Diarrhea in Dogs and Puppies
All dogs, at one point or another have had a bout of diarrhea. Most diarrhea
lasts a couple days, however when loose bowels continue over a long period of
time it is a cause for concern; especially if the diarrhea gets severe, and is
uncontrolled liquid squirts. Think of the dog as your baby (human). If your baby
has a soft stool in his/her diaper, it may not be a cause for you to seek your
doctors advice. For instance, if you have tried a new food which upset the
baby's belly. If this is the case for your puppy, it may be fine for you
to treat it at home. However, if your baby, had uncontrolled diarrhea, you would
seek a medical doctor's advise, as there could be an underlying cause. Like a
baby, a puppy can dehydrate FAST from severe diarrhea. REMEMBER, diarrhea can be
mild or severe and the treatments differ.
In a young
puppy, diarrhea can be caused by viruses and parasites. A stool sample to the
vet is a good idea to check for
Coccidia (Coccidiosis), Giardia, Trichomonas or other infections. If your
litter of two week old puppies gets diarrhea, it could be worms. Normally we do
not worm pups till 3 weeks, but some do it at 2 weeks. When worms become active,
it can cause diarrhea. If the diarrhea worsens, even after using a worming
medicine, you may need to check for coccidia. The incubation period is 13 days,
and the Dams often carry it. They would come in contact from the Dam at birth,
or shortly after. They are not born with it. If a 13 day old puppy has
diarrhea, it often means coccidia. This requires vet medicine to treat. It can
be found in a stool sample.
Some dogs/puppies can get diarrhea from the excitement/stress of being away and
then coming home.
Some dogs get doggy flu bugs, others may eat a strange food and cause stomach
upset.
Diarrhea from change is common. You need to deal with it and not ignore it.
Ignoring diarrhea in a puppy lowers the immune system, and can dehydrate even an
adult dog.
Puppies can get a bug much easier if they are down and weak, so diarrhea is not
something to ignore.
Ask your vet for a sheet on what to do for diarrhea. Each vet has slightly
different versions but they all have a sheet, as it is common.
The
following home remedy is for early onset diarrhea. A dog with severe diarrhea,
needs Vet attention, as he needs fluids.
The greatest worry with ongoing diarrhea is dehydration.
If you are treating the early onset of diarrhea, and the dog is not showing ANY
signs of dehydration, you need to fast the dog for a day - no water no food. (I
find that a full 24 hours is to long for a puppy under 8 months, and you may
want to give her some bland food throughout the day, (rice and chicken), and a
bit of water and then NOTHING until the next morning), small pups try 12
hours. This rests the tummy. For a dog or pup with secondary severe diarrhea
(uncontrolled liquid squirts), omitting the water is NOT an option, they MUST
have fluids, if dehydration is happening. But if dehydration is not a problem,
and diarrhea is early onset, and controlled, omitting water for a bit helps.
12 hours is usually ok for a puppy. It is just to give the tummy a
rest. This is easier done at night.
BUT... If the puppy has severe diarrhea, (progressed into more Serious
Diarrhea), and dehydration could be a secondary problem, YOU MUST give the puppy
water, or better yet, pedialac, or sub fluids (lactate ringer), under the skin
intravenously, (talk to your vet). Mild diarrhea is soft stools, or pudding
texture, serious diarrhea, is projectile, uncontrolled watery texture - LIQUID
SQUIRTS.
Do NOT fast any puppy under 7 weeks. A young puppy, with diarrhea, usually needs
medical attention immediately. Pups under 4 weeks can dye quite quickly with
diarrhea.
It can
sometimes be hard to determine the cause of diarrhea unless further testing is
done. It is a good idea to take a stool sample to your vet, if diarrhea, cannot
be stopped in a couple days, OR if it has blood in it, or if it is watery
squirts.
It is important to consume the same amount of fluids as the volume that has been
lost in order to prevent dehydration.
So, if your dog has a couple runny poops, omitting water for a bit is ok. (For
EARLY onset diarrhea.) To stop diarrhea, before it progresses to secondary
severe diarrhea.
BUT... If the diarrhea, has turned secondary, and is coming out as fast as you
put fluids in, intravenous may be needed. DO NOT OMIT water on a dog, with
uncontrolled severe diarrhea.
Diarrhea can be treated at home in the early stages, and if caught early, turned
around. The key with diarrhea is to stop it fast, BEFORE it turns into secondary
diarrhea with dehydration. Once the immune system is down, it is an invitation
for other problems.
If the dog is vomiting and or has diarrhea, and is dehydrated then you must seek
VET attention to administer fluids intravenously. A good test method for
dehydration is, if the skin on the dog's neck stays up, when lifted and doesn't
drop down instantly in place when released.
RECIPE
for early onset diarrhea,
Pepto Bismol every 3 - 4
hours. (You will need a syringe... good luck!)
liquid pink Pepto 1/2 to a tsp each time, for every 10lbs of dog
PEPTO...
still highly recommended by the vets. For puppies over 6 weeks old... (for
younger pups, call your Vet)
2nd Day:
(or first day with puppies)
Boil rice -
1 cup rice, 2 cups water, 1 chicken breast... the chicken flavor permeates the
rice, when you cook it together making them LIKE to eat it. (You can use Rice
Pablum). Feed ONLY the rice mixture, for the first day after fasting. REMEMBER,
if your dog has secondary Diarrhea. Uncontrolled watery squirts, YOU MUST get
fluids into him/her. This can be done by syringe, or intravenously.
| Another vet
recommends a little bit of low fat plain yogurt and a little bit of lot fat
cottage cheese is added. CANNED Pumpkin is also known to help treat diarrhea...
I give it to my lactating Dams. |
|
|
I feed mine
with this RICE mixture, three or more times during the day with small amounts of
water.
You can
also buy a tube of Nutri-Cal from the vet. It is a toothpaste type tube of
Nutrition and Calories and will give a weak puppy, the sugars, nutrition and
calories he needs. It is a very good, miracle pick me up paste.
3rd Day:
You can start mixing in the chopped up boiled chicken with the rice. (You can
also purchase a Gastro food from the vet, which is an easily digested food for
this purpose, and start mixing that in too.) The Vet may recommend that you keep
the dog on Gastro for quite a few days and then start mixing in his normal food
over a period of a few days.
If your
puppy or dog has diarrhea, that is getting WORSE, not better,
call your vet ASAP and follow their advice.
Courtesy of MistyTrails Havanese
