What can make my pup’s gut give him diarrhea?
If your best friend has a case of nuclear diarrhea, there are several reasons this could be.
Most ALL lead back to the gut (have we mentioned that good health begins in the gut?) and commonly include various parasites your dog may have come in contact with.
Dogs, especially the young dogs, love to put stuff in their mouth and Giardia and internal intestinal parasites often end up getting ingested and wreaking havoc on their gut.
Additionally, dogs are known for finding the nastiest garbage grunge delectable. They’ll eat rotten or spoiled food like it’s their job and this can give them bacterial infections that include clostridia, salmonella, campylobacter and more.
That’ll send your dog’s gut warriors (good bacteria) into overdrive to fight and the end is a bottom-blast of epic proportions.
Basically, anything that makes your dog’s gut imbalanced or irritated can cause severe diarrhea and needs to be addressed.
Explosive diarrhea means your dog loses fluids pretty rapidly and that can lead to significant dehydration. In rare cases, pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease or even lymphoma could be the cause of your dog’s diarrhea, but it’s typically a gut issue without any other symptom presentation.
Your dog’s gut, or his microbiome is full of bacteria. A community of bacteria, actually, and it works together to keep your dog’s immune system healthy by fueling his body.
When you feed your dog, a healthy microbiome is what allows his body to absorb all the nutrition he needs. The helpful bacteria in your dog’s gut (probiotics) is key to a healthy microbiome.
But when that bacteria gets overthrown by harmful bacteria (that can come from rotten food or infection or poor diet), your dog’s gut suffers. It can no longer optimally absorb food, and without good fiber to absorb the excess water in your dog’s intestinal tract, it’s like there’s a poop pool party from your dog’s rear end.
Your dogâs diarrhea could be caused bacteria found in raw or improperly cooked meats, meat left sitting out for awhile or in decaying vegetables. Studies show dogs can pick up a bacterial infection if kenneled with another dog that has it. Diarrhea can occur every two to four weeks and could be ongoing for years. Check your dogâs stool for shiny mucus on the surface and fresh blood.
Some veterinarians refer to this as âgarbage gut.â It means your dog ate something (maybe from the trash can or table scraps) that has caused an upset stomach. While most cases of garbage gut are mild, it depends on what was consumed: your dog could develop pancreatitis which is more serious and requires veterinary care.
If your dog has diarrhea, then youâre already familiar with the signs: loose, liquid-like stool, with frequent trips outside to relieve the bowel. Diarrhea in dogs can occur suddenly and last as long as a day or two up to a few weeks or months.
If your dogâs diarrhea persists for more than a day, dehydration can be a concern. Diarrhea that lasts longer can be an indication that your dog has an underlying health issue.
Irritable bowel disease happens when inflammatory cells chronically invade your dogâs intestine. The cause is unknown. The most common symptom of IBD, when the colon is involved, is diarrhea. One other sign of IBD is weight loss. Your veterinarian can diagnose the condition and discuss a treatment plan to get your dog back to good health.
Symptoms of Acute Sudden Diarrhea in Dogs
Symptoms of diarrhea are straightforward and common at times; however, if your dog has black diarrhea, then there could be internal bleeding and your dog must be seen by a veterinarian immediately. Symptoms of acute (sudden) diarrhea include:
Types
In some cases of diarrhea, the underlying cause may be parasites. Dogs can get parasites from eating things they shouldn’t eat, such as soil or feces. They can also get parasites if they accidentally eat food or drink water that is contaminated. Puppies can become infected from their mother. Parasites that can give your dog diarrhea are:
Sudden Diarrhea in Dogs
Diarrhea is one of the most common reasons why pet parents seek veterinary care for their canine companions. Although it can be triggered by something as simple as a change in food or treats, doggy diarrhea can also signal a serious underlying disease.
Doggy diarrhea is a sign of a health problem; it isn’t a disease itself. The most common mechanism by which canine diarrhea occurs is when unabsorbed nutrients either retain water or draw water into the intestines. In these cases, the volume of fluid overwhelms the ability of the intestinal lining to absorb water and nutrients. Dogs with this type of diarrhea will pass large amounts of fluid or soft stools.
Another common mechanism of diarrhea in dogs results from increased permeability of the intestinal lining. Inflammation associated with disease or irritating substances can cause increased movement of fluid and electrolytes into the intestines and impaired absorption.
Diarrhea can occur suddenly (acute), last for weeks to months (chronic) or occur off and on (intermittent). It depends on the underlying cause.