If you are reading this, then there is a chance that your dog has been experiencing diarrhea. This can happen for many reasons and may be hard to diagnose. It is important to know the signs of dog diarrhea so that you can quickly find out what might be wrong and fix it before it becomes an even bigger problem! This blog post will discuss 5 common reasons why dogs get diarrhea as well as steps on how to treat them at home.Dog Poop Bag Dispenser
What is diarrhea and why does it happen?
The normal bowel transit time in a dog is usually 12-24 hours. Diarrhea happens when there has been fecal retention for less than 24 hours and the colon contents are then released into the rectum, leading to soft or watery feces that may contain mucus and/or blood. These symptoms can be caused by many different things such as: food intolerance, intestinal infection (such as with parasites), pancreatitis, kidney disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus or chronic gastrointestinal issues like inflammatory bowel disease.
This blog post will discuss five common reasons why dogs get diarrhea as well as fixing it.
Diarrhea often occurs because of one of these causes: dietary indiscretion; intestinal infection (such as with parasites); pancreatitis; kidney disease; cancer; diabetes mellitus or chronic gastrointestinal issues like inflammatory bowel disease.
5 Reasons Your Dog Has Diarrhea
Diet
Diarrhea can also be caused by dietary indiscretion (eating things he shouldn’t). This includes eating table food, garbage or other unsafe items. If your pup eats something that is not safe for him, it could lead to diarrhea and vomiting within hours of ingestion.
Intestinal infection
Many types of intestinal infections are zoonotic which means they can infect people too! Your dog may get an intestinal infection because his immune system isn’t working at its full potential due to conditions such as diabetes mellitus or chronic gastrointestinal issues like inflammatory bowel disease. Parasites can cause a variety of problems including poor growth rates in puppies, vomiting and even death if left untreated. The most common type of parasites that affect dogs are roundworms, hookworms and whipworms.
Pancreatitis
The pancreas produces enzymes to digest food and regulate blood sugar levels in the dog’s body. When it becomes inflamed or infected with bacteria or viruses like parvovirus, pancreatitis can result which has many terrible complications including death if not treated soon enough! Signs include vomiting; diarrhea; abdominal pain; increased thirst or appetite (even though they have no interest in eating); depression and a fever over 103F degrees. If your pup is displaying any of these signs don’t wait – get them into a vet clinic right away!
Kidney disease
Canine kidney failure usually occurs from chronic renal insufficiency and if left untreated can lead to death. The kidney is responsible for removing waste from the body which includes urea, creatinine, uric acid and other metabolic byproducts we don’t want in our bodies! When a dog’s kidneys stop working properly he will start showing signs such as increased thirst (even though they have no interest in drinking); vomiting; diarrhea; depression or lethargy; decreased appetite; itchy skin with hair loss on his back end that appears similar to ringworm infections – this condition is called pyotraumatic dermatitis.
Cancer
If your pup displays any of these symptoms you should take them into see their veterinarian ASAP because cancer has many terrible side effects including eventually leading to death without treatment. The most common types of cancer that affect dogs are mammary (breast) and skin cancers. If your pup is displaying any of these symptoms: lumps in the breast, red bumps on his skin or an open sore with a black crusty scab – take them to see their vet ASAP!
4 ways to fix Dogs Diarrhea
Change their diet
The first thing you should do when your pup has diarrhea is to change his diet. This includes feeding him bland, high quality food with more fiber and fewer carbohydrates such as boiled white rice or ground turkey without the skin (not breaded or fried). You may also want to add some probiotics into his new diet in order to help replenish good bacteria that he’s lost due to vomiting and/or diarrhea.
Provide Fluids Orally
If your dog refuses water despite being thirsty they can be given small amounts of it by mouth which will provide them with needed fluid replacement for hydration purposes only! It doesn’t matter if breast milk, plain yogurt, canned pumpkin puree whatever works best for your dog.
Take them for a walk
Exercise is important to both mental and physical health! If your pup has diarrhea, it’s always best to take him on walks in order to help his intestinal tract recover faster from vomiting or diarrhea by stimulating the digestive process through movement of food and fluids. When you’re ready, try increasing exercise time gradually until he can go back to normal activity levels which will strengthen his immune system as well. This includes rigorous playtime with other dogs that doesn’t involve wrestling around (which may cause more pain).
Give probiotics orally
Many vets recommend giving small amounts of probiotics by mouth each day when there are signs of vomiting or diarrhea in order to replenish good bacteria lost due to sickness.
Conclusion
Diarrhea is a common problem for dogs that can be caused by numerous reasons. If you think your dog has diarrhea, it’s important to take them in to see their veterinarian right away. Your vet will likely diagnose the cause of the diarrhea and prescribe treatment accordingly. To find out more about this condition or how we can help you with any other pet-related issues, contact us today!