Last week I fed my dog, Case, some cooked ground beef along with his regular food because it was too much for Justin and me to finish and because I hate wasting food. The plan back-fired however, because it must have not agreed with him and I have spent a lot of time cleaning up after him since. First, he threw up twice and then had issues from…the other end of his digestive tract. I figured it would pass quickly so I regret not researching right away about what to do when your dog has diarrhea, although I did already have some knowledge of how to handle it. I have now remedied that and for future reference, here are the general recommendations.
Call the vet immediately if your dog is very young, very old, or otherwise weakened. If your pet is healthy then feel free to try these at-home remedies, as most cases of diarrhea will resolve themselves.
Fast your dog for 12 to 24 hours especially if they are throwing up. This will help to clear out their stomach and reset the microflora in their digestive tract.
Begin feeding small meals of a bland diet. Most commonly this consists of boiled white rice and skinless chicken breast. You can also feed them other lean proteins, boiled potatoes with the skin removed, and pumpkin puree (not pie filling). If they can tolerate dairy products, you may also give them some plain yogurt which has probiotics in it that can aid in balancing the bacteria in their gut.
Make sure they get plenty of water. One of the major concerns of diarrhea is the risk of dehydration. You can encourage the intake of liquids and supplement them with electrolytes by giving them rice water, diluted chicken or beef broth, and even Pedialyte. A rough way to assess dehydration is by “tenting” or pinching the skin between the dog’s shoulder blades or on the back of their neck. If the skin immediately goes back into position they are probably getting enough water. If the skin remains in a pinched position before settling back down this is a sign of dehydration.
If the diarrhea lasts for more than 24 to 48 hours or you begin to see other symptoms call the vet immediately. If the diarrhea persists you run into a greater risk of dehydration. Also, if your dog starts to exhibit lethargy or there is a significant amount of blood in their stool or any other symptom that seems very unusual to you, it could be a sign of something more serious.
If you do a quick google search there will be some more tricks you can try and tips on how to assess your dog’s stool (always fun!). Just try to stick with somewhat reputable sources such as PetMD or the American Kennel Club. The sources vary slightly in their advice, but the overall message is the same.
Now this may be a case of do as I say and not as I do because, although it has been about 4 days since Case started showing signs of diarrhea, I still have not taken him to the vet (I have been feeding him chicken and rice, which he happens to love). He is acting otherwise normal, shows no signs of dehydration, and seems to have an improved consistency of stool within the last couple of days. I would rather not take him to the vet unless I feel that it is necessary and I believe that I have a strong enough background in Animal Science to determine this. However, if he is not showing significant improvement by tomorrow you can be sure we’ll be taking a trip to the vet to get some antibiotics and probiotics. In the end it’s better to be safe than sorry! And that’s the key for dealing with any situation like this. If you are unsure or uncomfortable with any symptoms your dog has please seek advice from a professional.
Life with Animals 