Why Does My Dog Have Diarrhoea?

Sure enough, diarrhoea is a common ailment among dogs. It can happen to any breed, anytime. But just because it is common doesn’t make it any less dangerous than other infections.

While some diarrhoea cases have simple causes, some can be a precursor to a more severe infection.

What are the causes of diarrhoea in dogs?

Indigestion is one of the major causes of diarrhoea. There are lots of reasons why dogs experience indigestion, such as excessive intake of food, strenuous activity after a meal, eating prohibited food, and abrupt change in eating routine.

Gastrointestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, and coccidia also cause diarrhoea. Because of dogs’ natural inclination to eating, they can easily acquire these parasites through eating infected grass, soil, table scraps, and leftover food.

Diarrhoea can also be caused by irregular neurological functions such as stress and anxiety. Dogs are animals of habit. They feel stressed when they get into new surroundings, meet new animals, and get into a new daily routine. 

The worst causes of diarrhoea are viral infections and cancer. Dogs that contract parvovirus, distemper, and other viral diseases show signs of diarrhoea. So are the dogs who have problems in their pancreas, liver, and kidney.

What are the symptoms of diarrhoea in dogs?

The most common symptom of diarrhoea is irregular bowel movement. Dogs tend to poop more frequently but in less quantity. And because there is a decrease in the body’s water and electrolyte absorption during diarrhoea, dogs’ poops tend to be watery.

Dogs’ natural excrement colour is chocolate brown. But when they experience certain ailments such as diarrhoea, they could appear green, yellow, grey, or even black. Sometimes, there would also be droplets of blood and some sort of white specks. 

Diarrhoea can cause great discomfort in dogs. This is why they also develop lethargy, lack of appetite, increased sleeping time, whimpering, and unruly behaviour.

How do you treat diarrhoea in dogs?

The first thing that you should do if your dogs have diarrhoea is to keep them hydrated. Chances are they are expelling all the fluids in their body which might worsen their condition. Aside from this, you should also make them switch to bland foods such as chicken, rice, and oatmeal as they’re easily digestible.

Introducing your dogs to probiotic-based digestive supplements can both treat and prevent diarrhoea. Probiotics are good bacteria that help the stomach’s natural acid and enzymes in breaking down food. 

Not only do these probiotic supplements aid dogs’ digestion, but they also ensure that the essential nutrients in the food will be properly absorbed by the body, thus, making our dog healthier and stronger.

Pumpkin is also a great natural remedy for diarrhoea because it’s rich in dietary fibre. It’s also easy to prepare compared to other home remedies since you’d only need to mash or make a puree out of it.

Adding dietary fibre to your dogs’ everyday eating routine can also prevent diarrhoea. Sure enough, you can’t feed them pumpkins every day, but you can give them dog chews which contain fibre. 

Besides fibre, some nutritional dog chews also contain Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Iron, and Manganese, which are all essential in boosting your dogs’ immunity.

Your dog’s poops will tell so much about their health status. As a responsible dog owner, you should take note of everything about your dog, even the stinkiest ones!