Probably the single greatest cause of dog diarrhea is a sudden change in what the animal eats. If your dog is used to eating dog food from the bag, and you feel like giving him some delicious table scraps of meat and potatoes, you better expect that his stomach will not take kindly to the change.
Dog Symptoms: Diarrhea Causes: Dog symptoms diarrhea occurs when the amount of fluid in the dog’s bowel movement increases and the frequency at which he uses the bathroom increases. The major causes of dog health diarrhea are:
-Sudden changes in the animal’s diet
-Stress
-Intestinal worms
-Drugs (such as antibiotics and cancer-fighting drugs)
-Viral Diseases (contagious diseases such as coronavirus, parvovirus, and distemper)
-Poisons
Dog Health: Diarrhea Signs & Symptoms
The signs that your dog has diarrhea or is about to get diarrhea are very similar to the signs of dog vomiting, which are:
Severe Dehydration
Lack of Energy (extreme weakness)
Eventual Shock (if the problem persists)
Dog Diarrhea First Aid
The following list of dog first aid instructions will help you check your dog and help him recover from diarrhea:
1) The first step is to see if your dog is suffering from dehydration. A simple trick is to lift up on the skin on the top of your dog’s neck. Then let it go. If it snaps back in place quickly then your dog is fine, but if it takes a moment to slowly drop, then dog dehydration is the problem. You must call your veterinarian immediately and explain what is happening.
2) If your dog seems to be hydrated enough but is still having signs of diarrhea, then withhold food and water by confining him to a secure location in the house. You may give your dog ice cubes but absolutely no dog food or water for at least 10 hours. This will give his digestive system a chance to bounce back to normal.
3) Should you have to take your dog to the veterinarian due to the dog diarrhea not going away, be sure to take samples of his stools every now and again so the vet can analyze the feces for potential problems.
4) Withholding food and water for at least 10 hours should do the trick. Be sure to ease his normal food slowly. Do not give your dog a big meal after that time period. He will sure to show additional dog symptoms diarrhea again if you do so. Instead, start out with small pieces of dog food and a little water, just enough to get his stomach used to the food without going into shock.
