Dealing with Diarrhea in Dogs

Diarrhea is one of the most common issues that dogs tend to experience. Dogs are known to eat anything & everything which is why they end up having mild to severe diarrhea. Generally, diarrhea occurs when your furry companion’s digestive system meets something that it can’t handle.

Diarrhea is characterized by loose stools accompanied by vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, and lethargy. The frequency, intensity, and duration of diarrhea can vary from dog to dog. Whatever be the reason, you need to take effective steps to stop your pooch’s diarrhea as soon as possible. Generally, diarrhea in dogs is caused when dogs eat something that is not meant for their body. The curious mouth of a dog is at fault but being responsible, it is your responsibility to monitor what your dog eating. Sometimes, diarrhea can also occur due to any underlying health condition. Mild diarrhea can be treated easily with some home remedies but to stop severe diarrhea in your pooch, you need to take him to a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Diarrhea is not an illness it is a dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract. Diarrhea occurs to flush out the bad food or food-borne pathogen before the body absorbs it but severe diarrhea can cause dehydration & electrolyte imbalance that is why it is essential to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Symptoms of diarrhea in dogs

To treat your dog’s diarrhea without wasting any time, you need to watch out for these common symptoms:

• Loose watery stools
• Vomiting
• Mucus/blood in stools
• Weakness
• Lethargy
• Excessive water drinking

So, if your furry companion is having loose stools or showing any other symptoms then these can be some of the possible reasons behind it.

Causes of diarrhea in dogs

To deal with dog diarrhea, it is essential to know what causes it so that you can stay more careful in the future to avoid it from happening again. There are two forms of dog diarrhea: Acute diarrhea & chronic diarrhea.

Acute diarrhea occurs suddenly and it majorly occurs due to scavenging behavior of the dogs. When your furry companion eats something that is not meant for his body then it can result in causing diarrhea. It can also occur due to other reasons such as viral, bacterial, parasitic infection, and due to a sudden change in diet.

Chronic diarrhea can occur in your furry companion due to dietary allergies or intolerances, stress, irritable bowel syndrome, bacterial infection, etc.

Home remedies for treating dog diarrhea

If your dog is suffering from mild diarrhea then treating him using home remedies is a great decision. Home remedies can help in stopping your dog’s loose stools without even visiting a veterinarian.

Fast your dog The first thing that you can do is to make your dog fast until his diarrhea or vomiting stops so that his gut can rest & heal. Most dogs naturally stop eating when they have diarrhea but if your dog isn’t one of them then you should ensure that he doesn’t eat food or water for at least 6 hours. Once his diarrhea stops then you can offer him small sips of water. Make sure to give your dog only filtered water as tap water can upset their stomach.

Give him a bland diet

If your dog has diarrhea then you shouldn’t feed him his regular diet as it can be hard on his digestive system. Giving him a normal diet have higher chances of further upsetting his tummy so you should only feed him a bland diet which would be easier on his digestive system. Consider giving him boiled chicken, white rice, or soup so that it can be gentle on his stomach.

Give him Probiotics

The next home remedy that can help in treating your dog’s diarrhea is by giving him probiotics. Giving a probiotic supplement can help in boosting the gut health of your dog. You can also give plain curd to your dog to keep his intestinal tract back in shape. If you aren’t sure about which probiotic supplement should be given to your dog then you can consider consulting your veterinarian.

Give him plenty of water

The next thing that you should be doing is giving your dog plenty of water so that his body can replenish all the water lost in stool & vomiting. You need to ensure that a water container filled with fresh drinking water is available so that he can drink lots of water throughout the day.

Prevention of diarrhea in dogs

As prevention is always better than cure so the dog owner should take effective steps to prevent the occurrence of diarrhea. Here’re a few preventative steps that you need to consider:

• Make sure not to switch the dog’s food suddenly. If you want to change his diet, make sure to introduce the new diet slowly so that his body doesn’t react to it.
• As we discussed earlier that feeding table scraps can also be a possible reason behind your dog’s diarrhea so always make sure to avoid feeding table scraps to your dog.
• Always keep an eye on the food that your dog eats. Dogs have a natural tendency to scavenge so always make sure any spoiled food is out of your dog’s reach.
• Another effective way to preventing diarrhea in dogs is by keeping up to date with their vaccinations.

So, these are a few preventative ways which you can use to keep your furry companion free from any possibilities of diarrhea. If your dog is prone to chronic diarrhea then you need to consult your veterinarian to determine the possible cause.

Final Thoughts

Wrapping it up, we can say that, to keep your dog free from diarrhea, you need to feed him wholesome food. Always keep human food and table scraps away from your pooch to keep him healthy & happy.

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