My Dog Has Diarrhea! Now What Do I Do?

by: LeeDobbins
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I know that when my dog has diarrhea, I am almost as miserable as she is. Thankfully, it doesnt happen often and can usually be traced back to some cause that I can hope to avoid in the future. Here are some of the major reasons for dog diarrhea:

Dietary disruption - Suddenly switching your dog from their regular food to a new food can cause diarrhea. A dogs digestive system gets used to a particular diet and as such changing them over to a new food should be done gradually and over a period of time. The best way to avoid your dog getting diarrhea is to introduce the new food slowly by mixing some of the new food with their old food. Over a period of days mix more of the new and less of the old so eventually all they are getting is the new food. This is particularly important if you are attempting to switch a puppy from one food to another as they have very delicate digestive systems.

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.

Expired food - eating unfit meat can give a dog diarrhea just like it can give people diarrhea. When feeding your dog, please be as selective as when you feed your own family.

When my dog has diarrhea, the only thing I want is for it to go away and never come back. Not only do I sympathize with my poor dog, but I get sick of cleaning up the mess! While I think you should always take a dog with diarrhea to the vet just to be safe, you can also try these steps at home:

If the problem was caused by bad food you might try to a bit of caster oil. Sometimes a more drastic effort is requited and you might have to put your pet on a diet of plain rice.

Milk thickened with arrowroot is sometimes also worth a try.

Keep your dog on the rice and milk diet for a couple days to give his system some recovery time and then gradually put him back on his regular food.

Slowly make your way back to regular food by mixing boiled hamburger or white fish boiled in milk with the rice. If diarrhea starts to come back, return to the previous type of food for a while.

When my dog has diarrhea my first concern is for her health so I always call the Vet right away and you should too. You might have to drag your dog in there for an exam but its better to be safe than sorry. Your vet will only be able to recommend a course of action and give out of the medications after she has seen your dog.

About the Author

Lee Dobbins is an avid dog lover who has owned many different types of dogs from a 90 pound Shepherd mix to a pure bred Pomeranian. She shares her years of research and experience in an Ebook and newsletter which you can download for FREE at http://www.dogcareandtrainingtips.com.  

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