Diarrhea is a common ailment in all mammals. Sometimes it’s serious and 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 see if it’s something to worry about or not.
Diarrhea in Dogs
Diarrhea, sometimes called loose stools, is usually a symptom of something else. That something else could be something as simple as a food that caused a minor upset stomach or it could be something more serious 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?”
Which 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 exactly is causing our pet to have diarrhea.
Symptoms or 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.
In bad cases of…
Diarrhea it could be ongoing – your dog may have to relieve himself way more often than normal. If your dog is still a puppy diarrhea could actually be life threatening, particularly because it leads to dehydration.
There are also some other things that you’ll want to be on the lookout for which could be “signs” that your dog’s diarrhea could be really serious.
Things such as:
- Blood in diarrhea – any time you see blood in a bowel movement, take it serious. This could be indicative of a bigger problem.
- Ongoing Diarrhea – if diarrhea lasts for more than one trip to the toilet, this is a cause for concern. Diarrhea for days is definitely not normal!
- Vomiting – if Diarrhea is accompanied with vomiting along with diarrhea he or she needs immediate care as this could be a serious 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 a lot of water loss so your dog definitely needs to fight dehydration.
- White Rice & 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 his/her food lately? He/she could have a food intolerance to something in the new food or even a treat.
- Let him/her rest.
- Probiotics for dogs. Probiotics are good bacteria that can often fight the bad bacteria. This is also a good prevention method for dogs who have 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 something that’s wrong with the small intestine, large intestine, digestive tract or it could be something else. He could have irritable bowel syndrome. Diarrhea is a symptom of so many different illnesses, that it’s hard to say what exactly is wrong.
Which brings us to…
The point in this article were 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 just happen to be very passionate about animals and only want what’s best for them.
So…
If you’re pet is suffering from diarrhea, or any other medical issue for that matter, be sure to have him or her looked at by a professional. This way you’ll know that you’re doing your best to help alleviate any discomfort he or she may be experiencing.
Treatment for diarrhea in dogs
Like we’ve said already, 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 as to 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
To take your puppy or dog to the vet is going to 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 the reason why you’re searching the internet for health answer.
Now if…
Costs associated with taking your pet to the vet are holding you back then look no further…
Because there could be…
A solution to your problem. A solution called… Pet Insurance.
By getting pet insurance for your dog you could offset major expenses that could arise down the road. Diarrhea may be an inexpensive health issue to fix (comparably), but what happens when your pup needs a surgery?
By investing a pet insurance policy…
You could spare yourself the heartache of having to deny 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 actually 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 right now, we would encourage you to check out our Best Pet Insurance Companies article.
