Diarrhea is a common disease in dogs, and you think why does my dog have diarrhea? many dogs get it once in their lifetime. Diarrhea can be a sign of some gut or intestinal issues. It is not a severe issue in most cases, but you should not ignore it if diarrhea occurs frequently. Here is everything you need to know about why do dogs get diarrhea and its prevention methods.
Why Does My Dog Have Diarrhea?
Why Does My Dog Have Diarrhea? Diarrhea is a loose and unformed liquid stool that often occurs in dogs. It is an indication of some diseases that you shouldn’t ignore to keep your dog healthy. Dogs try to eat everything within their reach, and this causes some issues in their gut, resulting in diarrhea. Mild diarrhea is prevalent and can be a sign of a dietary problem or an intestinal disease. However, there can be more severe cases of diarrhea that no one should ignore.
Symptoms of Diarrhea in Dogs
If diarrhea occurs for the first time, it is not a serious issue, but you should not ignore it if it happens more than twice. The frequent occurrence of diarrhea is a serious issue, and you should immediately take your dog to a veterinarian if you notice it. You should take your dog to a vet if you see the following symptoms of diarrhea in dogs:
- Weakness or lethargy
- Passing large amounts of stool
- Vomiting
- Frequent drooling
- Pain in abdomen
- Fever or hypothermia
- Lack of appetite
- Blood in stool
- Diarrhea is frequent or continues for more than 24 hours
- Blood in vomit
- Consumed spoiled food or a toxic substance
- Black or tarry stool
- If you notice worms in the stool
- Dehydration
- Dry nose or sticky gums
What are the Types of Dog Diarrhea?
#1 Acute diarrhea
This types of dog diarrhea usually lasts for less than 48 hours. It can resolve independently, and you might not have to interfere. However, if it continues even after 48 hours, you should book an appointment with a veterinarian. You should consult your vet if you notice blood in your dog’s feces or frequent vomiting due to diarrhea.
#2 Chronic diarrhea
This type of diarrhea continues even after the initial treatment. Chronic diarrhea can persist due to inflammatory bowel disease or parasites like roundworms, whipworms, or hookworms. In dogs, chronic diarrhea leads to weight loss and can signify dysbiosis or cancer. You should pay attention to your dog’s eating habits and ensure that you provide the dog with a balanced diet. You can also consult your vet to determine if your dog has a specific allergy to some foods.
#3 Large-bowel Diarrhea
The large intestine or colon of dogs causes large-bowel diarrhea. Blood in your dog’s stool or small stool volumes can be a symptom of large-bowel diarrhea. If you notice frequent dripping of blood or if your dog often strains to defecate, then you should contact a veterinarian.
#4 Small-bowel diarrhea
Small-bowel diarrhea is caused in the small intestine of dogs. It can be identified by fatty feces, which are produced at a regular frequency. In the case of small-bowel diarrhea, the stool rarely contains any blood or mucous. You may also notice signs like weight loss or poor hair coat in your dog. It is often caused due to inflammation or dysfunction in the small intestine.
What Causes Diarrhea in Dogs?
What causes diarrhea in dogs? Generally, diarrhea is caused in dogs due to dietary issues or consumption of particular spoiled food. Here are some of the most common causes of dog diarrhea:
- Consumption of spoiled food or toxic substance
- Change in diet
- Consumption of harmful plants or other poisonous substances
- Ingestion of harmful bacteria like e.coli or salmonella
- Intestinal parasites like roundworms, hookworms, whipworms
- Stress or anxiety
- Ingestion of things like toys, bones, fabric
- Consumption of harmful medications
- Pancreatitis
- Liver or kidney disease
- Colitis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Intestinal Cancer
What Does the Color of your Dog’s Diarrhea Mean?
