Puppy Diarrhea: What Should I Do?
Poop. Yeah, I said it. It sucks to deal with, especially when it’s not your own. Luckily, for most dog owners the problem’s pretty simple – you’ve got the plastic baggies, the handy little dispenser for when your dog goes walkies, and usually your dog can take care of it on his own when he’s let outside.
However, what happens when your puppy gets the runs? Puppy diarrhea is smelly, messy and worrisome. The reasons for your dog’s diarrhea are just as varied as the number of things you can do about it – read on to learn more about this unfortunate and odorous affliction.
Super Quick Video Rundown: How to Treat Diarrhea in Pups
What’s the Cause of Puppy Diarrhea?
As with most aspects of dog life, puppy diarrhea can be caused by a number of things. Food is the most natural and obvious source; your dog might have a food intolerance to something it’s eating, or even just a natural change in diet can lead to a little indigestion and stool problems.
Spoiled food or something eaten out of the garbage could lead to diarrhea – just anytime the dog eats something they’re not supposed to. Simple stress can lead to diarrhea as well.
However, there are a few other things it could mean. Your dog might have diarrhea as the result of an allergy to something it ate, or it might have an infection or virus.
Roundworms can also bring about diarrhea in dogs, as well as live or kidney disease. Often, some digestive cancers can lead to the development of tumors that disrupt the digestive tract enough to bring about diarrhea.
Which Dogs Get Diarrhea More Often?
The ASPCA notes that German shepherds, for instance, are much more likely to get diarrhea than some other dogs.
This is due to having a higher likelihood of developing exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), which is where your dog’s pancreas cannot develop the digestive enzymes in sufficient amounts to digest food.
Another breed that gets diarrhea more often is the Bernese mountain dog – due to their higher chance of developing gastrointestinal cancers, diarrhea can act as a symptom of that. Also, the younger the dog is, the more likely it will develop diarrhea due to infections and parasites.
General Diarrhea Symptoms in Dogs
When looking for diarrhea in your puppy, there are a few things you should look out for. Your dog’s stool will be much looser and more liquidy than normal, and your dog will want to go much more often. Your dog will be more….how do you say…farty than normal, so have fun with that!
Diarrhea usually takes this form and can be pretty innocuous, but be sure to look out for more severe symptoms in your pup. These include developing a fever, vomiting, a loss of appetite and weight, and dehydration.
Also, if your happen to see mucus or blood in your dog’s stool, that might be an indicator that something else is going on, and you’ll want to take him to your vet.
Puppy Diarrhea Treatments & Remedies
If you’ve got a dog suffering from diarrhea, it’s advised by vets and organizations like the ASPCA that you avoid giving you dog food for about 12 to 24 hours, to just make sure they get whatever’s in their system out.
Also, ensure that you’re keeping your dog hydrated with clean water, since that can be a problem with puppies experiencing diarrhea. In the event your dog is still experiencing diarrhea even after that, you can feel free to take him to the vet.
Preventing diarrhea is also simple, and just involves ting a few precautions. First of all, make sure your dog is current with their vaccinations, so they don’t catch a bad virus. Keep your dog out of reach of spoiled food and the garbage, and try to lower stress levels for him as much as possible. Of course, as in all things, follow your vet’s recommendations as well.
If you follow these steps and more, you’ll be sure to have a happy, healthy poopy puppy!