How do you treat diarrhea in dogs

When our beloved dog starts to have diarrhea, every excretion feels like it's gripping our hearts. Dogs cannot express their physical discomfort through words, and can only convey their pain through such abnormal behavior. As the closest companions of dogs, we have the responsibility and obligation to use our professional knowledge and endless love to help them overcome the troubles of diarrhea and restore their former liveliness and health.

Before treating diarrhea in dogs, the first thing to do is to assess the severity of the diarrhea. If a dog only occasionally defecates, has a good mental state, normal appetite, and still plays with vitality, it may just be a mild gastrointestinal discomfort. For example, dogs may need some time for their intestines to adapt due to consuming some stale food or switching to new dog food. In this situation, we don't need to panic too much, but we can't take it lightly either. You can first observe the dog's bowel movements, record the frequency of bowel movements, the color, shape, and odor of the feces, etc. Generally speaking, normal dog feces should be formed, and the color may vary depending on the food consumed, such as brown or brownish. If feces become thin or even watery, further attention is needed.

If a dog experiences diarrhea accompanied by symptoms such as vomiting, fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite, the situation may be quite severe. Vomiting may indicate that the dog's digestive system has been greatly stimulated and is unable to digest food properly; Fever may indicate that the body is struggling with infection; Mental lethargy and loss of appetite indicate that the dog's physical condition is not good. When these comprehensive symptoms appear, we should take the dog to a pet hospital for treatment as soon as possible. Because this may be due to infection with viruses, bacteria, or severe gastrointestinal diseases such as parvovirus infection, gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, etc. If these diseases are not treated in a timely manner, they may endanger the life of dogs.

Before going to the hospital, we can take some simple measures to alleviate the discomfort of the dog. Firstly, it is important to ensure that the dog has sufficient drinking water. Diarrhea can cause a significant loss of water in dogs, and if not replenished in a timely manner, it can easily lead to dehydration. Dehydration is very dangerous for dogs, as it may cause electrolyte imbalances and affect the normal function of various organs in the body. We can prepare some clean warm water for the dog to drink at any time. If the dog is unwilling to drink water voluntarily, it can also be fed to it in small amounts multiple times with a syringe or spoon. However, it should be noted that the feeding speed should not be too fast to avoid choking the dog.

For dogs with mild diarrhea, we can try adjusting their diet. Firstly, pause feeding regular dog food to give the dog's digestive system a break. You can choose some easily digestible foods, such as rice porridge, pumpkin puree, and soft boiled chicken. Rice porridge is rich in carbohydrates, easy to be digested and absorbed by dogs, and can provide a certain amount of energy for it. Pumpkin puree is rich in dietary fiber, which helps promote intestinal peristalsis and has a certain protective effect on intestinal mucosa. Boiled chicken is a source of high-quality protein, low in fat, and does not cause too much burden on the digestive system.

Pet specific probiotics are also a good helper to help dogs restore intestinal health. Probiotics can regulate the gut microbiota, increase the number of beneficial bacteria, inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, and thus improve the digestive and absorption functions of the intestine. There are many types of pet probiotics on the market. We can mix probiotics into dogs' food or water according to the product instructions and feed them. However, it should be noted that probiotics cannot be used together with antibiotics, as antibiotics not only kill harmful bacteria, but also kill probiotics, thereby reducing their effectiveness.

If a dog's diarrhea is caused by eating foods that are not suitable for it, such as allergies or intolerance to certain foods, we need to carefully recall the dog's recent diet, identify foods that may cause allergies or intolerance, and avoid feeding them again. Common foods that can easily cause allergies in dogs include milk, eggs, seafood, wheat, etc. Some dogs may be born with a lack of lactose digesting enzymes, and after drinking milk, they may experience symptoms of diarrhea, which is lactose intolerance. For these types of dogs, we can choose lactose free dairy products or foods specifically designed for lactose intolerant pets.

When a dog's diarrhea persists for a long time or does not improve significantly after the above treatment, it is necessary to take it to a pet hospital in a timely manner. Veterinarians will conduct detailed consultations to understand the diet, living environment, vaccination status, etc. of dogs, and combine physical examination, fecal examination, blood examination, and other methods to determine the cause of diarrhea. Fecal examination can help doctors determine whether a dog is infected with parasites, bacteria, or viruses; Blood tests can reflect the overall health status of dogs, including the presence of inflammation, anemia, and other issues. Based on the examination results, the doctor will develop a targeted treatment plan.

The problem of diarrhea in dogs can be big or small, and we need to observe and judge carefully, and take the correct treatment measures. When we see the dog regaining vitality, wagging its tail happily, and bouncing around us, all the efforts made to treat diarrhea become incredibly worthwhile. Because dogs give us the purest love and companionship, we should also do our best to protect their health with professionalism and love, accompany them through every beautiful time, and let them grow strong under our care.