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The straight poop on doggie diarreah

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After returning home from vacation recently to discover both of my dachshunds had diarrhea, I realized that, although it is an unpleasant subject, doggie diarrhea is something all pet owners have had to deal with at some point. It's also a confusing subject that raises many questions for pet owners about how to best care for their sick pets. What causes diarrhea in dogs? How is it treated? When should you call the vet? Because of this, I thought it was a subject worth discussing.

Causes

There are a million different reasons why dogs get diarrhea and it's impossible to list all of them. The most common reason, however, is that your dog ate something that they should not have. Let's face it - dogs are scavengers and seem to find a million things to eat that they should not, so, eventually, something is bound to disagree with them. Other common causes of diarrhea include food intolerance and intestinal parasites, like giardia. And some dogs, such as my own, even get "emotional diarrhea" from any sort of change, such as going to the vet.

Treatment

If your dog is suffering from diarrhea, the first thing you need to do is withhold food for 24 hours to help their GI tract take a break. Diarrhea can lead to dehydration, so it's important to make sure that your pet is still drinking a lot of water. After withholding food for 24 hours, only offer your pet a few small, bland meals for a couple days. Rice, boiled drained hamburger, and boiled skin-less chicken - and lots of water! - are good meal choices to help get your dog back to normal. After a couple days of bland food, slowly reintroduce your pet's normal food and gradually switch them back to their regular diet. It's important to go slow with this process as suddenly switching your dog back over to his regular food can upset his stomach and set you right back to step one again.

When to Call the Vet

Many veterinarians claim that the most common concern they hear from pet owners is that their dog has diarrhea. Even at the shelter, the smallest hint of diarrhea in the shelter dogs can send volunteer dog walkers into a panic. First of all, if your dog is experiencing diarrhea, stay calm! Diarrhea is incredibly common and almost every case will clear up on its own without seeing a veterinarian just by following the simple steps above.

If the above steps do not help, however, and your dog's diarrhea persists for more than 48 hours, call your veterinarian. Other signs to look for are black or bloody stool, frequent vomiting, abdominal pain, and lethargy. Of course, nobody knows your dog better than you, so if you suspect there's something wrong beyond a normal upset stomach, don't wait the 48 hours for the diarrhea to clear up on its own - go the vet immediately.

Chronic Diarrhea

If your pet suffers from diarrhea off and on for a period of three weeks or more, it's time to talk to your vet. While simple things, such as changing your pet's food, can lead to diarrhea in pets, persistent diarrhea could be a sign of something else, such as an infection. Your vet will give your dog an exam and run tests to help determine the underlying cause of your pet's diarrhea.

Bottom line: all dogs get diarrhea at some point and, a majority of the time, these cases are simple enough to treat at home with a bland diet and lots of water. The key to helping your dog is to watch for any other changes that may indicate problems beyond an upset stomach and take your pet to the vet as soon as possible if problems persist or worsen.

Alaina Goodnough is the Promotions Coordinator at Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, NH. She lives in Sanford, ME with two parrots, two cats, a bearded dragon, and two dachshunds. She can be reached at CVHS at devassist@cvhsonline.org. To learn more about Cocheco Valley Humane Society, go to www.cvhsonline.org or call 603-749-5322

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