We ’ve all been there — here ’s how to discover your dog ’s poop problems fast .
If you ’ve owned a dog for any amount of time , you have experienced the joyousness of a wiener with diarrhea . If you ’re lucky , your poor pooch got you out the door in time . If you ’re not lucky , well … you had some cleanup spot to do .
unremarkably , dog poop develops over an just about 10 - hour journeying through the digestive piece of land and make out out as a stiff but tensile chocolate-brown log . Water , nutrients , and electrolytes are assimilate along the way . When something disrupt this operation , food can go through the GI tract too quickly , ensue in a voiced or even watery mess .
Grace Canaan / Yeji Kim
What Causes Diarrhea in Dogs?
There are many likely causes of diarrhea in dogs , but these are some of the most common :
Dietary Indiscretion
This is often the perpetrator — when your dog eats something she should n’t have , like rotting veg out of the garbage , the turkey carcass off the counter , or an nameless stagnant affair out in the yard .
Change in Diet
switch to a unexampled food too rapidly can bowl over the GI tract .
Stress
proceed , persist at aboarding kennel , red of a family unit appendage , and even a sojourn to the vet ’s office can all lead to diarrhea , in particular inanxious dogs .
Parasites
This includesworms , Giardia , andcoccidia , which all irritate the GI piece of land and cause diarrhea . In some cases , you may even see louse or segments of worms in your dog ’s stool .
Viral Infections
infection likeparvovirusanddistempercause diarrhea along with other symptoms of malady . Both of these viruses are extremely contagious and deadly but can be foreclose withvaccinations .
Food Allergies and Intolerances
rightful foodallergiesare rarified in dogs , but intellectual nourishment intolerance can occur at any eld . These conditions can bedifficult to diagnoseand are managed by ward off the trouble ingredient(s ) .
Foreign Body
This is whenyour dog eat a non - food item , such as a toy or item of wearable . These items can get stuck in the GI tract and cause an obstruction . As well as diarrhea , an unnatural wienerwurst will also likely have abdominal pain in the neck , a pitiful appetency , and may vomit . operating theater may be need to withdraw the block .
Bacterial Infections
These could include infections such asE. coliandSalmonella .
Illnesses
include incendiary bowel disease , colitis , orcancer .
Medications
Your veterinary surgeon will warn you about medicinal drug that tend to have diarrhea as a side effect , but individual dogs may put up medicinal drug otherwise .
Toxins
If your dog hasingested something toxicsuch as medications , toxic food likechocolateorgrapes and raisins , vicious plants , toxic household cleaners , or pest ascendance product , looseness may be the first sign of poisoning .
What Your Dog’s Poop Color Can Tell You About Their Health
Brown
A good , normal quarter ; a great poop even . This is the only colouration you want to see in your dog ’s stool . The brown can rove from a lighter shade to something that looks more like coffee .
Brown with White Flecks
Your dog probably has worms , probably eithertapewormsorroundworms . Tapeworms look like food grain of rice in the poop while roundworms and standardized worm look ropy and spaghetti - like . Ew . If you see this , it ’s time to take your dog to the vet .
Yellow or Orange
Time to head to the veterinarian . Orange diarrhea could indicate nothing , but it could also intend your wiener is experience aliver trouble . Same for yellow - colored shite , too .
Green
Has your heel been eating green thing — grass , leaves , or green food ? That could be the rationality . But , your dog could also have a gall bladder issue . manoeuvre to the vet to verify .
Red or Red Streaks
That mean blood , probable from the lower gastrointestinal tract . Go to the vet .
Black
This is also lineage — it ’s just dry out and originate in the upper GI parcel . Again , head to the veterinary surgeon ’s office .
Gray
Not in effect . This could be a sign your dog is dealing withpancreatic issueslike exocrine pancreatic insufficiency , which stimulate an unfitness for your dogto absorb the necessary nutrients . The low-down will also look greasy or viscid . Go to the veteran right away .
Multicolored
Did your dog eat on a cluster of wax crayon ? ( This should be impossible . )
When Diarrhea Becomes a Health Emergency for Your Dog
Most cases of diarrhea are because of dietetical injudiciousness , a dieting change , or focus and will resolve rapidly on their own . However , if any of the fall out situations employ , call your veterinarian ASAP .
Bring a sampling of your dog ’s stool with you to the vet ’s situation if you may . keep the stool in person can be helpful for determining the case , and your veterinary surgeon will in all probability hightail it a fecal analysis and appear at a small amount of the stool under a microscope for sign ofparasites .
Other nosology might admit roue work and radiographs ( cristal - rays ) depending on any other symptom that your dog may have .
Grace Canaan
Dog Diarrhea Treatment and Home Remedies
Diarrhea in an otherwise healthy dog can be treated guardedly at home to jump .
assay fast your dog for 12–24 hours — no food or dainty , but keep invigorated water uncommitted at all times . This gives your dog ’s GI tract a chance to calm down and reset .
Warning : fasting should not be done in puppies under one year of age or under 20 pound of weight as it poses the danger of low blood sugar , which can cause serious complications . Contact your veterinarian if you have a pup or a small frank with diarrhea .
After the fasting , offer your click abland diet . Options let in cook white Elmer Rice , manifestly cannedpumpkin(not pie filling ! ) , boiled skinless wimp breast , falsify pasta , boiledpotatoes , and plain ready lean hamburger . If your dog tolerates the bland dieting well , the next mean solar day you’re able to mix it with some of her veritable food and slowly switch her back over to her normal solid food over the next few day . Many dog-iron enjoy their special vapid foods , but these diets are not balanced and are not appropriate for long - condition use . An option is to foot up a prescription food from your veterinary federal agency that is designed to be gentle on the GI tract .
Prebiotics and probiotics can be beneficial for preventing and resolving diarrhea . These product can be given safely long - full term or on an as - needed base . Some dogs benefit from take probiotics before and during nerve-wracking events like staying at a embarkation dog house ormoving . Not all supplements are created equal , so choose a product with theNational Animal Supplement Council Quality Sealor that is recommended by your veterinarian .
If your domestic dog is diagnosed with worm , your veterinarian will likely dictate a dewormer . Most cad benefit from being kept on a veritable deworming agenda to prevent infection .
For more stubborn lawsuit of diarrhea , your veterinarian will break out the antidiarrheal medicationsmetronidazole(brand name Flagyl ) ortylosin(brand name Tylan ) . These medications can be combined with other method acting to get your dog ’s poop back to its proper grain .