Causes and Treatment of Dog Diarrhea

Above photo courtesy of Laurie Extreme Chinese Crested Puppies

A very common affliction in the canine world is "diarrhea." If you have lived with dogs any length of time in your life you will come across this affliction.

Some of the causes of dog diarrhea include:

• Eating too much, eating garbage or spoiled food
• Change in dog food
• Intolerant of food you are feeding
• Allergies
• Parasites
• Poisonous substances such as poison plants
• Bacteria infections
• An underlying illness such as kidney or liver disease
• Medications you are giving
• Stress and/or emotional upset (simple changes in environment can trigger an episode of stomach upset and diarrhea

Many dog diarrhea episodes are mild and can be treated with home remedies. Some of these home remedies include:

• A simple fast. Withhold food for 12 to 24 hours, providing water in small amounts. Introduce food slowly after a fast and start with binders such as rice and water. Boil a high-quality rice in a lot of water, remove the grains and feed your dog the creamy white soup that is leftover. Try putting in a little broth or baby food to make it tastier.
• This may sound odd but even plain canned pumpkin (not prepared pie filing) is effective to feed a dog with diarrhea.
• Yogurt with beneficial bacteria can help dogs who can tolerate milk and milk products.
• Boiled potatoes without the skin
• Cottage cheese

Not all methods work for all dogs. Once you find a method that works for your dog, stick with it. Slowly increase the portions over a period of a few days and then start to add small amounts of y our dog's regular food to get him or her back on track.

If your home remedies fail you should consult a vet and consult a vet if:

• other physical symptoms like lethargy, fever, vomiting, dry or pale gums and/or weakness.
• diarrhea that does not stop despite the same home remedies that worked for you in the past
• dehydration
• diarrhea lasting a long time like more than just a few days
• if your dog is on special medications
• if your dog is elderly, or has diabetes, Cushing's, cancer or any other medical issue