Canine diarrhea may be acute or chronic. The acute diarrhea is easily treated with proper diet; however the chronic canine diarrhea will need more attention and specific treatment. Dewormers may be an effective treatment for diarrhea only in certain cases.
Dewormers as a Canine Diarrhea Remedy
Acute diarrhea may be a result of a food allergy or something toxic your dog ate. The diarrhea is a cleansing process of the body and may be treated by changing the dog's diet for a few days and helping him eliminate the toxins in the body.
On the other hand, your dog's diarrhea may be caused by parasites. In this case medication will be needed to kill the parasites. Once the parasites are gone, the diarrhea will stop.
After analyzing a stool sample, a vet will be able to tell whether your dog has parasites. The suggested drugs to eliminate parasites are dewormers.
The most common dewormer is called Drontal and is a very effective medicine with little or no side-effects. In rare cases, Drontal causes nausea and vomiting-especially in puppies. The treatment will last for up to 2 weeks or until the parasites are gone; however the diarrhea should stop after a few days of treatment.
The deworming medication may be more effective to stop diarrhea when the dog's diet is modified. Home cooked meals may speed up the healing process and prevent further dehydration.
Common Parasites that Cause Diarrhea
A lot of dog parasites cause chronic diarrhea. The most frequent are the hookworms, the tapeworms, the roundworms, the Giardia and the coccidia.
These parasites reside in the pet's lower intestine and some feed on the food residues in the intestine or even the blood of the dog (i.e. the hookworms). Being in the lower intestine, the worms cause irritation in the area and very often they cause diarrhea.
Other Symptoms of Parasites
Unlike acute diarrhea, the chronic diarrhea caused by parasites will be accompanied by other symptoms. If you want to establish whether your dog suffers from diarrhea caused by parasites, look out for other parasite symptoms.
The diarrhea will be accompanied by vomiting, fever, lethargy, weight loss, lack of appetite, anemia, depression, worms or worm segments in the stool and even blood and mucus in the stool.
Parasites in puppies can have more severe consequences, so make sure to get help in time. Puppies may get IVs to treat the dehydration and may be kept under strict surveillance.
Diarrhea may be a health danger, causing dehydration and even anemia. Dewormers can help to eliminate diarrhea in dogs that have intestinal parasites. Make sure to provide fresh and clean water to your pet suffering from diarrhea, to make sure he gets hydrated.
A lot of vets prescribe dewormers once in three months for healthy dogs to prevent the occurrence of parasites and the health risks associated with these.
Keep an eye on your pet's hygiene to avoid infestation with parasites.
Some parasites are contagious and may be transmitted to humans. Having a dog that is free of parasites guarantees you're free of parasites too.