Diarrhea in a dog

Causes of diarrhea in dogs

Just like in humans, diarrhea in dogs can be a manifestation of a variety of diseases. Of course, the most common and obvious cause of indigestion is food poisoning or other malfunctioning of the digestive system.

Due to the powerful bactericidal properties of saliva, dogs are less sensitive to poor-quality or stale food than other domestic animals (particularly cats). Moreover, in the wild, the closest relatives of dogs, foxes and jackals (1), are generally able to eat carrion, but it should be understood that most domestic dogs have gone so far from their wild ancestors that they have long lost all these talents. Their body has become as sensitive to food as ours. And the first reaction to any malfunction in the body is diarrhea or, more simply, diarrhea. There are also many breeds that are particularly demanding on the quality and type of food (for example, Chihuahua), the same applies to white dogs, most of which are allergic.

But it should be understood that malnutrition is far from the only cause of diarrhea, and sometimes we can talk about really serious diseases, such as enteritis, hepatitis, helminthiases, gastric distemper – officially this disease is called canine distemper (2) and others. Also, diarrhea in dogs can be a symptom of other ailments that at first glance are not related to nutrition.

“If you notice diarrhea in a dog, we recommend that you always see a veterinarian,” says veterinarian Ruslan Shadrin, – because what manifests itself in the form of a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract does not always refer directly to it, it may be a secondary manifestation of some other disease. And if it is viral, then it is quite serious, and the owner, unfortunately, will not help here. Also, many diseases that are not related to digestion can manifest themselves in the form of diarrhea. This is primarily kidney damage. When toxins are not eliminated in sufficient quantities in the usual way, the body gets rid of them where it can: through the skin, through the mucous membranes, as a result of which they become irritated and inflamed. These can also be problems of a cardiac nature: a violation of pressure due to the work of the heart can also be manifested by various dyspeptic disorders. Also, the cause may be problems with the central nervous system, since the control of internal organs by the brain is disturbed. You can also talk about the problems of organs that are associated with the digestive tract, but function outside of it, for example, the liver. As a result, both the endocrine and exocrine systems of the animal organism suffer.

Therefore, if you notice that the dog is suffering from indigestion for more than a day, be sure to contact your veterinarian.

Classification of diarrhea in dogs

No matter how unappetizing it may sound, but, noticing that your four-legged friend went down in a big way, as usual, pay attention to the nature of the chair.

If the only deviation from the norm is its consistency – it is more liquid than usual, then the reason for this is most likely a change in nutrition: either you recently transferred the dog to a different type of food, or treated it to something unusual for it. In a word, the food did not go for the future. Draw your own conclusions and don’t experiment anymore.

However, if the feces have changed not only the consistency, but also the color, or they contain mucus, you should be wary. They can be yellow, black, green and completely watery, and sometimes contain an admixture of blood. And here it is already worth contacting a specialist.

You also need to distinguish between temporary diarrhea due to accidentally eaten poor-quality food and chronic diarrhea that occurs against a background of more serious diseases.

Bloody diarrhea

If you notice that a four-legged friend went big with blood, this is a reason to sound the alarm. As a rule, such manifestations signal serious violations in the work of the dog’s body.

The cause can be severe poisoning, and we are no longer talking about stale food – most likely, your dog has swallowed a real poison. Also, bloody diarrhea in dogs, and especially in puppies, is a consequence of infection with an enterovirus. And here it is very important to provide timely veterinary care, because, unfortunately, the mortality rate from it is very high.

Enterocolitis (3), caused by foreign bodies entering the dog’s digestive tract, is unfortunately also a common cause of bloody diarrhea. Dogs, like small children, are sometimes prone to swallowing objects they play with, which in turn injure the delicate intestinal walls, causing bleeding. Sometimes such carelessly eaten little things are excreted from the body naturally, but sometimes you can’t do without the intervention of a veterinarian.

Also, bloody diarrhea can be a manifestation of such a terrible disease as a tumor. In this case, the sooner you go to the veterinarian, the more chances there will be to save your friend’s life.

Yellow diarrhea

If the dog’s stool is yellow or yellowish in color, this is a signal that something is wrong with the liver. As a rule, this happens due to the fact that the pet is overfed with delicious handouts from the table. Fatty, too sweet and plentiful food can cause disruption of the liver and biliary tract.

If you know you have a weakness to go along with your dog, who is a master at begging for tidbits, make an effort on yourself and stop it. In this case, yellow diarrhea should pass in a couple of days. But if this does not happen, take the dog to the veterinarian – most likely, we are talking about more serious violations in the liver.

green diarrhea

If you notice this color in the piles left by your dog, then the first thing to do is to observe his behavior. There are usually two reasons.

