Dog's diarrhea may be caused by food poisoning or other underlying medical conditions. How To Stop Diarrhea In A Dog And Why Are Puppies Common Diarrhea? We do everything right, we buy our dog food of good quality, food from leading producers, dedicated to the breed, size and age of the dog. And yet this one begins to fall ill. The truth is, we don't always have the ability to prevent diarrhea in a dog.
Dog's diarrheais not a disease in itself, but a clinical symptom. The most common cause of diarrhea in a dog is food poisoning.
Dog's diarrhea - causes
Diarrhea can be caused by stale food, which the dog finds while walking, for example, and eats it before we have time to react. Sometimes a food ingredient that our pet cannot tolerate irritates the stomach and causes diarrhea. In another case, it may happen that the dog is allergic to some type of food and his body thus defends itself against eating it.
Unfortunately, dog's diarrhea can have many causes beyond nutritional control, over which we have no control. It can be a reaction of the body to the administration of the vaccine or some other drugs that the animal cannot tolerate, it can even be caused by stress.
Of course, diarrhea can also be a symptom of many diseases: cancer or diseases of the digestive system organs, e.g. large intestine - then it is manifested by the presence of blood in the stool.
Frequent sources of this ailment are viruses, e.g. parvovirosis, distemper (then often associated with vomiting) and bacteria (salmonella, E. coli), as well as parasites (nematodes, roundworms, tapeworms and others). There can be many reasons and it is worth remembering about it.
Dog's diarrhea may be accompanied by:
- apathy
- vomiting
- reluctance to play and go outside
- elevated temperature
- dehydration
Do not feed the dog with table scraps
Giving your dog human food can end up causing indigestion and diarrhea. You must not feed your dog with chocolate, yeast dough, citrus, avocado or grapes.
How do I stop my dog's diarrhea?
One thing is good about it all. Diarrhea is impossiblenot notice. When it happens, we know immediately that something is wrong. A dirty floor is an inconvenience for the owner, but also a sign that something is wrong. It is easier then to react properly. So what to do?
First, a few words of theory. According to veterinary guides, diarrhea can have two forms, acute or chronic. The first one occurs suddenly, lasts a short time and can usually be combated by a simple starvation. However, if the disease lasts longer, lasts more than 14 days, it becomes a chronic, much more dangerous condition. Of course, it's hard to imagine the owner waiting two weeks for the diarrhea to subside.
Practically speaking, 48 hours after the onset of the first symptoms, when the disease continues, we should show up at the veterinary clinic. Regardless of the cause of diarrhea, stopping it becomes a rescue for our dog.
The most important thing is to simply observe the animal. Very often, diarrhea is only the result of poisoning and lasts a short time, less than 24 hours. If we suspect that this is the case with our dog, because, for example, while walking, he swallowed some stale food before we had time to react, it is worth waiting several hours to assess the situation.
If your pet shows no other dangerous symptoms, does not vomit, and seems to be feeling very well, we can try to help it overcome diarrhea. For this purpose, you should give your pet a temporary fast, set aside food for a day, giving the dog only fresh water during this time. You can try to give him medicinal charcoal or smecta, although the application in the dog's mouth may not be easy.
According to an expertdr inż. Jacek Wilczak, nutrition expert in the Noteć Valley, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life SciencesIn dogs, the difference between food allergy and food intolerance is fundamental and often confused by owners. Food allergy is a specific immune response of the body to a contact reaction with an allergen - a protein, smaller polypeptides or lipoproteins. Often an allergen is a specific protein structure found in a given protein source. Hence, for example, the belief that chicken or pork protein is allergenic - but is it justified in every case?
It is believed that the immune response is caused by transient or repeated contact with the antigen at certain intervals, rather than by its constant presence in the food - which further complicates the correct diagnosis.
Symptoms of food allergy are usually skin symptoms and less often symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract, whichthey may or may not be associated with skin symptoms; often, otitis externa can be the cause of a food allergy.
In the case of food intolerance, the animal reacts without immunological symptoms to a specific composition of the diet (presence of microorganisms and their toxins, pharmacological reaction to the presence of additives in the food) or as a result of a deficiency of an enzyme (e.g. lactase). The body's most common reaction is diarrhea.
Treating dog diarrhea
If the pooch's condition does not improve after a day, it is worth asking a vet for help. Especially when diarrhea is accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, weakness, which may result from dehydration. Remember that this symptom can be very dangerous to the he alth and even life of the animal.
Regardless of its cause, diarrhea weakens the animal's body, deprives the animal of water and electrolytes. Especially for puppies and older dogs, too much loss of these substances can even lead to death - sodium and potassium deficiencies have a negative impact on the animal's heart.
A weakened dog should be given a drip with a multi-electrolyte fluid. In addition, treatment is required, which the veterinarian selects depending on the cause of the disease.
If bacteria were the cause of the diarrhea, a broad-spectrum antibiotic such as amoxicycline is required.
Detection of parasites requires the administration of a deworming drug.
Worth knowingTo make a diagnosis and find the cause of diarrhea, your vet may order blood tests and tests to detect, for example, parvovirosis or the presence of parasites. Sometimes an ultrasound or X-ray can also be helpful.
Dog's diarrhea - diet
A dog that has diarrhea should not eat anything. Contrary to appearances, the animal is able to withstand even a few days' fast. You can feed your dog rice gruel - if he wants to eat it.
Whenever a dog looks better, it should be given easy-to-digest, low-fat and dairy-free meals, so that the weakened digestive system does not strain the digestion of heavy foods.
Dog can also take special feeds tailored to specific ailments, e.g. acute diarrhea, which support the regeneration of the digestive system and alleviate the symptoms of ailments.
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About the author
Małgorzata Wójcik The editor in charge of the website. Journalist with 25 years of experience. From the beginning, she was associated with the subject of children and he alth - she worked, among others. in the magazine "M jak mama". At mjakmama.pl, he specializes in topicspregnancy and childbirth. Privately - mother of three adolescent children. He is eager to read and walks in the woods with his dog.
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