Diarrhea

Diarrhea occurs when food travels through the digestive system too quickly, resulting in insufficient moisture being absorbed. Usually the intestines become irritated and inflamed.

Pets are prone to diarrhea if they become stressed or have a sudden change in their diet or from medications. It can also be caused by intestinal parasites, viral and bacterial infections.

Symptoms

Always be on the lookout for worms. Tapeworm will look like rice and roundworm will look like spaghetti strands. Whipworm and hookworm are microscopic. If blood is present (black tarry stool) or very frequent occurrences accompanied by signs of illness, seek the help of your veterinarian. Bright red blood in the stool is less cause for concern unless it is continuous.

Treatment

Whatever the cause, the first thing you need to do is to give the intestines a rest and a chance to recover. If your dog experiences mild diarrhea and shows no other symptoms, you can give Imodium AD and keep the diet bland avoiding fat. Feed you dog lean meat, cooked rice, hard cooked egg, yogurt or cottage cheese. If you are concerned about dehydration (indicated by dry sticky gums or gums that, when pressed with your finger, do not return to pink in two seconds), you can add Pedialyte to your dog’s water. If your dog shows no improvement in 24 hours, call your veterinarian.