Many times throughout a dog's life it will develop diarrhea. We need not run to the vet every time it has a little bout of runny poop or vomits. However, if it becomes chronic then we need to take the dog to the veterinarian immediately. One of the main problems to look out for is dehydration. The good news is that it can be treated at home before running off to the vet. It would be beneficial to understand the difference between acute diarrhea and chronic diarrhea.
Acute diarrhea is simply the presence of the dog diarrhea that lasts a few days or a week and then clears up. At this stage it is treatable at home. Just watch your dog and if he or she seems a bit lethargic, perhaps it is a sign that the problem is becoming worse. During the acute stage it is OK to fast them and omit liquids from their diet at least for 24 hours for adult dogs and no more than 12 hours for puppies.
Serve your dog bland foods
o boiled chicken
o boiled hamburger
o cooked white rice
o Cottage cheese
o Yogurt
o Scrambled eggs
o Boiled eggs
Oils and grease are not needed in this stage so try and drain all excess grease from the hamburger if you chose not to boil it. Boiling it is recommended. It is OK to add yogurt to the bland food as well.
If your dog seems sick, lethargic, is having uncontrolled squirting out its rear end, has a mixture of stool and blood, vomiting more often, has a fever, and appears dehydrated, take him to the veterinarian quickly. The dog diarrhea is developing to the chronic stage. In the acute stage if you catch the problem and treat is promptly, it usually fixes itself.
Chronic dog diarrhea is where the diarrhea turns more serious and it is uncontrolled squirting fecal matter. At this stage the dog could be vomiting, and dehydrating from the loss of fluids. The serious issues I have listed above all apply to this stage. Quickly take your dog to the vet.
Check for dehydration
Press a finger on the dogs gums and if the color stays white for an extended period of time it may be dehydrated. Another thing to try is to gently pull the skin on the back of its neck and if the skin stays elevated then again your dog may be dehydrated. Give plenty of fluids because dehydration is the main issue and it will kill your dog quickly. I can't stress how important this is. Especially for new pups, death is even quicker.
I would talk to a vet before administering the following over the counter medications:
o Pepto-Bismol
o Imodium (not recommended for dogs with Hypothyroidism)
o Supplements
o Medications
o Kaopectate
You want the advice of your local veterinarian before administering these medications.
Remember we don't know what the underlying problems are. It could be that the dog could have gotten into the trash can and eaten just about anything which made his tummy upset or you changed the diet and it threw the dogs system for a loop.
It could also be a more serious issue such as
o Worms
o Gastro-enteritis
o Pancreatitis
o Ingested foreign objects (Vomiting)
o Infections
o Liver disease
Before taking your dog to the vet, pay close attention to your pets' cues and if it seem that the dog is playful and alert, just treat the condition as minor and feed your dog the bland foods I mentioned earlier. If you choose to fast the dog, no longer than 24 hours for an adult or 12 hours for a pup. If your still not sure what to do, then go ahead and call a vet to get more advice. Make sure to take your dog to the vet immediately if it shows signs of entering into the chronic stage. Remember also that we don't now the underlying reason your pet is experiencing diarrhea and /or vomiting.
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