If you are a dog owner, one problem that you hope your pet will never have to suffer is dog diarrhea. Diarrhea in dogs can mean many different things, including being a symptom of a dreaded illness. So, if your dog has diarrhea, you need to know what to do so that your pet will get the right medical treatment and avoid complications.
Reasons Why Dogs Get Diarrhea
- Dogs Like To Put Anything In Their Mouths: Since dogs are animals, they generally like to pick up things with their mouths. Because of this tendency, dogs may pick up viruses, bacteria, or fungus along with whatever they find lying around on the ground, and which may cause problems, like dog diarrhea.
- Dogs Like to Interact With Other Dogs Or Other Animals: If your dog is the friendly type and loves to interact with other dogs and other kinds of pets, you shouldn’t be surprised if your pet contracts something from whoever they play with. The infection may be acquired simply from sharing feeding or water bowls.
Other Symptoms That May Accompany Diarrhea
You should observe your dog closely if you notice they have diarrhea. Here are some other symptoms that may be present along with diarrhea:
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Refusal to let itself be touched, especially in the abdomen
- Loss of appetite
- Rapid weight loss
- Vomiting
If any of these other symptoms are present, you should bring your dog to the nearest vet right away.
Diarrhea Is Not Automatically A Disease Symptom
That’s right–diarrhea could be caused by relatively simple things and is not instantly an indication of a serious illness. Some triggers of diarrhea that can easily be remedied are:
- Eating something that is not normally taken, like leftovers from your dinner table
- A sudden switch to a different kind or brand of dog food
- Being under stress, such as when a companion pet is taken away from them or moving to a different residence
- Consumption of medicines, such as antibiotics
- Allergies
However, if the diarrhea is a sudden onset symptom and none of these possible causes are present, then you may need to bring your dog to a veterinary clinic right away for appropriate action.
Dangerous Causes Of Diarrhea In Your Dog
Diarrhea can be alarming, especially if your dog is having loose stools due to the following:
- Swallowed something that could be potentially harmful, like a small toy
- Chewed on a plant or tree seedling whose sap is toxic to dogs
- Viral infection
- Bacterial infection
- Fungal infection
- Other canine illnesses, such as infestation by parasites (including worms)
If you suspect any of these may be happening to your dog, it is time to bring your pet to a qualified vet for appropriate examination and diagnosis.
How To Deal With Dog Diarrhea
If your dog is having diarrhea, you need to be sure that they won’t contaminate the surroundings or infect any member of your household (including yourself). So here are some ways you should deal with your dog who has diarrhea:
- Contain the dog in a room or cage that can easily be disinfected. This means that you should separate your dog from your household to keep them away from little children and other pets.
- Clean up diarrhea regularly and constantly. You certainly should not let loose stools simply sit around because these could infect other members of the household. It is best to dispose of these properly in the correct color of a garbage bag that is assigned to hazardous trash. You should then disinfect the places in the room or cage where the loose stools have been so that there will be no contamination of the entire place. Use a hospital-grade disinfectant for this. Disinfect your hands and arms as well with rubbing alcohol.
- Check the stools for the presence of blood, mucus, and parasites. If the stools stink a lot, this may be a crucial danger sign. So, be sure to call your dog’s vet right away and ask if the dog should be brought to the clinic immediately.
- Has your dog confined in the veterinary hospital or clinic if the vet thinks that the dog has to be observed closely? Remember, your vet is probably the best person to recommend confinement because there may be danger signs that you are not aware of but have already been manifested by your dog.
Diagnostic Procedures To Be Done By The Vet On Your Dog
As the human owner of the patient, you will be asked by the vet about your dog. One common question is whether the dog has been vaccinated or received any veterinary treatment recently.
If the vet is your dog’s regular vet, then they may refer to their records about your pooch. If it is a different vet or a new one, you may have to bring along your dog’s veterinary records for easy consultation.
The vet will ask you to describe what you have observed about your dog. The vet will then conduct a physical check-up on your canine. They may require lab tests to be done, as well.
If there were previous veterinary tests done on your dog but of which you have no records, you should advise the vet about those and the results of the veterinary treatment at that time. These will help the vet to narrow down the possible causes of your dog’s diarrhea.
Conclusion
Responsible pet owners will always be alarmed when their beloved pets suddenly start experiencing diarrhea. Although your immediate instinct is to rush your dog to the nearest veterinary clinic or hospital, you should try to figure out first what happened in your home that may have caused your pet to suddenly develop a case of diarrhea.
Observe the dog closely for a few minutes, just to see what other symptoms are present. If you are still unsure what happened to make your dog have diarrhea, then it is really time to bring your pet to a competent vet for diagnosis and treatment.