Diarrhea is a common ailment in all mammals. Sometimes, it’s severe; sometimes, it’s just a tiny upset stomach. However, diarrhea in dogs should be monitored since dogs can’t tell us what’s wrong. If your dog gets diarrhea, pay close attention to whether it’s something to worry about.
Diarrhea in Dogs
Diarrhea, sometimes called loose stools, is usually a symptom of something else. That something else could be as simple as a food that caused a minor upset stomach or something more severe like a parasite or inflammatory bowel disease. The problem is that when it occurs in our pets, we can’t simply ask them…
“What’s wrong?”
This is why, as loving and caring pet owners, it’s up to us to look for signs and clues that might help us understand what is causing our pet to have diarrhea.
Symptoms of Clinical Signs
The main symptom of diarrhea is that the stool is not firm; sometimes, it can be just a little “soft” or runny, while other times, it can be completely watery. It could be ongoing in bad cases of diarrhea – your dog may have to relieve himself way more often than usual. If your dog is still a puppy, diarrhea could be life-threatening, mainly because it leads to dehydration.
You’ll also want to look for other things, which could be “signs” that your dog’s diarrhea could be severe.
Things such as:
- Blood in diarrhea – Take it seriously if you see blood in a bowel movement. This could be indicative of a bigger problem.
- Ongoing Diarrhea – If diarrhea lasts more than one toilet trip, this is a cause for concern. Diarrhea for days is not regular!
- Vomiting – If diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, they need immediate care as this could be a severe health condition.
- Weight Loss – This could also be something serious.
Things to do Immediately to Help Your Dog
The first thing you should do is call your veterinarian. But what if you can’t get through, or it’s the weekend? Here are some things you can do to help your dog:
- Diarrhea causes much water loss, so your dog needs to fight dehydration.
- White Rice and boiled White Chicken (boneless/skinless). This bland diet is probably the best food for a dog with an upset stomach.
- Consider your dog’s diet. Have you changed their food lately? They could be intolerant to something in the new food or a treat.
- Let them rest.
- Probiotics for dogs. Probiotics are good bacteria that can often fight harmful bacteria. This is also a suitable prevention method for dogs with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or another condition that makes diarrhea a regular occurrence.
Diagnosis for an Underlying Problem
If it’s more than a simple upset stomach, your vet will hunt around for an underlying cause. This may be wrong with the small intestine, large intestine, digestive tract, or something else. He could have irritable bowel syndrome. Diarrhea is a symptom of so many illnesses that it’s hard to say precisely what is wrong.
Which brings us to…
The point of this article is that we like to remind folk that we here at IndulgeYourPet are not doctors, veterinarians, or medical professionals. All we are is a bunch of folks who are passionate about animals and only want what’s best for them. So, if your pet is suffering from diarrhea or any other medical issue, be sure to have them looked at by a professional. This way, you’ll know that you’re doing your best to help alleviate any discomfort they may be experiencing.
Treatment Options
As we’ve said, diarrhea is almost always a symptom, not a disease. For immediate treatment of “firming it up,” you may give your dog a general medication or a natural alternative like Slippery Elm. But to get rid of the cause of diarrhea will mean treating the sickness. Since there are way too many possibilities for what’s causing diarrhea, it’s too difficult for us to tell you what possible treatment might include. It could be medication, or it could be surgery or a lot of other things. The best thing you can do is see a vet.
Seeing a Vet is Expensive
Taking your puppy or dog to the vet will cost you at least $75 for an initial visit. That doesn’t include medication or treatment. And we’re betting that the vet costs are at least part of why you search the internet for health answers.
Now, if costs associated with taking your pet to the vet are holding you back,k then look no further because there could be a solution to your problem. A solution called… Pet Insurance. Getting pet insurance for your dog could offset significant expenses that could arise down the road. Diarrhea may be an inexpensive health issue to fix (comparably), but what happens when your pup needs surgery?
By investing in a pet insurance policy…
You could spare yourself the heartache of denying your dog much-needed medical treatment because you can’t afford it. Think about tomorrow today and get your dog insurance!
Now, will a pet insurance policy be “right” for everyone?
No, it probably won’t. But until you know what these policies will and won’t cover, and until you know how much they cost, how will you ever know if one might be “right” for you?
For more information about who we “feel” currently offers the “best” pet insurance policies in the industry, we encourage you to check out our Best Pet Insurance Companies article.
