Each owner at least once encountered diarrhea in a dog. After all, animals, like humans, are very susceptible to intestinal upsets and food poisoning. Temporary stools can occur due to inappropriate food, overeating, and even stress. But sometimes the diarrhea is delayed, the bowel movements acquire an unusual color, and the well-being of the animal worsens sharply. In such cases, it is necessary to establish the exact cause of diarrhea in the dog. Treatment and first aid should not be delayed. How to alleviate the condition of the pet? And in what cases is it necessary to contact a veterinarian? We will answer these questions in the article.
What you need to pay attention to
If diarrhea occurs, you need to look at the condition of the pet. Attention should be paid to the following manifestations:
- stool frequency;
- general well-being of the dog;
- the presence of nausea and vomiting;
- color and consistency of feces;
- impurities in the stool;
- the relationship of diarrhea with the use of a particular product.
If stool disorders often recur, then the body temperature of the animal should be measured. Fever may indicate the presence of an infectious process in the intestines or other organs.
Often with the appearance of diarrhea, the owners give their pets antidiarrheals, for example, Loperamide (Imodium). In no case should this be done. Such drugs are used only for diagnosed colitis as directed by a veterinarian. If diarrhea is caused by other causes, then diarrhea pills can cause serious harm to the animal’s health.
Next, we will examine in detail the causes and treatment of diarrhea in dogs, depending on the color of feces and the accompanying symptoms.
Uncomplicated Diarrhea
There are times when a dog suddenly has quickened stools. The color of the stool does not change, but its consistency becomes more fluid than usual. In this case, the dog is not disturbed and no other signs of ill health are observed. This type of diarrhea is called by veterinarians uncomplicated diarrhea.
Eating the wrong food is the most common cause of diarrhea in a dog. Treatment and medication for uncomplicated diarrhea is not always required. Sometimes it’s enough to revise your pet’s diet. The following reasons can provoke the appearance of diarrhea against the background of normal health:
- the use of prepared food of poor quality;
- binge eating;
- a sharp change in the brand of dry food or canned food;
- the transition from natural food to industrial feed;
- allergic reaction to food components.
It must be remembered what exactly the dog ate before the onset of intestinal upset. If any product seems suspicious to you, then it is better to exclude it from the menu. If the animal overeated on the eve of diarrhea, then it is necessary to reduce portions of food or increase the intervals between feedings.
Most often, after normalization of nutrition, uncomplicated diarrhea stops. If diarrhea persists for 3-4 days, then you need to show the pet to a specialist. It is necessary to completely stop feeding a day before visiting the veterinarian. The dog can only be given clean water to drink.
It is important to remember that infection with worms is a fairly common cause of diarrhea in a dog. The treatment and prevention of helminthiases should be handled by a veterinarian. The anthelmintic drug is selected according to the analysis of the type of parasite. Usually, diarrhea against the background of normal health is observed in the initial stages of helminth infestation.
Vomiting with diarrhea
If diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting, then the situation is much more serious than with uncomplicated diarrhea. It is necessary to pay attention to the nature of the vomit. If they contain mucus and particles of undigested food, then, most likely, nausea is provoked by malnutrition or poisoning by stale food.
If vomiting with diarrhea occurs no more than 2 times a day, then this is not always a sign of a serious illness. Such symptoms can be triggered by random causes:
- overeating;
- eating too fatty or indigestible food;
- taking stale food;
- a sharp change in feed or type of food.
In such cases, the following measures must be taken:
- Stop feeding the dog. The hunger period should last about 24 hours. Allowed only to water the animal with clean water.
- If the dog ate stale food, then you can give enterosorbent: Polysorb or Enterosgel. This will help remove toxins from the body.
- If the pet whines due to abdominal pain, then "Nosh-pa" or "Papaverine" will help to eliminate cramping.
- When overeating, it is useful to give your pet the drug Pancreatin. This product contains pancreatic enzymes. It stimulates the digestive process.
In the future, it is necessary to review the dog's diet, eliminate fatty and difficult to digest foods and avoid overeating. The introduction of new types of food and prepared food into the diet should be gradual and careful.
If vomiting and diarrhea do not stop and last more than two days, then you must show the pet to a specialist. This may be due to severe food poisoning. In a veterinary clinic, the animal will be detoxified and droppers will be delivered with saline solutions. At the pre-medical stage, you can give the dog only enterosorbents and drugs for intestinal cramps.
Dyspeptic disorders are not always associated with the use of inappropriate or poor-quality food. Other causes of vomiting and diarrhea in dogs are possible:
- The ingress of a foreign body into the digestive tract. Dogs can accidentally swallow small items with food. In this case, persistent vomiting with an admixture of foam and diarrhea is noted. You can remove a foreign body only in a veterinary clinic. Contacting a specialist should be immediate, otherwise a foreign object may completely clog the lumen of the esophagus or intestines.
