Dog Diarrhea- Causes, Varieties and Treatments

Every once in a while, your dog is going to experience diarrhea. It’s very common and usually pretty harmless. Here’s a few of the common causes and varieties of dog diarrhea and what you should know about when it’s time to go to the vet.

Change In Diet

This is the single, most common reason for diarrhea in dogs. Any abrupt changes in your pup’s diet is very likely to cause some intestinal distress. The best way to remedy this is too gradually change your dog’s food until you’re giving him less of the old and more of the new. Continue this process until he is completely on his new food.

You’ll probably also see some problems resulting from feeding your dog “people food”. It’s hard to resist, I know, but you’re not doing your baby any favors.

Change In Water and Excessive Water Consumption

Believe it or not, something as simple as changing the water your dog drinks can result in a dog with diarrhea. This often happens when traveling with our pets. All of a sudden the tap water is different and your dog’s intestinal tract reacts. If it’s going to be an extended trip, he will adjust. If not, try using bottled water.

Typically, dog’s get extra thirsty in the hot months, just like we do, but if your dog’s drinking excessively, it may be because something more serious than diarrhea is going on. If you find no logical reason behind your dog’s sudden thirst, it’s time to consult with your vet.

Summer Diarrhea

Believe it or not, this exists. Especially prevalent in dogs who eat their meals outside, this form of dog diarrhea presents itself when dog food spoils from the hot, summer heat. This can be remedied by not leaving your dog’s food out all day! Feed him only when you know that he’s going to eat it. This type of diarrhea can become quite serious if it results from your dog’s love of eating from garbage cans. The food scraps that he ingests can cause serious damage and this behavior needs to be changed immediately.

Overeating and Undereating

Just like us, when dogs eat too quickly, there’s going to be a price to pay. When a dog is only fed once per day, he will be so hungry that he will eat too much too soon. To remedy this, try feeding your dog half of his food in the morning and the second half at dinnertime. If you take the “self-feeding” approach to dog food, whereby you leave your dog’s food down all day and he just kind of grazes, keep your dog on a dry food diet to avoid any intestinal consequences.

Diarrhea In Older Dogs

Unfortunately, in geriatric dogs, the presence of diarrhea can be a clue to something more serious going on. Heart, kidney and liver malfunctions, intestinal tumors and many other conditions can signal diarrhea. Don’t take any chances with your elderly dog and assume that it’s just temporary. Make a quick trip to the vet to ensure that it’s not something more serious than his new treat causing him intestinal distress.

Usually, a dog’s diarrhea will pass almost as quickly as it came. Adding some rice or pasta to your dog’s food will help. Also, avoid feeding your dog milk. If your dog has diarrhea for more than a few days, if there is blood present in his stool or if there is vomiting as well, it’s time to load him into the car for a trip to the vet. Dog diarrhea treatment is usually easy, but it helps to know the causes and what to avoid.

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• Your Dog’s Vomiting Water? Don’t Panic!
• Does Your Dog Frequently Get Diarrhea?