Diarrhea or diarrhea in a dog, along with poisoning, are the most common reasons for pet owners to go to veterinarians. Mild forms of intestinal upset in your pet can be cured on their own.
Causes of a dog's diarrhea
The most common causes of intestinal distress in a dog are:
- poisoning with expired or spoiled foods, medicines and poisons;
- acute viral infections (enteritis, hepatitis, plague and others);
- diseases of the liver and pancreas;
- protozoal and helminthic invasions;
- indigestible feed;
- dysbiosis.
The acute phase of diarrhea in a dog with liquid feces can last up to two weeks. Other negative symptoms (fever, lethargy, vomiting, complete refusal to eat), if they accompany diarrhea, should alert the owners and become a reason for contacting the veterinary clinic.
If your dog has consistent diarrhea when fed fresh food correctly, it could be a serious chronic illness. Pancreatitis and other pathologies of the pancreas can develop gradually due to poorly selected diet. Feeding a dog from a human table and indulging its gastronomic whims often ends in disaster for the animal.
What to do if your dog has diarrhea
If a dog has diarrhea once and the animal is behaving normally, there is no cause for concern. In this case, diarrhea is most likely caused by inaccuracies in nutrition (overeating or fatty foods).
Diarrhea in small dog breeds lasting more than 24 hours can lead to dehydration. Diarrhea is dangerous for Shar-Pei, Yorkshire Terriers, Pekingese, Dachshunds, Chihuahuas, French Bulldogs, etc. To restore the water balance, the dog needs rehydration drugs and adsorbents to neutralize toxins.
Also, all breeds of dogs with diarrhea need to be given drugs with bifidobacteria to improve the intestines. And it is very important to give your pet fresh water to drink, even if the dog refuses to drink himself.
If on the first day of diarrhea the dog refuses to eat, you do not need to force it. Then you can feed your pet low-fat fermented milk products and boiled rice in chicken broth. After 2 days, if the dog's feces are still runny, show the dog to the veterinarian.
With diarrhea with blood, you do not need to wait, you need to urgently take your pet to the doctor. Such an alarming symptom can be observed with leptospirosis, salmonellosis, enteritis and atypical rabies. Also, blood in the liquid stool can appear from damage to the intestine by a bone fragment or other object that the dog has swallowed with food. This is also a reason for contacting a veterinarian.
