Dog Diarrhea

"Dog diarrhea has a number of causes ranging from infection, ingestion of foreign objects, food allergy, food intolerance (inability to digest) and parasites. The key to treatment is to remove any underlying cause and restore balance to the digestive system through dietary change. Usually a simple diet of chicken and rice will help. If symptoms don't improve after 24 hours or if diarrhea is frequent see your veterinarian to avoid dehydration and for a complete diagnosis."

Quick Links to information on Canine Diarrhea

Control Dog Diarrhea
Common Causes of Canine Diarrhea
Problems with the Pancreas
Diarrhea due to Enzyme Deficiency
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Small and Large Intestine Problems
Viral Causes
Parvo virus
Illness as a cause of dog diarrhea

Dog with Diarrhea Symptoms
Gray Color
Yellow Color
Vomit Color
Vomit and Diarrhea Together
Symptoms of Intestinal Causes of Diarrhea

Treatment of Dog With Diarrhea
Dog Diarrhea Over the Counter Human Medication
Pepto-Bismol
Kaopectate
Immodium

Diet Overview
Diets for Dog with Diarrhea
Home Recipes for Dog with Diarrhea
Diet for First 5 Days
Chicken and Rice Diet
Use of Probiotics and Prebiotics
Natural Medicine

Dog Diarrhea Problems

Dog Diarrhea Guide
Dog Diarrhea Problems	Possible Cause	Action
More than a few drops of Blood in Diarrhea	Possible serious illness or intestinal disease	Visit Vet ASAP
Diarrhea and vomiting	Poisoning, Parvo, Illness	Visit Vet ASAP
Change in Behavior such as depression	Illness	Visit Vet ASAP
Combination of:* Stomach pain * Weight loss * Stomach Rumbling * Vomiting * Gas * Dehydration * Changed appetite * Dark bloody stools * Low levels of protein in the blood (Hypoproteinemia) * Fluid buildup in the abdomen (Ascites) * Fluid buildup in the tissue such as swelling in the legs	Small Intestine Problem	Change diet to chicken/rice for 24 hours. See Veterinarian
Diarrhea - including mucus, bright red blood * Constipation * Increased frequency of defecation * Difficulty deficating or urinating (Tenesmus) * Inability to defecate without pain or difficulty (Dyschezia) * Vomiting * Weight loss	Large intestine disease	Change diet to chicken/rice for 24 hours. See Veterinarian
Diarrhea only symptom	Mild Infection, allergy, food intolerance	Change diet to chicken/rice for 24 hours. If recurs see Vet.
Dog Yellow Diarrhea	Food Intolerance, Eating of non-digestible object	Hold food for 24 hours. Change diet to chicken/rice after 24 hours. Plenty of water. If recurs or doesn't stop after 24 hours see Vet.
Black Feces	Bleeding or irritation in the digestive tract	See your veterinarian to be checked for serious disease
Light colored feces	Liver problems	See your veterinarian
Grey feces with strong odor	Calm digestive system. Withhold food for 24 hours. Provide water. Use chicken/rice diet.

Approach to Dog with Diarrhea Treatment

Dietary change begins with switching your dog's current diet to a commercially available hypoallergenic diet to see if food allergy is the cause. This type of diet can also be prepared at home. Many vets suggest a commercial diet that contain hydrolyzed proteins since this type of protein is absorbed better into the body. Most dogs do well with this type of diet and will respond in one week to 10 days.

If this doesn't help, medications are prescribed that help with canine diarrhea caused by issues such as colitis. Usually this involves the drug metronidazole and an increase of fiber in the diet. Other choices include antibiotics to fight any bacterial infection (metronidazole, tylosine, tetracycline).

If this doesn't work then additional testing is done including blood tests, examination of the digestive system and biopsies of the intestines.

After ruling out other causes your veterinarian may indicate that your dog as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBD). Treatment for this condition includes several weeks of prescription corticosteroids. If it works the drug is slowly decreased in dose over time.

If diarrhea is a persistent problem and all of the above has been ruled out, then it might make sense to try restoring balance to your dogs digestive system such as PetAlive. Ingredients include Plantago major (Plantain), Alchemilla vulgaris (Lady’s Mantle) and Podophyllum (6C), all known for helping to restore normal stools. Discuss this option with your veterinarian.

Sources

From Canine Diarrhea to Dog Health Guide Home