My Dog Has Diarrhea! Now What Do I Do?
Dogs actually have a well functioning digestive system and dog diarrhea is not a common experience. But I know that when my dog has diarrhea I can usually attribute it to something that could be an avoided. Some of the common causes of diarrhea in dogs are:
Disruption in the normal diet - If you suddenly give new foods to your dog, it can give them diarrhea. Doesn’t that make sense? Your dog’s digestive system gets used to something, and then a strange new food appears in his dish. It may take his system a few days to acclimate to the new food. You can avoid this unpleasant process by introducing the new food in steps. Try mixing the two together and gradually increasing the amount of the new food and decreasing the amount of the old. Puppies are particularly sensitive to changes in diet.
Worms - A common cause of diarrhea in puppies can be worms. If your puppies diarrhea looks frothy this can be indicative of internal parasites. Your veterinarian can provide you with medication to treat these parasites and stop the diarrhea.
Stress - Any departure from the normal routine, like a long trip or a new baby in the house, can cause diarrhea.
Illness - An illness in some cases your dog might just have a virus or an illness. Although this doesnt happen in dogs as often as people you should have your Vet check him out if you suspect this is the case so you can get him the appropriate treatment.
Bad food - Your dog is just like a member of your family. Make sure you take care of your dogs diet as you would a member of your blood relatives, by avoiding spoiled meats.
Here are some things you can do to help when your dog has diarrhea:
A little castor oil may help if your dog’s diarrhea was caused by eating spoiled food. If you need a stronger remedy, you may have to switch to feeding him plain rice.
Another remedy is milk stiffened with arrowroot flour.
Don’t be too hasty about resuming your dog’s normal diet. Keep him on the milk and rice diet for a few days to let his intestinal system get over the problem.
Gradually work for your way back towards normal food by including boiled hamburg or white fish boiled in milk in with the rice. If you notice the diarrhea starting up again go back to the previous level.
When my dog has diarrhea, I like to get her to the Vet right away. This is important because the et may be able to prescribe medications that will help speed up your pets recovery. Your dog may not be very excited to go to the Vet, but when she begins feeling better, so will you!
