Diarrhea in Dogs

Dogs, like people, suffer occasional bouts of diarrhea. You never know what causes it. It appears mysteriously and vanishes after a couple of days. This type of diarrhea is unpleasant to deal with for you and the dog. Loose bowels are normally just the body protecting itself against something it can’t handle by getting rid of it in the most efficient way possible. As a concerned dog owner you need to educate yourself about diarrhea so you’ll be able to tell when you can treat things yourself or whether its time to head for the vet’s office.

Causes of Diarrhea

There are many causes of dog diarrhea. These are the most common:

• Food allergy – some foods are bad for dogs in general, and some dogs have sensitivities to particular foods. All you can do is become familiar with what your dog can tolerate and what he can’t.
• Infection – viral and bacterial infections can both cause diarrhea. Infection is usually accompanied by fever and other signs.
• Parasites – depending on the dog’s lifestyle he may have an infection. Dogs that drink from lakes or ponds can contract Giardia (beaver fever) for instance.

In general, diarrhea is just a symptom. Understanding when to be concerned means being able to assess your dogs level of health and contentment. Here are some tips.

You Don’t Have to Worry If

• Energy level is high
• Eyes are bright
• No fever
• No vomiting

You Should Worry If

• Your dog is vomiting
• There is blood in the stool – These two points may indicate Parvo, especially if the dog has a fever.
• Dog is uncomfortable or in pain – does the dog whimper or when he moves his bowels?
• Diarrhea is explosive – this means the stool is watery and flies out of the dog’s butt.
• Dog has a fever – nose hot and dry.
• Dog is listless
• Eyes are glassy
• Dog is getting dehydrated – gums are chalky and dry.

What You Can Do

• Stop feeding – withhold food for a day and follow up with a bland diet.
• Give plenty of water
• Pepto-bismol – this works on dogs as well as people.
• Feed Pumpkin – canned pumpkin is known to fix both diarrhea and constipation in dogs. Its close to a miracle cure for digestive problems.

That’s about all you need to know about dogs and diarrhea and treatment. Follow these simple guidelines when deciding whether to treat the dog yourself or take him to the vet.