Dog Diarrhea and When Do You Need to Call the Vet

Diarrhea is a frequent concern, especially for dogs, because they eat almost anything when not carefully supervised. However, this may even be caused by a more serious medical problem. Most of these situations require careful attention, especially when the diarrhea is severe or happens regularly.

So, what causes dog diarrhea?

Here are some causes of this canine condition:

1. Infections – Bacterial or viral infections may cause diarrhea and typically occur in puppies.

2. Parasites – Intestinal parasites will undoubtedly disturb your dog’s digestive tract, and large percentages of diarrhea-causing worms are much more common among younger dogs.

3. Stress – Fatigue, anxiety, and stress can lead to an irritated gastrointestinal system.

4. Dietary changes – An intentional diet change between one product to the next, and consuming anything new or improper from sausage to stones, may cause irritation or discomfort that may lead to dog diarrhea.

5. Metabolic diseases – Metabolic disorders can include pancreatic, kidney, or hormonal disorders. Many conditions can disrupt the motility or status of the GI tract, leading to diarrhea.

6. Inflammatory conditions – Similar to inflammatory bowel disease in humans, inflammatory conditions may trigger your dog to suffer diarrhea.

7. Medications/toxins – Many pet owners recognize that some medicines can affect the digestive system, but other treatments and certain chemicals may also cause dog diarrhea.

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What can you do to help stop dog diarrhea?

Some of these conditions require specialized treatment, but most of them can address themselves with basic supportive care. In those situations, what would your veterinarian recommend you do at home?

1. Continue feeding – Not until recently, it has been assumed that GI distress needed a short period of fasting to the system, which is valid for vomiting. However, a dog’s intestines need nutrition to repair itself. Do not deny food unless the vet recommends fasting.

2. Choose a better diet – Higher fiber intake can be an alternative because it is known to be a perfect equalizer not only for indigestion, but also diarrhea. It is safer to do it with several portioned meals of something easy to digest. A low-fat, more carbohydrate diet should help.

3. Consult your vet regarding medications – Never presume that human treatments are safe for animals. Check with the doctor on what is healthy and what basic dosage guidelines are.

When do you need to call the vet?

You understand your dog best, so if it worries you, please do not delay calling your vet. It is what your vet does: to help you. Be mindful that some aspects of diarrhea are much more frightening and that some implications could be severe.

For starters, diarrhea can become classified as small bowel or large bowel diarrhea. For small bowel diarrhea, you will see a considerable amount of watery stool that can easily result in severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Large intestinal diarrhea involves the lower colon, so you might see your dog tensing and uneasy, but only passing a small quantity of soft, mucoid stool accompanied by blood.

Typically, when your dog has a soft stool, but it is still energetic, cuddly, and eating well, you can consider waiting what their next stool looks like before you take any significant measures.

The following warning signs are all grounds for treating the matter seriously:

– Decreased appetite and thirst

– Exhaustion

– Pain and distress

– Blood in the stool

– Vomiting

– Incontinence

If you have a puppy, an old dog, or has an existing medical condition, inform your veterinarian immediately. Even though there could be nothing severe about the underlying cause of diarrhea, receiving a diagnosis, and starting treatment are necessary steps. If your dog’s diarrhea is a large-volume, small-bowel type, the dog is expected to recover with at least supplementary fluids, electrolyte administration, and some antidiarrheal prescriptions.

With this in mind, it cannot be emphasized enough how crucial it is to be on the bottom of what is causing your pet’s diarrhea. Merely putting a “band-aid” on the visible symptoms may sometimes make the underlying issue worse, so take appropriate measures to prevent or relieve diarrhea as soon as possible. When it keeps going for over two days, or once your pup is in severe distress, visit your veterinarian right away.

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