The color of your dog’s poop can reveal a lot about his intestinal health; hence, you should pay attention to it to find out about his health issues. The consistency and color matter more than you might imagine. That is why take notice if the poop is oddly shaped or watery. You also pay attention to the frequency of the poop, and if you notice that your dog is straining to poop or pooping in small amounts, you should do something to treat it. If the color of your dog’s stool is chocolate brown, the poop is normal, and your dog is healthy. However, if you see the following colors in your dog’s poop, you should contact your veterinarian:
#1 Yellow Diarrhea
If you notice a yellow stool, it can be a sign of yellow diarrhea. It can be caused due to a bland diet like chicken or rice. Another reason for this might be intolerance of food. You can consult your vet if you notice yellow poop frequently since, in some cases, it indicates issues in the gallbladder or pancreas.
#2 Bloody diarrhea
If you notice red streaks in your dog’s poop frequently, you should contact a vet because this may be large-bowel diarrhea. When the tiny blood vessels in the lower part of the GI tract break, the blood drips into the stool. It causes red streaks in the poop. You should not ignore it if the problem persists for a long time.
#3 Black diarrhea
You should not ignore it if your dog’s stool is black or green since it can signify Melena. Melena is a condition that affects the stomach and can cause ulcers or cancer. Some other indications of black or tarry poop can be internal bleeding or bleeding in the GI tract. If your dog consumes a foreign object like a toy or some harmful solid substance, it might cause painful internal bleeding, which in turn causes tarry or black poop.
How to Treat Diarrhea in Dogs?
If the diarrhea is minor, you can use specific home remedies for diarrhea in dogs to treat it. In case of mild or severe diarrhea, you should book an appointment with a veterinarian or give your dog diarrhea medicine (only after consulting a veterinarian or a health professional). The following treatment for diarrhea in dogs can work well if your dog has minor or acute diarrhea:
#1 Fasting
You can prevent your dog from eating anything from 12 to 24 hours to help the gut and gastrointestinal tract become normal. You can also give your small dog enough water to drink during fasting. It will keep your dog hydrated and prevent dryness in the body, which causes diarrhea. However, if your dog is too young or elderly, you should consult your vet instead of implementing this dog diarrhea treatment because these dogs require frequent nutrition.
#2 Nutrition-rich foods:
What to give a dog for diarrhea? You can also give your pet certain foods like yogurt or other dog probiotics to give rise to good bacteria that can cure indigestion. You can also give rice water to your dog to help the gut digest food effectively. You can also share some protein-rich food like egg or chicken (without skin) to aid digestion with your dog.
#3 Medications
Certain medications you find in local food stores may also help get rid of diarrhea, but you should always talk with a vet or health professional before giving it to your dog.
For suppose If none of the remedies work, then how to treat diarrhea in dogs? well, you should consult a veterinarian to find the core reason for persisting diarrhea. You can also ask your vet for a diet chart to prevent diarrhea from repeating.
How To Prevention Bloody Diarrhea in Dogs?
You can prevent bloody diarrhea in dogs by following some of these preventive measures:
#1 Keep an eye on your dog’s eating habits
You should ensure your dog does not eat food from any trash can or spoiled and toxic substances he finds around. You should also make sure that your dog has a balanced diet. You can consult a veterinarian to prepare a diet chart for your dog so that your dog remains healthy.
#2 Visit a vet regularly
It would help if you regularly visited a veterinarian to get your dog examined. You also want to make vaccination appointments with a vet to ensure your dog’s well-being. You can also ask your vet for specific precautionary measures to prevent parasites in your dog.
#3 Keep your dog away from plant materials
When you take your dog out for a walk, you should ensure that it stays away from harmful plants since they can cause deadly diseases later. You should also ensure your dog does not drink water from dirty puddles while walking.
Conclusion
In most cases, diarrhea is not a severe issue, but if it is chronic, you may think why my dog has diarrhea, So you need to keep your dog on certain medications and take care of his diet and nutrition intake. It would help if you also tried to keep your dog hydrated to prevent it further. You can also feed healthy herbs and soups to your dog to decrease the effect of diarrhea and prevent your dog from eating mainly processed food with high levels of chemicals and preservatives. Once the diarrhea is gone, ensure your dog has a happy environment to prevent stress and anxiety issues.