- Helminthiasis. With helminthic infestations, vomiting occurs after eating. Infection with parasites is accompanied by a sharp and unreasonable weight loss of the animal. In these cases, it is necessary to determine the type of parasite and undergo a course of deworming. Before visiting a doctor, you can give the dog only enterosorbents, this can remove worm toxins from the body.
Diarrhea and vomiting in viral infections
If nausea and diarrhea are accompanied by lethargy, refusal to eat and a deterioration in overall well-being, it is necessary to measure body temperature. After all, dyspeptic symptoms are often noted with dangerous infections. A possible pathology can be indicated by both fever and too low a temperature. Gastrointestinal disorders can be a sign of the following viral diseases:
- Plague (parvovirus enteritis). This dangerous infection most often infects puppies and young animals. There is severe diarrhea with a very offensive odor and vomiting of foam. Mucous or cloudy discharge comes from the dog’s nose and eyes. The pet refuses food, becomes lethargic and lethargic. With this pathology, the temperature does not increase, but falls below the norm. Without treatment, the plague often leads to the death of the dog.
- Rotavirus infection. This disease can occur in dogs at any age. Rotavirus infection is accompanied by intermittent fever, a rise in temperature is followed by a decline. Diarrhea and profuse vomiting appear. Feces are watery, with a mucous admixture.
- Adenovirus infection. This virus infects the liver and leads to hepatitis. The animal develops diarrhea and vomiting, and urine becomes dark. Body temperature rises to +40 degrees. The dog's eyes become cloudy, there is an increased sensitivity to light. In the later stages of the disease, bloating occurs due to an enlarged liver.
- Coronavirus. At the initial stage of the disease, the dog becomes lethargic and lethargic. Then there is a sharp rise in temperature to +41 degrees. Severe diarrhea and indomitable vomiting are noted. The feces first become mushy, and then watery with a very unpleasant odor.
All viral infections require qualified veterinary treatment. At home, getting rid of them is impossible. Therefore, a sick pet needs to be urgently shown to a specialist. Antibiotics should not be given to the dog on its own; these drugs are not effective for viruses. You should try to water the animal more often, as vomiting with diarrhea leads to dangerous dehydration.
Bloody admixture
The appearance of red blood in the feces indicates a serious disadvantage in the body. An admixture of red indicates bleeding from the lower intestines. It is very difficult to independently determine the cause of bloody diarrhea in a dog. Treatment and diagnosis of pathology can only be done by a veterinarian.
Diarrhea with bleeding from the intestine can occur with the following pathologies:
- trauma to the walls of the digestive tract with swallowed sharp objects;
- chumke;
- atypical form of rabies;
- intestinal infections;
- leptospirosis;
- tumors of the lower intestines;
- infection by worms.
Often, owners give their pets human medications without the appointment of a veterinarian. This can also cause diarrhea in the dog. Treatment and diagnosis of such conditions is carried out in a veterinary clinic. Immediately stop giving the dog medications intended for humans. Most often, non-steroidal painkillers (Ibuprofen) and antipyretics based on acetylsalicylic acid provoke bleeding.
You should not deal with the treatment of bloody diarrhea in a dog yourself. The causes and nature of the pathology can only be established with the help of a diagnostic examination. You must bring your pet to the vet as soon as possible.
It should be remembered that some products can stain feces in a reddish or orange hue. Often, pet owners accept this stool color for diarrhea with blood in a dog. The reason for staining red feces may be the use of beets or carrots. These vegetables have laxative properties and can cause diarrhea.
Stool black
There are times when the animals appear tarry stool. This is a very dangerous sign. Gastrointestinal bleeding is the most common cause of black diarrhea in a dog. Treatment and first aid should be provided as soon as possible, as this condition can lead to the death of the pet.
When bleeding from the stomach and upper intestines, feces have the appearance of a black sticky mass with a specific smell. They consist of blood digested by enzymes. Veterinarians call this type of diarrhea melena. When the stomach is affected, diarrhea is accompanied by dark vomiting.
Black diarrhea appears with the following pathologies of the stomach and duodenum:
- ulcerative processes;
- malignant tumors;
- damage to the upper intestines by worms.
At home, it is impossible to stop the bleeding. It is urgent to call an emergency veterinary aid or deliver the animal to the clinic. At the pre-medical stage, the following measures must be taken:
- Do not feed or drink the dog.
- Provide the pet with complete peace.
- Apply a cold compress to the abdomen.
- Introduce intramuscularly or subcutaneously hemostatic drugs: "Zantac" or "Vikasol."
