According to the AMVA (the vets’ association), canine diarrhea is the third most common problem they see in their offices. If your dog has ever had this problem, you know how much this can affect your daily routine. Your dog’s stomach problem may come from an overgrowth of bacteria in their intestines, but its also possible that this might be due to overfeeding. More troublesome cases can include bloating of the stomach and intestines or stomach cancer.
If your doggy’s tummy problems are not showing up with vomiting and/or lack of appetite, the problem might be mild and you can handle it yourself. Here are some helpful tips you might use to help your dog’s diarrhea. But if your pet has a more serious case of diarrhea involving bloody stool or vomiting, it would be a real good idea for you to bring your pet immediately to the veterinarian for further check up and observation.
But sometimes stomach problems and loose bowels are just side effects from diet changes, super snacking or digging through the trash in the kitchen. Other reasons for this might involve worms that can make bacteria grow in your dog’s intestinal tract.
If you look in your dog’s feces and see worms, (they can look like spaghetti or rice), you might be able to just get an OTC dewormer medication and this might clear everything up. However, certain parasites like Giardia and other non-visible worms are not easily treated by dewormers. This will result in continuous stomach problems and further loose bowel movements. When this happens, you need to scoop up some of your dog’s stool and carry it off to the vet office for further testing.
You can probably handle mild stomach problems yourself simply by letting your dog fast without anything to eat just for one whole day. This is with the assumption that everything else with your dog except the loose bowel movement is normal and there are no unusual symptoms being exhibited.
After a day-long fast, give your puppy a meal of boiled chicken or rice with all the fat drained off and mixed with boiled rice. Give your dog small portions of food 5 or 6 times a day until his bowels are normal and the stool turns firm again. Sometimes, the vet would recommend small bits of yogurt so that beneficial bacteria can grow safely in the dog’s stomach.
Tags: canine diarrhea, dog, dog health
