Sometimes new pet owners are unsure what to do about their dog’s diarrhea. Acute diarrhea starts suddenly and lasts for a few days to a week. Dogs are very prone to diarrhea, and for a pet owner it is helpful to know when to call the vet and when you can safely treat his diarrhea at home.
Call Your Veterinarian if Your Dog Has Any of These Symptoms:
Fever – Fever is often a sign of bacterial or viral infection. These require antibiotics, and require a veterinarian’s care.
Pale gums – Pale or yellow gums are a sign of dehydration, which means the diarrhea is more serious, and your dog needs fluids replaced. Take him to the veterinarian immediately for treatment.
Pain – Regular diarrhea does not normally cause pain, and that is a sign that something else is going on with your dog.
Bloody diarrhea or black, tarry stools – This is a sign or symptom or internal bleeding, and it warrants an immediate trip to the veterinarian. Internal bleeding or blood in the stool is not normal, and can’t be treated at home.
Persistent vomiting – What, exactly, is the difference between persistent vomiting and regular old vomiting? Sometimes dogs eat things that they shouldn’t, and that gives them diarrhea. They may also vomit to rid their body of the foreign substance. If your dog vomits once or twice, and then it stops, that is all right, perfectly normal in fact. If the vomiting continues on, that is persistent vomiting and a trip to the veterinarian is in order.
My dog doesn’t have any of those scary symptoms, he just has diarrhea. How is he behaving? If your dog is eating, playing, and his energy levels seem normal or close to normal (but he’s not lethargic), you can probably safely treat his diarrhea at home.
He’s behaving normally with no other symptoms, how can I stop his diarrhea? Believe it or not, one of the first things you can do to help with your dog’s diarrhea is withhold food and water, thus allowing the intestinal tract to rest. Restricting food and water intake for 12-24 hours can often stop diarrhea completely in your dog. If you do not want to restrict food and water completely, you can cut his food and water in half. When you start feeding him again, feed him a bland diet. There are commercial bland diets available, or you can cook your own at home.
Bland Diet for Dogs:
One third boiled meat (low-fat meat is better, so chicken, turkey, or even boiled ground beef)
Two-thirds rice
2 tablespoons mashed boiled sweet potato or pureed pumpkin
1 tablespoon of yogurt
Things you should not do for your dog’s diarrhea:
Don’t restrict your puppy’s food or water without consulting your veterinarian, and watch carefully for signs of dehydration, especially if he is very young (under 6 months). Puppies are like human babies, and they can dehydrate quickly. Get your puppy immediate medical attention if he becomes lethargic or shows other signs of dehydration.
Don’t give your dog any medications, including over-the-counter human medications unless advised by your veterinarian to do so. You might actually make his diarrhea worse, so no medicine unless the vet says it’s all right.
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