First, the dog started eating grass. There is nothing to worry about – in the wild, all canines from time to time eat certain types of plants to maintain immunity and their own health. At the same time, instinct tells them exactly which types of grass should be eaten.

Second: if you haven’t noticed any tendency to eat green spaces, you should be wary – in this case, the green color of feces most likely means congestion in the gallbladder. You are unlikely to cope with this ailment on your own, therefore, without delay, take the dog to the veterinarian.

Black diarrhea

Quite an alarming symptom, which should not be ignored. The black color of the stool is due to the blood that has had time to clot, that is, its source is most likely the upper intestines. The cause may be a peptic ulcer or tumors, so it is better to consult a veterinarian as soon as possible.

However, before sounding the alarm about the color of your pet’s feces, first remember what he ate the day before. It often happens that the owners are worried about the red or black feces of the dog, but it turns out that she just recently managed to pluck raspberry or blackberry bushes in their garden.

dog diarrhea treatment

If you notice that the dog often asks to use the toilet, then be patient and watch her during the day. Keep your pet on a diet: the first day it is better to abstain from food completely, but boiled water should be given as much as possible. If the condition of the animal does not worsen – it does not become lethargic, inactive, and the stomach does not hurt when pressed, start slowly offering him boiled turkey or chicken breast strictly without skin, liquid low-fat broth, rice water. In short, treat your tailed friend the same way you would a food poisoning survivor. However, if in a day his condition worsens, it is better to take the dog to the veterinary clinic, where all the necessary tests will be carried out, the correct diagnosis will be made and a treatment strategy will be developed.

Most importantly, do not try to treat your pet with folk remedies, which are most often very dubious and can do more harm than good.

Diagnostics

It should be understood that if you are not a veterinarian yourself, it is better not to take responsibility for making a diagnosis. When a dog’s diarrhea does not improve within a few days, a specialist should be consulted.

“We will definitely conduct a full examination, take the main indicators: temperature, pulse, respiration, etc.,” explains veterinarian Ruslan Shadrin. – Plus, in parallel, we ask the owners about the methods of keeping, feeding and living conditions of the animal, processing it from parasites. And this helps us to make the right diagnosis and prescribe the right treatment. Because self-treatment does not always give the desired result. And sometimes we have to treat the dog not from viruses, but from the consequences of such folk therapy, in particular from alcohol poisoning, which owners often give to their pets, trying to cure them of poisoning or distemper.

When going to an appointment, you should take your pet’s feces with you for analysis, which is necessary to identify the cause of the disease. Also, the clinic will definitely do an ultrasound of the animal’s abdominal cavity, and, if necessary, an X-ray examination, as well as a blood test. If pathologies in the gastrointestinal tract are not detected, veterinarians will examine other organs, since indigestion can be caused by a variety of reasons.

Modern treatments

Diarrhea in dogs is treated after an accurate diagnosis has been made. Also, in addition to the main therapy aimed at eliminating the causes of the disease, a set of measures is being taken to replenish the supply of moisture in the body, which is lost in large quantities during diarrhea. Anti-inflammatory drugs, probiotics are also prescribed, an individual diet is being developed. During the recovery stages, the dog also receives immunostimulants to help her body recover faster.

In severe cases, when the cause of diarrhea is a foreign body in the intestine or a tumor, an operation is prescribed. It takes place under general anesthesia in the presence of an anesthesiologist, so nothing threatens the health and life of a four-legged patient.

Dog diarrhea prevention at home

Since the most common cause of diarrhea in dogs is improper feeding, it is necessary to monitor your pet’s menu. You need to choose the right diet for him and not deviate from it. In no case should you overfeed the dog – handouts from your table will not bring anything but harm. If you are a supporter of natural food, make sure that your tailed friend’s diet is balanced, and the products are fresh and cooked.

From puppyhood, wean your dog from the habit of picking up anything on the street – through such street “delicacies”, infection with parasites or pathogens of various infectious diseases, such as enteritis or distemper, most often occurs.

And, of course, make sure that the dog encounters stressful situations less often – do not shout at it and in no case raise your hand, because nervous shocks often affect the state of the body of our smaller brothers.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about treating diarrhea in dogs with veterinarian Ruslan Shadrinth.

Sources of

1. Predatory mammals of the fauna of the USSR // Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1927 – 37 p.
2. Plague of carnivores // Handbook of diseases. Rosselkhoznadzor

   http://portal.fsvps.ru/

3. Kostyleva O.A. Enterocolitis of dogs and cats of various etiologies // Bulletin of the Altai State Agrarian University, 2006

   https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/enterokolity-sobak-i-koshek-razlichnoy-etiologii