Dog Diarrhea: How To Identify, Diagnose, and Treat It
Most pet parents are familiar with dog diarrhea. The condition is defined as passing loose or liquid stools in large amounts or more often than usual.
Diarrhea is not a disease but a symptom of many different diseases. Your veterinarian needs to find the underlying cause of your dog’s diarrhea to figure out the prognosis and the right treatment plan.
Diarrhea is a common issue in dogs. Your pet’s loose stool can be caused when they eat something abnormal or by something more concerning, such as a viral disease or toxin.
No matter why your dog has diarrhea, you want to know how the condition can be stopped, and whether you should rush them to the veterinarian or keep an eye on their condition at home.
Here’s everything you need to know about dog diarrhea.
Types of Dog Diarrhea
Although you likely find your dog’s diarrhea smelly and gross, your veterinarian will want to know the details to understand what’s going on. Veterinarians put dog diarrhea into four categories:
Osmotic diarrhea—Osmotic diarrhea happens when water moves into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, creating a large volume of fluid feces. A high-fat meal or lactose intolerance can cause osmotic diarrhea. With this diarrhea type, pet owners would see extremely loose, watery bowel movements. Fasting typically helps improve osmotic diarrhea.
Secretory diarrhea—Secretory diarrhea occurs when the GI tract makes too many secretions; it can be caused by certain bacterial toxins and viruses. With this diarrhea type, pet owners would see abundant amounts of watery feces. Fasting typically doesn’t improve secretory diarrhea.
Exudative diarrhea—Exudative diarrhea happens when the GI lining is damaged. Ulcerative colitis and certain autoimmune diseases can cause this diarrhea type. With this diarrhea type, pet owners can expect to see mucus and/or blood in the feces.
Rapid intestinal transit diarrhea—This diarrhea type occurs when a dog’s colon squeezes more intensely than normal, causing the material inside to pass quickly through the GI tract. Rapid intestinal transit diarrhea results in watery feces.
Is Dog Diarrhea an Emergency?
If your dog has diarrhea once and seems otherwise happy and healthy, you can likely watch their condition at home.
However, seek veterinary care if your dog’s diarrhea doesn’t clear up within 24 to 48 hours or if it occurs off and on for several days or weeks.
Causes of Dog Diarrhea
Dog diarrhea can be caused by many issues. Common ones include:
Dietary indiscretion—Eating trash or foods meant for people can cause a dog to develop diarrhea.
Toxin ingestion—Pet toxins, such as chocolate, alcohol, and certain essential oils, can cause upset stomach in dogs, including diarrhea.
Foreign body ingestion—Some dogs tend to eat foreign objects, such as rocks and socks, which can lead to diarrhea.
Switching foods—Suddenly changing your dog’s food can cause GI upset.
Internal parasites—Internal parasites, such as giardia, coccidia, hookworms, roundworms, or whipworms, can cause diarrhea. Keeping your dog on heartworm prevention medication may help prevent some of these parasites.
Infection—Bacterial and viral infections, such as parvovirus, canine distemper, or salmonella, can lead to GI upset, including diarrhea.
Allergies—Food allergies most commonly cause skin itchiness in dogs, but they can also lead to diarrhea.
Cancer—Cancer affecting the GI tract can lead to diarrhea.
Inflammation (swelling)— Conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can cause GI upset.
Pancreatitis—Inflammation of the pancreas can lead to diarrhea.
Medication—Diarrhea can be a side effect of certain medications.
Organ dysfunction—Kidney or liver disease can lead to GI upset.
Stress—Stressful events, such as a veterinary visit or adopting a new pet, can cause your dog to develop diarrhea.
