How to deal with Diarrhoea in Dogs

How best to deal with the inevitable episode of diarrhoea in dogs.

Dogs experiencing diarrhoea is a common occurrence. It is certainly not a nice thing to have to go through but as a dog owner you are pretty sure to encounter it at some point!

Diarrhoea can be caused by all manner of things from eating something it shouldn't have to a change from regular to a new diet or poor quality food , foraging in bins or receiving left overs to cleaning out the BBQ grease trap! It can also be caused by allergies, parasites, virus and bacteria, medication, stress and anxiety. No matter what causes diarrhoea in your dog it can often be quite serious.

Symptoms to look out for are; 

• Fever
• Lethargy
• Malaise
• Loss of appetite
• Dehydration
• Straining - this however can look like constipation if you see straining with nothing happening, chances are you may not have seen the previous bowel evacuations but the urge is still there.

Some bouts of diarrhoea can self cure after a day or so. Some dogs will be more at risk, however, puppies and senior dogs can become very sick, very quickly so will need to be kept a constant eye on and possibly monitored by a vet. More serious signs to look out for are blood in the stools and weakness or regular recurrence of diarrhoea bouts. When you go to the vets for your consultation take a sample of the stool no matter how watery it is as they may need to send it away for testing.

If you are concerned about your dog's health consult your vet for advise as soon as possible.