Dog parents can often come across dog diarrhoea and it can be important to know when it’s worrisome, when treatment can be given at home and what to expect. Here are a few useful tips.
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Diarrhoea may be just a warning sign for many diseases and an early intervention can save your pet from discomfort and save you from a smelly mess. Early treatment can in fact save your money too in these cases. With that said, rushing your pet to your vet right upon seeing some soft faeces is impractical and unnecessary.
Types of Diarrhoea that Do Need a Vet’s Intervention
- Very watery diarrhoea that has been going on for more than 48 hours (and can cause dehydration)
- Diarrhoea accompanied by vomiting, loss of appetite and lethargy
- Abdominal discomfort – sitting in praying position i.e. with abdomen stretched out, vocalising when touched, pacing or panting excessively
- Bloated or clearly distended abdomen
- Black faeces, an indication of digested blood
- Large quantities of fresh blood (a small quantity just once is fine)
When Not to Worry
If the diarrhoea has been occurring for less than 48 hours and the dog is overall happy and bright and none of the above symptoms has taken place, you need not to worry. Still, it’s quite possible that your dog has eaten something to upset his gut whether it is a rich food or fatty or stinky.
What can You Do at Home?
Never give any human medications to your pet without consulting your vet. Several medications have a totally different effect on pets than humans. Therefore, it’s best to execute caution. For dogs that are overall well (and are not too young or too old), the best thing to do is to fast him for 24 hours. Don’t feed anything except water.
If your dog is young to breed or old and debilitated and is vomiting, perhaps it’s better to ask your vet before putting the dog on a fast.Visit Gordon Vet website to know about the best healthcare for your pet.
After 24-hour of fasting, your dog has hopefully stopped defecating frequently so much and conditions are settling down. At this juncture, his intestines may need time to recover. A bland diet of white rice and cooked lean chicken in 50:50 ratio is gentle and easy to digest. Continue this diet for 5 days and then slowly start his regular diet over 7 more days. Sudden changes in diet may not be very good for dogs.
The dog may also need a probiotic to repopulate the intestinal flora properly. However, never use yoghurt in pets, as the good bacteria will die in his stomach. Better choose a dog formulation.
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Chronic Diarrhoea
If your dog is suffering from intermittent diarrhoea for weeks, not only days, it’s better to take him to your vet. They can provide you some advice on what to feed and whether any further tests would be needed or if you are short of money, a treatment trial is recommended.
Bringing a fresh sample of faeces with you is good so that you don’t have to describe how the diarrhoea looks like. Your vet will also would like to know your dog’s diet, the frequency of the stools, whether it has blood or mucus in it and whether there is straining.
It’s possible that it’s only a simple food allergy or intolerance, where the bland diet or a low allergen food may help. However, there is always a possibility of something more serious taking place, like an infection or pancreatic problem, so the sooner you get it diagnosed from someone like Gordon Vet, the best animal healthcare practice in Turramurra vet, the better.
Don’t Forget to Wash Hands
Keep in mind that some causes of diarrhoea like giardia, E. coli and coccidian are infectious for humans too. Hence be sure to wash hands after cleaning up the messes, after handling your dog and before eating.