Causes of diarrhea in dogs
Diarrhea is very commonly seen in dogs at Oasis Vet. Dogs will eat almost anything. This may cause your dog to have diarrhea. There are many reasons why your dog may have a tummy upset. Many times this may be something that has happened very quickly, and sometimes this may have occurred slowly over a few days. This article will help explain why your dog may have diarrhea and what you need to do. Sometimes taking your dog to the clinic right away is the best, and sometimes you can wait a few days for it to pass.
Signs your dog has diarrhea
Loose stool is the most obvious sign, but other things may also go along with diarrhea such as
• Vomiting
• Not eating
• Losing weight
• Pain in the abdomen
• Lethargy
Causes of Diarrhea
There are many reasons why your dog may have diarrhea. These are some of the more common reasons for diarrhea in a dog.
Acute Diarrhea:
Your dog’s diarrhea may appear suddenly but may progress slowly. Acute or sudden onset of diarrhea can be due to:
• Dietary indiscretion: If your dog is eating something that they shouldn’t be eating, such as table scraps, they can get diarrhea. Make sure to keep all human food away from your dog.
• Stress: If your dog undergoes a stressful event, this can cause diarrhea.
• Changing food suddenly: If you suddenly change from one diet to another can cause your dog to have diarrhea.
• Infections: viral or bacterial infections commonly occur in dogs. Parvovirus Distemper and Coronvirus are a common cause of diarrhea in puppies. Salmonella and E.Coli bacteria can cause your dog to have diarrhea.
• Parasites: these intestinal worms such as roundworms, hookworms, giardia, and coccidia can irritate your dog’s intestines, causing them to have diarrhea. This is a common reason for puppies to have diarrhea.
• Toxins: common toxins such as chocolate, onions, and raisins can cause your dog to have diarrhea.
Chronic Diarrhea:
Your dog may have chronic diarrhea or diarrhea that is slowly progressing. This may be due to
• Food allergies: some dogs are allergic to a specific type of food, such as chicken or beef. This can irritate their intestines leading to diarrhea.
• Long term stress
• Inflammatory or irritable bowel disease
• Cancer: Some of the first signs that your dog has cancer is diarrhea.
• Organ failure: Any organ failure can cause diarrhea. Most organs are responsible for GI motility, and if they are not working, they can cause your dog to have diarrhea.
If you notice diarrhea in your dog, and it has lasted more than a day, it is best to see your veterinarian.
Home remedy for diarrhea
If your dog is otherwise healthy, you can try to treat your dog’s diarrhea at home. Make sure that your dog has a lot of water to help keep them hydrated. Giving them an electrolyte solution diluted with water will help keep them hydrated.
Feed your dog a bland meal. This can be boiled chicken breast and white rice. DO NOT use any spices, butter, or oils when cooking. Make this meal as plain as possible.
If your dog has diarrhea lasting more than a day or their condition gets worse, make an appointment with your veterinarian immediately.
Diagnosing the cause of your dog’s diarrhea
If your dog has diarrhea and is also showing other signs such as vomiting, lethargy, pain in the abdomen, or weight loss, take your dog to your veterinarian. They will help figure out why your dog has diarrhea. There are many tests that your veterinarian may run. These are some of the most common:
• Physical exam: your veterinarian will start with an exam of your dog. Some times this is all that is needed to figure out what is going on,
• Fecal: this is a simple test to look at your dog’s poop and see if they have parasites.
• Bloodwork: This will help check other organs and see if they are causing your dog to have diarrhea.
• Radiographs/Ultrasound: these will be helpful to find an obstruction or mass in the abdomen, causing your dog’s diarrhea.
Exploratory surgery: If your dog has an obstruction or mass, they will need surgery. Sometimes an intestinal biopsy is necessary to figure out what is causing your dog’s problems. This will require a small incision into your dog’s abdomen to get these biopsy.
Treatment of diarrhea in dogs
The treatment will depend on what is causing your dog to have problems.
• Diet change – do not suddenly change your dog’s diet and add treats to your dog’s diet if you think that the diarrhea is due to allergies. Your vet can tell you what foods to get. These would include hypoallergenic diet or other bland intestinal food.
• Parasites – giving your dog worming or anti-parasitic treatment will be needed to get rid of these parasites. Your dog may also need some other medications to help with the symptoms the parasites are causing.
• Bacterial/Viral Infections – Your veterinarians will run tests to make sure of the infection and give your dog fluids, antibiotics, and other supportive care.
• Obstruction – If your dog has a foreign body, your veterinarian will have to do surgery to remove this object and repair any damage to your dog’s intestines
• Toxins/Poisons – depending on what your dog ate and how long ago, your veterinarian may induce vomiting and provide supportive care.
• Cancer – If your veterinarian does find a mass in your dog’s abdomen causing their diarrhea they may need surgery.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome – This is easily treated with support and a highly digestible diet.
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease – This can be easily treated in your dog with a highly digestible diet and medications.
How to Prevent My dog from getting diarrhea
There are many different ways that you can prevent your dog from having diarrhea.
• Gradually change your dog’s food.
• Do not give your dog bones.
• Do not let your dog play with things that could be swallowed.
• Do not feed table scraps to your dog table.
• Do not let your dog scavenge for things outside.
• Keep your dog up-to-date on vaccinations and deworming’s.
In many cases, your dog will need to see your veterinarian, to get back to their healthy and happy lives.