Why Does My Dog Have Diarrhea? 9 Underlying Diseases Behind Canine’s Diarrhea You Must Know!

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Dr.Alkhawaldeh

Why does my dog have diarrhea? This is an important question every dog owner should ask before it merely happens to protect and prevent any health issue that might’ve caused diarrhea. Yes, diarrhea isn’t a disease in itself. Still, it could be a sign that your pup has eaten contaminated food (or foreign object), has a bacterial or parasitical infection, bowel disease, liver disease, or worse, your dog might’ve cancer!

why-does-my-dog-have-diarrhea

Dogs’ Diarrhea: What To Look For?

There are many signs of illness, the main one you should be looking for is the presence of loose stool. This should be enough indicator of diarrhea. Take a sample of it cause your vet will expect one later.

Other signs accompanied with diarrhea could also be:

  • Weight Loss. 
  • Lethargy. 
  • Vomiting. 
  • loss of appetite. 
  • Abdominal Pain
  • Dehydration

You must take a note and write down everything odd you notice on your puppy’s stool (whether its blood presence, mucus, or soft appearance). Your vet will be appreciative as this will later help in the diagnosing process.

Also, you must be patient when diarrhea starts, and you shouldn’t be asking the question, why does my dog have diarrhea just after the first one or two incidents as sometimes it might only result from the bad response of the digestive system towards specific types of foods (like spicy foods, sugar substitutes, or milk).

Diarrhea should become a concern only when it happens in a repetitive pattern, as many different diseases might’ve caused it.

You should be worried about diarrhea when:

  • It lasts for more than one or two days. 
  • When it’s accompanied by fever. 
  • When it’s accompanied by slight dizziness. 
  • More than five loose stools in only 24 hours. 
why-does-my-dog-have-diarrhea

Why Does My Dog Have Diarrhea? What Causes Diarrhea In Dogs?

There are many reasons why your dog has diarrhea, the duration, intensity, and frequency of diarrhea are all factors that could help your vet make their mind regarding the cause.

Your pup’s diarrhea could mainly be due to one of the below reasons:

  • Your dog has a food intolerance or allergic reaction.
  • Inflammatory bowel disease.
  • Cancer or other tumors of the digestive tract.
  • Stress.
  • Ingestion of poisonous substances or plants.
  • sudden change in your dog’s diet. 
  • Dietary Indiscretion (nutritionists use this term widely to describe the randomness in food consumption, whether, in type or quantity, this could happen if your pup eats from the trash or spoiled food).
  • Your dog might’ve some kind of parasitic infection. Internal parasites, such as whipworms, roundworms, coccidia, hookworms, Giardia, and tapeworms.
  • Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis.
  • Ingestion of foreign bodies such as plastic bags, toys, or socks.
  • Colitis
  • Stress. 
  • Specific medications, such as antibiotics. 
  • Virus or bacterial infection such as E. coli, Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella, or Spirochetes.

The above reasons are the common causes of diarrhea in dogs. Nevertheless, diarrhea could be a sign of more serious concerns such as intoxication, that’s why you are obligated as a dog parent to act as quick as possible and schedule an appointment with your vet.

why-does-my-dog-have-diarrhea

How To Diagnose A Dog With Diarrhea?

The vet will first show interest in knowing your pup’s medical history once the vet has that, the next step should be to perform a set of minor tests designed to tell the vet whether it’s just diarrhea that your dog is having or is it a cause of an underlying disease.

In case that your pup’s diarrhea is severe, you should expect that the vet will do more tests just in case. These diagnostic tests can include the standard X-ray test, blood tests, DNA tests, ultrasound, or endoscopy.

Sometimes your vet might also conduct an abdominal surgery if that was thought to be a must-done.

why-does-my-dog-have-diarrhea

Treatment Of Dogs’ Diarrhea

If your pup’s diarrhea is mild, you can safely treat it at home by incorporating some new healthy food in the dog’s diet like mashed potatoes, white rice, boiled egg, oatmeal, or chicken.

If your dog was one year of age or older, you might consider withholding food for about 13 hours as it could be the help your dog’s digestive system needs to go back to the normal state.

You should also consider stopping the catch-the-ball game for a little while (or any physical activity like running or walking if that matters) as it could make diarrhea more severe.

However, this sweet home-made treatment shouldn’t eliminate the need for veterinarian help. It could just stop diarrhea, not the diseases associated with it, in case the reason behind it is an underlying illness.

why-does-my-dog-have-diarrhea

Prevention Of Dogs’ Diarrhea

Prevention is the key to protect our pets from any future harm in their life. Indeed, sometimes we can’t prevent certain diseases from happening. But taking all the precautions can protect your dog from serious problems. 

Here are a few steps to follow so that you don’t find yourself wondering someday, why does my dog have diarrhea? Follow them precisely:

  • Keep adding healthy foods into your dog’s daily diet and ignore the unnecessary snacking. 
  • Exercise your puppy friend regularly. 
  • Make sure that your dog doesn’t have access to the garbage. 
  • Don’t let your pup eat tree leaves or any plants.

When To Call Your Vet

Although you should seek veterinarian help as early as possible, this becomes more urgent if you suspect any abnormality in your dog’s body and health (anything unusual that started after diarrhea like a change in your dog’s behavior, fever, or loss of appetite).

why-does-my-dog-have-diarrhea

My Opinion About The Question, Why Does My Dog Have Diarrhea?

Why does my dog have diarrhea? Isn’t an important question; what kind of illness could my dog’s diarrhea be referring to is the question you should be asking yourself. In most cases, diarrhea doesn’t have to mean anything but a minor digestive problem.

Nevertheless, you should always remember the days before the onset of diarrhea to see if any improper food consumption triggered your pup’s digestive system so that you can permanently avoid it in the future and keep your dog healthy.

Prevention, as we mentioned before, is vital! Serving your dog healthy food and lifestyle can protect your dog not only from diarrhea but also from serious health problems like diabetes, heart problems, kidney problems, etc.

If you have more information or a different answer to the question, Why does my dog have diarrhea, please write them down below in the comment section. So, every dog owner benefits from that.

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