No other canine issue is as troublesome and messy as dog diarrhea. It is certainly a concern when your happy and active dog suddenly starts groaning in pain. A seasoned pet owner will immediately know that their dog is about to get sick the moment they start showing signs of discomfort.
But, diarrhea is difficult to identify. So, how to really know what Fido has is diarrhea?
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The earliest sign of diarrhea is the dog’s bloated tummy and the obvious reaction to tummy pain is whimpering. The general dog stool is semi-solid and has a definite shape to it. When your dog has diarrhea, its poop can be watery, soft, and loose.
Another vital point is the frequency and the quantity of the poop. If your dog has been pooping in large quantities, then it is definitely a sign of concern. You must only feed tummy-friendly food to your dog the moment you see any sign of diarrhea.
If you are wondering how to stop dog diarrhea, you must first find out the cause. There are plenty of reasons why your dog might get tummy problems that lead to diarrhea. Here are some of the common causes:
Some dogs have a tendency to rummage through garbage or put their mouth in trash cans. Eating spoiled food can cause dog diarrhea. Be careful if your dogs do things like that. You must keep an eye on your pet to ensure this doesn’t happen. Train your pet well so that when you command against eating trash your dog listens to you.
When there is an abrupt change in your dog’s diet, the food may not agree with them. If your dog eats an item it is not used to, it can easily get dog diarrhea. So, be careful while introducing new food items to your dog.
One fine day, you introduce goat meat to your dog, and after consuming the meat your dog starts to throw up. Just like humans, dogs can also have allergies. Some food may not agree with them and cause a severe allergic reaction, that leads to dog diarrhea. So, keep an eye out for any change after they consume something new or different from their regular food.
Sometimes dogs end up getting strange fascinations towards things that are not food. They might end up eating your soap, lotion, shampoo, or even something highly toxic like cleaning products. If they consume anything toxic, they will get ill.
There are some common human food items that dogs should never eat, so be cautious not to leave them in reachable places. Some of these toxic food items are chocolate, macadamia nuts, caffeine, alcohol, etc.
If your dog has some short-term or long-term illness, it can lead to diarrhea. A common cause can be the growth of a parasite that causes the issue, just as it does for humans. Here are some common parasites that cause diarrhea:
| Parasite | Sources | Symptoms |
| Hookworms | Consuming larvae. Passed from mother to pup during nursing. Passes directly through the skin when exposed to the worms. | Tar-like stool, dark in color.Poor growth of puppies.Anemic dog.Diarrhea |
| Roundworms | Passed from mother to pup while still in the uterus or when nursing through breastmilk. Eating roundworm larvae. Coming in contact with feces that are infected with roundworm. | Poor growth of puppies.Swollen abdomen.Worms visible in vomit or poop.Dull-looking coat. |
| Tapeworms | Consuming prey animals who are carrying tapeworms. Carried and transmitted by fleas. | Signs of discomfort and irritability.Poor appetite and poor digestion will lead to bad health conditions.Shaggy fur.Worms spotted in poop. |
| Giardia | Consuming bad water or poop. | Visibly poor health.Noticeable weight loss.Diarrhea.Can lead to death. |
| Coccidia | Eating infected soil or feces. | Weakness and lethargy.Weight loss,Bloody diarrhea.Death. |
Some medications can trigger side effects in your dog. So, if your dog has diarrhea, check out the medicine you are giving your dog. Changing or stopping the medicine can improve the condition.
Some dog diarrheas are short-term. These get healed after the element causing the issue has passed the system. However, if your dog has chronic diarrhea, it is a reason for concern. Especially if your pup is vomiting and pooping consistently, and you find blood in the feces or vomit.
If your dog looks extremely ill, is whimpering, and going through continuous diarrhea, take them to a vet immediately. Otherwise, this extreme condition can even lead to death.
Try to feed your dog food that can be digested with ease. Foods like plain rice, boiled chicken, yogurt, eggs, etc. should go in without irritating the digestive system and help heal it. Boiling white rice in plain broth should help make food more appetizing for your dog.
The process of treating dog diarrhea starts with identifying the cause. Once you know what triggered it, the first thing to do is stop exposure to it. If it does not heal by itself, the vet will give medication to stop and cure diarrhea.
There are a handful of home remedies you can try to help cure your dog’s diarrhea. Here are a few you can try:
As mentioned before, giving your dog bland food is the best way to go. A bland diet will go easy on your pup’s tummy and aid healing. Make sure not to feed anything that is complex and causes irritation. As mentioned before, try white rice cooked in simple chicken broth.
When your dog has chronic diarrhea, it will be losing water quickly. It might cause electrolyte imbalance in dogs, they can potentially die. Try to replenish the lost fluids as quickly as possible so that your dog can recover fast.
Just as probiotics help good bacteria in humans, the same goes for dogs. Good bacteria help in digestion and cure digestive disorders quickly. Feed your dog probiotic food like yogurt to help heal its system.
Pumpkin puree is nutritious and easy to digest. Feeding pumpkins to your dog, especially when they are young, can help them grow a healthy digestive system. You should consider feeding pumpkin puree to them when they have diarrhea as it will promote speedy healing.
Dog diarrhea is curable if you spot the symptoms quickly and work on treating it as soon as you determine the cause. If your dog has consistent diarrhea and has blood in the stool, take your pet to the vet immediately.
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