleaning up after them as some infections could be transferred to people too. In all cases if dog diarrhea is accompanied by any other symptom then you must take your dog straight to a vet.
Disease
Furthermore, countless other diseases have diarrhea as a symptom. There are lots of diseases that can involve diarrhea including:
- Colitis
- Tumors in the intestinal tracts
- Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome
- Cancer of the kidneys
So, an appropriate veterinary verdict is tremendously vital if the diarrhea continues to happen. Additionally, bloody diarrhea is characteristically a sign of a disease that is related to the digestive tract.
- Dog medications
While medications help to cure infections, often they are the reason why your dog might be having diarrhea and is the most common side effect when your dog is taking antibiotics. Antibiotics kill bacteria in the body but, they are not able to distinguish between good and bad bacteria, so they target both. However good bacteria are essential in balancing out the dog’s digestive system. Your dog will get stomach pain if they have newly been given antibiotics.
- Stress
Dogs are extremely sensitive animals. They experience life just like we do. You may understand that when you feel anxious you get physically sick. Stress can be linked to bowel movements that cause loose stools. Usually, if something is stressing an owner out, then your dog is probably picking up on it to. When stress is the fundamental cause of diarrhea, you want to take away the stressor. Lots of attention and affection on a day today basis usually work to keep your dog stress free.
Visit a Vet
At some point, every dog will have diarrhea. On the whole, it is not a cause for worry or fear and is just a part of life. However, there are some things that owners should be aware of when it comes to poop. If dog diarrhea is accompanied by any blood, vomiting, or mucus then this might be an early warning sign of a more serious situation. These situations must not be ignored. If bowel or liver diseases are left untreated, they will lead to bigger health problems later on.
Warning signs of serious conditions include:
- Diarrhea that lasts more than 48 hours
- Loss of a dog’s appetite
- Black and bloody diarrhea
- Increased tiredness
- Vomiting
- Abdominal discomfort and bloating,
- Whining and panting
- Fever
- Dehydration
If you see a combination of any of these symptoms, then it is vital that you go see a vet.
How to Stop Diarrhea
There are a couple of ways to effectively treat diarrhea but the best thing to do is to let it run its course. Most dogs with short lived diarrhea can carefully be treated at home. The main thing you must do is work out is what is causing your dog’s diarrhea. Only then can a lasting solution be found. Usually, transferring over to a bland diet is the way to get you dogs stomach feeling much better.
Many vets recommend that you also try one of the many anti-diarrhea products for dogs on the market. It is vital to converse with your vet about what will ultimately work better for your dog. Furthermore, there are numerous home remedies that have proven over time to be useful in relieving diarrhea.
- Ginger is very influential in helping to maintain a healthy body. Moreover, ginger works as an anti-inflammatory which may also help fight, bloating and nausea.
- Boiled chicken and rice -One of the safest tricks in the book. Try feeding your dog a very bland diet to ease their stomach. It works most of the time when it comes down to putting a stop to diarrhea. Owners need to ensure that it is simple chicken and rice without any additives. Straightforwardness is key.
- Pumpkin- this is brilliant at calming an upset stomach because pumpkin is low on the glycaemic index meaning it is absorbed much more slowly by the body. Slow absorption prevents both constipation and diarrhea.
- Bone broth is good for easing a troubled stomach while at the same time hydrating a dog. Dehydration is usually associated with diarrhea and will exacerbate the issue. Assistance with your dogs’ issues will also help to put a stop to dehydration and get your dog back on track to healthiness. You can buy bone broth or make it yourself. It can also be frozen if you make a large batch in case of future emergencies. To make it you just need to simmer a whole chicken in water until the meat falls off the bone.
- Keep your dog well hydrated. Consider the last time you or a family member had a sick stomach. Most likely, the last thing that you thought about doing was eating or even drinking water. Therefore people often lose a lot of weight when they suffer with food poisoning. Nothing is going in but for most of us losing a few pounds is nothing but a few of pounds for a dog might turnout to be undeniably devasting. It is therefore important to keep a close watch on just how much water your dog is getting. Dehydration can rapidly become a life-threatening situation so it vital to avoid this situation. Fortunately, the majority of dogs will like the boiled chicken and rice even when they are not feeling themselves, but you will still need to ensure they your dog is also drinking sufficient amount of water.
When all’s said and done, diarrhea can be a pain to deal with. When you also have to think about the potential health possibilities, dog diarrhea can be very stressful to.
It cannot be stressed enough that it is so important to work out what is causing your dog’s diarrhea before the problem gets worse.