When bleeding from the stomach or intestines, it is strictly forbidden to put enemas.
There are more harmless reasons for the appearance of bowel movements in black. Activated carbon, which is used as an enterosorbent for diarrhea, gives feces this color. If the dog did not take such drugs, then the black color of feces is a warning sign.
Yellow stool
The bile pigment, bilirubin, gives the yellow color to feces. Normally, this substance moves along the digestive tract along with a food lump. Bilirubin is exposed to enzymes and is converted to stercobilin, which gives the feces a brown color.
With various pathologies, the process of passage of food through the digestive tract is accelerated. Bilirubin does not have time to turn into sterkobilin, and feces acquire a yellowish color. Stool staining can also be observed with liver pathologies, accompanied by an increase in the level of bile pigments in the blood.
The following diseases can cause yellow diarrhea in a dog:
- food intoxication;
- plague;
- hepatitis;
- pancreatitis
- gallbladder disease;
- indigestion.
Sometimes this type of diarrhea is observed with an excess of fat in the diet. It is especially undesirable for a dog to use butter and cottage cheese of high fat content.
If yellow diarrhea is provoked by improper nutrition or poisoning, but the dog feels satisfactory, then a hungry day should be arranged. During the day, the pet can only drink water. Enterosorbents must also be used to remove toxins. After the diarrhea stops, you can give the dog rice broth. Within 3 days after the disappearance of diarrhea, a sparing diet with the exception of fatty foods is necessary.
If diarrhea lasts more than a day, then you need to visit a veterinarian. An emergency call to the doctor is necessary if the pet's health worsens, her body temperature drops, and the fetid smell of feces. This is how parvovirus enteritis manifests itself.
Green diarrhea
The green color of feces indicates the processes of decay and fermentation in the intestine. This color stool give bacteria. Diarrhea is accompanied by increased gas formation and bloating. Most often, such symptoms are noted with the following pathologies:
- food poisoning;
- intestinal infections;
- chronic diseases of the digestive tract.
The exact cause of green diarrhea can only be determined by a diagnostic examination. The dog must be shown to the veterinarian. Before visiting a doctor, you can give your pet enterosorbents, they will slightly reduce gas formation and remove putrefactive toxins. From the dog's diet, it is necessary to exclude vegetable and sweet foods.
Long-term antibiotic treatment can also lead to green diarrhea. These drugs destroy pathogenic bacteria, but can provoke putrefactive processes in the intestine. Stool normalizes after antibiotic therapy is completed.
Intestinal diarrhea in a dog can also be caused by intestinal dysbiosis. This pathology is accompanied by a decrease in the number of beneficial bacteria and the activation of harmful microbes. In this case, the feces acquire a greenish color. This color of stool is due to the presence of pathogenic microflora. Treatment of dysbiosis is carried out using probiotics. It is recommended to include fermented milk products in the diet.
Mucous admixture
The cause of diarrhea with mucus in a dog is irritation and inflammation of the intestinal wall. This can be noted with a variety of diseases. Normally, a small amount of mucus is constantly formed in the intestines. This substance has a protective function. However, if mucous secretions are produced in increased quantities and excreted in the feces, then this may be a sign of the following diseases and conditions:
- colitis;
- dysbiosis;
- food allergies;
- food poisoning;
- helminthic invasion;
- intestinal infections;
- side effects of drugs for vaccination.
If you experience diarrhea with mucus, you should follow a starvation diet for 12 to 24 hours. If diarrhea does not stop, then you should visit a veterinarian and undergo a diagnostic examination.
Fecal discoloration
If the dog has white diarrhea , then most often this indicates the absence of bilirubin in the feces. This is due to blockage of the bile duct with stones. Pathology is accompanied by yellowing of the proteins of the eyes and oral mucosa. Obstructive jaundice is a dangerous condition requiring surgical treatment.
Another cause of white diarrhea can be lipid indigestion. In this case, the feces become shiny and greasy. Such symptoms are observed in diseases of the liver and pancreatitis. It is impossible to cure such pathologies at home. It is necessary to completely eliminate fatty foods from the dog's diet and consult a veterinarian.
Prevention
How to prevent diarrhea in pets? Veterinary experts advise you to adhere to the following recommendations:
- It is necessary to monitor the quality of products intended for feeding the dog.
- New types of feed and natural foods need to be introduced into the diet gradually.
- Regularly deworm the animal.
- It is necessary to forbid the dog to pick up leftover food from the ground while walking.
- It is very important to vaccinate a pet in time against viral and bacterial infections.
- During feeding, make sure that the pet does not overeat.
Following these preventative measures will help minimize the risk of gastrointestinal upsets in dogs.