Help! My dog has diarrhea

Diarrhea in your dog is an annoying and unfortunately common ailment. In most cases, diarrhea is a reaction of your dog’s body to get rid of something that is bothering it and needs to be removed from the body. Think of a virus, bacteria or spoiled food. In addition, there is also a chronic form of diarrhea in dogs that may have another cause behind it. We tell you more about the possible causes, explain the differences between chronic and acute diarrhea and give the golden tip to help your dog get rid of diarrhea.

Why does my dog have diarrhea?

Diarrhea can have several causes in a dog. The most common cause is a change in diet. Many dogs have a relatively one-sided diet, consisting of one type of kibble of a specific brand, for example. The gastrointestinal system is then completely accustomed to the composition of those kibbles. If you then suddenly switch brands, your dog’s gastrointestinal system can react to this, resulting in diarrhea. Therefore, always ensure a gradual transition when you change your food. You can do this by, for example, mixing the old and new food for two weeks, gradually adding more and more of the new kibble. Besides the change in food, there are many other things that can cause diarrhea in your dog. You can also distinguish in this between acute and chronic diarrhea.

What is the difference between acute and chronic diarrhea?

A dog can suffer from two types of diarrhea: acute diarrhea or chronic diarrhea. When your dog suffers from diarrhea, it is important to know which type you are dealing with. That way you can better identify the cause and find an appropriate solution.

Acute diarrhea in dogs

Acute diarrhea occurs when your dog’s diarrhea does not last longer than about a week. So, unlike chronic diarrhea, this is a short period of time. Acute diarrhea is, in most cases, a natural reaction of the body to excrete something. You can think of the following causes:

• Feed changes
• Tainted food
• A virus or bacterial infection
• Parasites such as worms or giardia
• Hypersensitivity or allergy to certain foods
• A reaction to certain medications

Chronic diarrhea in dogs

When your dog’s diarrhea does not go away and the symptoms persist, you speak of chronic diarrhea. In addition, it can also occur that the diarrhea is of short duration, but comes back more often (recurrent diarrhea). In these cases, it is important to determine the cause of the diarrhea and it is therefore advisable to have your dog examined by your veterinarian. Through a comprehensive physical examination (think stool test, blood tests and endoscopy), the veterinarian will try to determine the cause and address the problem at the root cause.

How do you stop diarrhea in dogs?

Is your dog suffering from acute diarrhea? In many cases, this will pass on its own. If the diarrhea is caused by spoiled food or bacteria, for example, it will pass through the body on its own. Keep watching your dog closely and continue to offer small amounts of food and water. Preferably choose dry kibble and avoid raw meat to keep the risk of infection low. Sometimes specific foods are recommended when a dog has diarrhea, such as rice, chicken or even yogurt or buttermilk. These are said to be easily digestible and thus have a relieving effect on digestion. However, this is definitely not recommended. In fact, offering new foods can only upset the digestive system more. Moreover, many of these foods are not easily digestible for a dog at all. Therefore, offer only small portions of the usual food, and do not simply give other foods.

In some cases, acute diarrhea requires a little more action. Is the diarrhea caused by worms, for example? Then it is important to deworm your dog appropriately. Also, in the case of hypersensitivity to certain foods, it may be wise to adjust the diet accordingly. When it comes to chronic diarrhea that your dog suffers from, it is important to have the veterinarian determine a cause. Based on this, a treatment plan can be drawn up.

Preventing dehydration from diarrhea

With diarrhea, your dog loses quite a lot of fluid. When this is the case for a single day, there is not so much to worry about. Does the diarrhea last longer than a single day? Then it is important that your dog gets enough fluids to prevent dehydration. Therefore, try to encourage your dog to drink water and possibly add electrolytes add. This way, you make up deficiencies in important body salts to keep hydration balanced.

When is it wise to take your dog to the vet with diarrhea?

Once you notice that your dog is suffering from diarrhea, it is important to keep a close eye on your dog and check the stools. Does the diarrhea persist for more than three days or does your dog have a fever above 39.5 degrees? If so, contact your veterinarian. Do you see blood in the stool or does the diarrhea look bloody? If so, it is also important to consult the veterinarian. In addition, it is also important to keep a close eye on your dog’s behavior and other health during diarrhea. For example, does your dog become lethargic, won’t eat, feel colder than normal or have a higher than normal heart rate? These are possible symptoms of dehydration. In this case, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Natural support for your dog with diarrhea

The moment your dog has diarrhea, the harm is actually done and it is especially important to offer small portions of food (dry kibble) and water. Therefore, the golden tip to support your dog with diarrhea is to make sure that the digestion is working optimally and the intestinal flora is balanced. The best way to do this is to ensure adequate exercise, as little stress as possible and good food where you ensure that any food changes are gradual. In addition, you can keep the Support digestion and intestinal flora with natural supplements. For example, choose a natural probiotic made of live, healthy strains of bacteria to support your dog’s intestinal flora. Probiotics naturally contribute to good bowel movements and are therefore very suitable for dogs whose intestinal flora is out of balance due to, for example, changes in diet. Other natural means of supporting your dog’s digestion include brewer’s yeast and flaxseed oil. For example, brewer’s yeast contains prebiotic fibers that stimulate digestion and flaxseed oil naturally contributes to a healthy gastrointestinal system.