Unfortunately, having a dog means dealing with diarrhea at some point in their lives! Here are some pretty common reasons why your dog gets diarrhea.
1. Eating something they should not have
If you have a puppy that likes to put everything in their mouths or get in the garbage there’s a really good chance that they will end up with diarrhea and/or vomiting at some point in their lives. This type of diarrhea is easily prevented if you can keep the floor clear of debris and crumbs, make sure the garbage is out of reach from your dog, and let visitors know that they are not to give your dog table scraps.
2. Change of food
Sometimes a change of food is the culprit of diarrhea in your dog. This could be changing from dry to wet food or switching brands altogether. We usually buy our dogs food in bulk, which means they are eating the same thing for weeks and many times months at a time. If you all of a sudden deviate from this food and introduce a new food, their stomachs may have something to say about it in the form of diarrhea. While it is fine to change your dog’s food every now and then to introduce variety, refrain from doing so too often and too quickly. Try the 25% method, which is adding 25% of the new food to your dog’s diet daily until they are eating it 100%.
3. Infections and Parasites
Infections and parasites like roundworms, giardia, or parvovirus can often times cause bloody diarrhea in puppies. This is one big reason to make sure you are taking your dog to the veterinarian regularly especially as a pup since they will get their first series of vaccines and dewormer.
Refrain from letting your dog drink from puddles outside as this is often where they pick up parasites like giardia and leptospirosis.
4. Gastrointestinal Disorders
Illnesses like Irritable bowel syndrome and IBD (which are two different diseases) can often times cause diarrhea in dogs. If you want to read more about the differences between the two, read our article ‘What’s the Big Difference Between IBS & IBD’ here.
5. Nervousness or Stress
Yes, just like in some humans, nervousness and stress can cause diarrhea in dogs! While it is usually intermittent and acute, you may notice some blood as well, but they are usually fine after the cause of stress is relieved.
If your dog has diarrhea, especially bloody diarrhea, it will never hurt to give your veterinarian a call so they can tell you if you should go in for treatment.
Never let your dog go with prolonged diarrhea without treatment and if you want to know of some foods that may help soothe a dog’s stomach that has diarrhea read our article here, ‘What Should I Feed My Dog With Diarrhea?’
