Diarrhea is a common disease that varies in duration and frequency from dog to dog. Diarrhea is a sign that your dog has eaten something wrong such as too much grass. That specific food cannot digest in the gut and causes diarrhea in the dog. Dog’s jaws are strong enough for crushing and tearing the food. Salivary enzymes help to kill bacteria; therefore, they can tolerate those foods that are not digested by humans. Food travels rapidly down the dog’s esophagus and enters into the stomach. Most of the digestion takes place in the stomach. Dog’s stomach acids are 3 times stronger than a human stomach, so they can digest food that the human stomach can’t digest. Diarrhea may be the result of the dog eating from the trash that upset his tummy. Dogs may have the roundworm or recent diet change can lead to diarrhea. These are the ordinary cases of diarrhea. But if any other symptom arises with diarrhea, you have to immediately check the veterinarian for this purpose. Most of the time diarrhea is treated quickly but sometimes it can be difficult to treat.
Main causes of diarrhea in dogs
Here are some common causes of diarrhea in dogs:
- Bacterial infections
- Viral infections
- Changes in dog’s diet
- Poor gut health
- Stress
- Food intolerance
- Allergies
- Parasites
- Swallowing an indigestible foreign body
Ways to stop a dog’s diarrhea naturally
There are some simple ways to treat dog’s diarrhea. Treating diarrhea is quite simple but sometimes it is more difficult to manage it. Here are some simple steps that can help to stop your dog’s diarrhea:
Fasting
If your dog develops sudden diarrhea, you have to stop feeding him for 12 to 24 hours. You may think it’s cruel but it is very helpful to get rid of diarrhea quickly. Stop feeding and giving little amounts of water to dogs helps to clear the cause and also treat the gastrointestinal tract. Diarrhea can lead to dehydration, so you should give proper water to your dog that can balance the water level in the dog’s body. Many people give Pedialyte to their dogs to balance electrolyte in the body. If you notice improvement, you can give a small amount of broth to drink.
Pure Pumpkin
Give your dog a pure pumpkin because it is a great source of fiber and helps to treat the dog’s upset belly. Organic air-dried pumpkin is good because you have to add some water and it becomes a delicious pumpkin puree. Pumpkin is effective to treat dog’s diarrhea and has a good taste.
Probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial organisms that are used to prevent and treat many diseases including diarrhea. Probiotics provide your dog butyrate or lactic acid that are helpful to treat diarrhea. They also reduce the inflammation that is the main cause of diarrhea in dogs. Probiotics are present in the yogurt that help dogs in fast recovery. These probiotics are also found in gut flora naturally. Add some yogurt in the dog’s diet, you may also add dollops of this in the bland diet.
Bland diet
When the fasting period is over, you should take away the normal diet and replace it with boiled chicken and rice. If you use chicken in the diet, make sure it is skinless. Feed him a small amount of bland food and make sure your dog can keep the food down. You have to continue giving this diet until his stool seems better. Then, gradually introduce the normal diet to him. Moreover, you have to do this change over a period of a few days.
Check the gum
If a dog’s gum becomes pale, whitish, purple or grayish, you have to check it immediately. You can also press your fingers on his gum. In this case, the gum gets whitish and turns pink. If it takes time to return to a pinkish color then your dog needs to be seen as soon as possible.
Hydration check
To check hydration, try to lift the dog’s shoulder blade or back skin. If the skin comes back, it means that he is well hydrated. If it remains lifted for a few seconds, dogs need immediate fluids that may be given under the skin or intravenously. Dogs need as much hydration as possible because water content reduces liquid diarrhea.
Avoid human food
Do not give any spicy food because it can upset the dog’s stomach. You should also train your dog not to eat anything from the ground. While they are dogs, but proper training helps to reduce the risk of this happening.
Lots of liquid
Diarrhea can cause dehydration in the dog, so make sure your dog drinks a lot of water during diarrhea. In this condition, some dogs don’t want to drink water, you can add some flavors in the water. Chicken broth, beef broth and even rice water will be encouraged due to the flavor. You can also remove the needle of the syringe and use it to add water to his system. It will keep him hydrated.
Reintroduce regular food slowly
After the fasting period, start your dog with the bland diet that is white rice cooked with extra water. Continue to add probiotics such as yogurt into the diet. Introduce food slowly that cannot upset their tummy. Use soup and broth in the beginning because it is a gentle and smoother way to come back to the regular diet. You can also buy bone broth or soup from the stores that are effective for the dog’s health. Don’t feed soup until the diarrhea is resolved. You don’t need to worry about adult dogs because they can live many days without eating food and only drinking liquids.
Medicine
Over the counter Pepto Bismol and Imodium are the medications for diarrhea and are effective to treat the dog. Imodium helps to reduce water loss from the body. You can consult the vet that can give you instructions regarding dose quantity. There are always some side effects of the medicine, so it is better to get instructions before giving any medicine to the dog.
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