If you have a dog with diarrhea, his diet should be significantly changed. A case of acute diarrhea may be treated at home, while chronic diarrhea should be taken to the vet.
Acute diarrhea may last for 2 to 5 days. The dog with diarrhea is dehydrated and lacks energy.
Causes of Diarrhea
Dogs eat a lot of things they shouldn't (i.e. rocks, wood) and many of these can cause diarrhea. Diarrhea is the body's response to toxins that don't agree with the dog and the toxins will be eliminated through a softer stool that may also have a different color than usual.
If your dog has certain parasites, these may cause nausea and diarrhea.
Certain food allergies may also result in diarrhea.
Dietary Considerations to Treat Dog Diarrhea
If your dog has acute diarrhea due to something he's eaten, you will have to watch his diet.
First of all, make sure your dog eats less, but not less than half of his normal portion. You can cook some food for your dog (home cooked food does not contain additives and preservatives which can harm a dog with diarrhea); a bland mixture should agree with his system. Put some lean meat in the mixture and some rice. You can also feed your dog some boiled potatoes. Avoid any raw foods.
It is also recommended to add a probiotic powder in your dog's food. You can get it at a pet health store. You can also get some pet food that contains probiotics.
Canned pumpkin contains a lot of fibers and this can be a good medicine to cure dog diarrhea. However, some dogs refuse to eat pumpkin.
Keep your dog on this diet for a couple of days and the stool should become normal. If this doesn't happen, go to the vet, as there might be a parasite that is causing the diarrhea. Giardia, the roundworm, coccidia are just a few of the parasites that can cause diarrhea.
Hydration Is Key
Diarrhea causes dehydration. In puppies, the dehydration is serious and may be even fatal. Keep your dog hydrated. Change the water bowl several times a day, to make sure the water is fresh and clean and doesn't contain bacteria that can cause diarrhea.
Additional Supplements and Formulas for Diarrhea
In addition to the diet, you might also want to help the healing with gastriplex, which is a formula that helps the intestinal transit. Try some supplements of fibers, which help the digestion and also absorb the toxins. Digestive enzymes are also beneficial in cases of dogs with diarrhea.
Alarming Symptoms Associated with Diarrhea
If your dog has diarrhea, vomits, is lethargic, has abdominal pain, fever or blood in the stool, something is wrong. Also, if the diarrhea lasts for more than a week, that is not a good sign. The diarrhea might be just a symptom of a more severe illness. In this case, the home treatment is not sufficient to heal your dog. Get proper care from your vet.