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It’s not a topic anyone likes to discuss, but if you own a dog, chances are you have found yourself cleaning up a stinky brown puddle (or, not-quite-politely put, doggie “runs”) more than you’d care to think about.
Diarrhea is a common canine affliction and it varies in frequency, duration, and intensity from dog to dog.
You may not be able to totally prevent diarrhea, but knowing as much as possible about it might help limit the number times your dog has one of these unpleasant episodes and reduce the duration when the runs do come. Luckily, there are even a number of over-the-counter diarrhea treatments for dogs.
There are significant differences between the way dogs and people digest food.
Human jaw shape and salivary enzymes, for example, will start breaking down a morsel in the mouth. Dogs, on the other hand, have mouths and jaws made for tearing, crushing, and wolfing food down. Their salivary enzymes are mostly designed to kill bacteria, which is why they can tolerate items that would send their human companions to the hospital.
Food travels rapidly down the canine esophagus and enters the stomach in chunks, where most digestion takes place. Canine stomach acids are about three times stronger than those of humans, so they can digest food that is pretty much intact. Under normal circumstances, transit time from mouth through the small and large intestines should be under 10 hours, producing a firm, well-formed stool at the end.
Many things can disrupt this well-balanced system, causing diarrhea or, less frequently, constipation. Some things, like eating too much grass, are not serious at all. Others can be a sign of a life-threatening problem, such as an indigestible object (like a rock) lodged in the stomach, or a disease like cancer.
There are many reasons why a dog may develop loose stools, but most cases may be attributed to one of these 12 triggers:
- Roundworms
- Hookworms
- Whipworms
- Coccidia
- Giardia
- Parvovirus
- Distemper
- Canine coronavirus
Every pet owner has had to deal with their furry friend getting sick at one time or another. One of the most common illnesses that pets can suffer from is diarrhea, and there are many things that can cause diarrhea in animals. With young animals we worry about dietary indiscretion–eating things that they shouldn’t be eating. With older animals, diarrhea may often be a symptom of a more serious underlying problem.
Intestinal worms are parasites often seen in dogs, especially puppies. They are also a common cause of diarrhea in our four-legged family members. Your pet can become infected with worms in several ways: eating infected animal poop, soil, or sand outside, tracked inside on our shoes, or from our houseplant potting soil; hunting and eating infected wildlife, like rodents and squirrels; newborns can get worms from their mom; and from fleas. It is also very important to understand that some of these parasites are zoonotic, which means that people can catch them too.
Pets that have chronic soft stool or chronic full-blown diarrhea should definitely be examined by a veterinarian, even if they are otherwise behaving normally. In these cases, there is likely an underlying problem that’s causing the diarrhea. This is especially true with older pets.
Many dogs suffer from dietary intolerance, and to a lesser extent food allergy. In most cases the problems are caused by the protein source in the food. You may be feeding a premium food with the best ingredients, but if your pet can’t digest beef well, and that premium food contains beef, it may not be the best food for your pet. If your furry friend is suffering from chronic gastrointestinal disease, or diarrhea and/or vomiting, don’t hesitate to talk to your veterinarian about diet. Just remember, when changing foods, do so slowly over 1-2 weeks.
This is especially true with young dogs and puppies. Unsupervised dogs are more likely than adults to consume things outdoors that may cause gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea. Things like feces of other animals, dead animals/road kill, stagnant water, and even foreign objects, like leaves and wood chips, may all cause diarrhea in dogs. Also, by letting your dog roam free you may not know he’s suffering from diarrhea right away, which may lead to a more severe case or additional problems, like dehydration.
Causes
Transient causes of diarrhea include:
Some more serious potential causes of diarrhea include:
Diarrhea in Dogs: How To Quickly Treat At Home
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.