Dog Diarrhoea, What To Do?

Much like in humans, dog diarrhoea is not really a problem in itself, rather it is a response to external stimuli, be that a viral bacterial infection or an allergy for example. Dog diarrhoea is characterised by frequent bowel movements, runny stool, and perhaps even blood in the stool. When a dog has diarrhoea, these ‘tell tale’ signs will typically give it away, along with a more urgent need to have a bowel movement. Dog loose stool can be expected because it is the result of food etc. being passed before the water and nutrients can be extracted from it. This can also be the result of the digestive system producing too much fluid.

Why this happens is because your dog’s digestive system is sensing the presence of a foreign agent, such as bacteria, and is reacting by ejecting as much digestive matter as possible to remove the threat. Dog diarrhoea should typically last up to 3 days, but acute cases can last up to 14. Chronic cases of dog diarrhoea can last over a month and should be treated with more concern as they can point to more serious health concerns.

Dog diarrhoea is your pet’s response to something that they have consumed. Much like in humans, it is commonly linked to bacteria in food, a viral infection, or something as trivial as an allergy. However, another cause of diarrhoea is stress, so that means it is necessary to make sure you aren’t putting your dog under any unnecessary pressure, as this could be translated into a bowel problem. Ascertaining what has caused diarrhoea for your dog, is a process that can be aided by observing how long they have been exhibiting the symptoms. Food poisoning and allergies are more telling from a shorter encounter with dog diarrhoea. Longer ones are more common as a result of a bacterial or viral infection.

We have already mentioned the more easy to spot symptoms above, but there are a wide range of specific symptoms of dog diarrhoea. Be sure to consider the emergence of any of the following symptoms that could all be indicative of a complication related to diarrhoea.

• Runny stool
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Abdominal cramps
• Blood in stool
• A fever
• Bloody stools
• An urge to evacuate bowels
• Bloating
• Dehydration

Well aside from the worry of having to clean up the mess as a poor dog owner, diarrhoea is common and relatively benign. What you should, however, keep an eye on, is how long it lasts. If your dog has diarrhoea for a prolonged period of time, then this can be a signal of a more serious issue at hand. Also, there are three things that are definitely worth thinking about when it comes to helping dog diarrhoea:

Water

As explained above, the primary symptom that you see in dog diarrhoea is runny stool. What makes these stools so runny is the water that is being flushed out of your dog’s body along with the digestive matter. The loss of water, especially over a prolonged time, can lead your dog becoming dehydrated. Dehydration can make your dog tired and confused; water is the fluid that is used for all of the major chemical reactions in your dog’s body, and a prolonged lack of it can have catastrophic consequences for their health.

Electrolytes

What a lot of people don’t understand is that water is not the only thing that your dog’s body needs to maintain a high level of to be healthy. The water balance in your dog’s body is regulated by the presence of a host of mineral ions collectively known as electrolytes. These free-flowing minerals not only help govern how much water your dog’s body can absorb, they are also used for many functions in the body such as muscle contractions. You may have noticed that diarrhoea pills for humans typically contain a lot of sodium or glucose, for example, this is because these ingredients constitute what the body needs to maintain water balance when both electrolytes and water are being flushed out by diarrhoea.

Blood

Lastly, blood can also be lost in dog soft stool as a result of excessive diarrhoea. You should check your dog’s stool for blood when they have diarrhoea. Blood loss if too much can have dire consequences, and if this occurs, medical assistance should be sought immediately.

Luckily, there are some steps that you can take as a dog owner to help cure dog diarrhoea fast. Whether that concerns what to give a dog that has diarrhoea, what to feed a dog that has diarrhoea, and indeed anything else. This include:

What To Feed A Dog With Diarrhoea

The digestive system of your pooch during a bought of dog diarrhoea is a very fragile place and you don’t want to aggravate it any more. Feeding your dog a healthy and balanced raw diet is a good way to go about preventing that. Needless to say, human food is off the menu as it is not naturally suitable for your dog at this time, and feeding your dog it could just make matters worse. Nor should you feed your pooch anything too heavily processed. Just stick to what you know is healthy for your dog, and also vitamins and minerals are great too. Not at least because they will be helping replenish valuable electrolytes.

What To Give a Dog With Diarrhoea

There are also plenty of dietary food supplements on the market that are available and can aid in helping support your dog whilst they have diarrhoea. These supplements often work to soothe the pains and cramps, flush out the system, harden stool and replace the precious electrolytes. Natural Supplementation when combined with a healthy doggie diet, can help cure dog diarrhoea fast, and ensure that your dog’s digestion gets back on track in no time. Some of the best natural ingredients to look out for in diarrhoea control supplements for dogs include vitamins, minerals and absorbent clays.

If your dog is suffering from diarrhoea, you must make sure they are getting enough water, and electrolytes and also that they are not losing any blood in their stool. You can also aid their recovery of the symptoms of diarrhoea by giving them a supplement, but make sure you only choose one that is made using natural ingredients and no harsh chemicals that can upset their stomachs even more. In addition, you should generally keep an eye on what they are eating so that you can better understand why they have diarrhoea in the first place. If your dog has been getting it frequently, check their diet because they could simply be allergic or have a disagreement with a certain food!