Diarrhoea in dogs

Diarrhoea is relatively common in dogs. Mild diarrhoea often goes away by itself. However, if the diarrhoea lasts longer than a day, you should take your dog to a vet.

Diarrhoea is not an illness, but a symptom that can have a variety of different causes. Relatively often, diarrhoea is caused by the dog eating something it does not tolerate. For example, eating a dead animal can lead to diarrhoea. Dead animals, faeces, rotten food and vomit can very quickly lead to diarrhoea. Diarrhoea can also be triggered by bacteria, viruses and parasites such as giardia and worms.

There are other possible causes of diarrhoea:

1. Food portions are too big
2. Food has been switched too quickly
3. Food is too cold
4. Food intolerances
5. Consumption of food that is not suitable for dogs
6. Poisonous substances
7. Medicines that have diarrhoea as a side effect

Finally, diarrhoea in dogs can also be caused by stress. Situations causing stress for a dog should, however, be considered very individually. Stress factors for the dog can be changes in the household, new situations when being taken for a walk, or a car ride.

The faeces of dogs are usually well formed. However, if there are problems in the gastrointestinal tract, these become apparent through a change in faeces. These changes may be noticeable in the form of either a reduced or increased water content in the faeces. They can then be paste-like, in extreme cases even fluid and may contain mucus or blood. Usually defecation is then more frequent and is often combined with side effects such as vomiting, abdominal pain and loss of appetite.

If you notice that your four-legged friend wants to go out more often to relieve itself, you should keep a close eye on it. As soon as your pet shows you that it wants to poop, you should take it outside for a walk. Diarrhoea causes the dog to lose a lot of fluids. To avoid dehydration, you should always give it fresh water in small portions so that it can make up for the liquid it has lost. 

In most cases, diarrhoea will disappear by itself within two days. Experienced dog owners know their dogs and will be able to judge quite well whether it is the “normal” diarrhoea that afflicts almost every dog from time to time and is nothing to worry about, or whether there is more to it. If a puppy still has diarrhoea after 24 hours, you should always take it to the vet. The same applies if there is blood in its faeces, if the dog also vomits frequently, has a fever of over 40 degrees, appears apathetic or is very agitated.

If, on the other hand, the dog is in a relatively normal state of health and is just somewhat listless, then you can wait and observe the situation. In most cases it is helpful if the dog is not given any food for a period of 24 to 48 hours in order to allow its intestines to recover. It is, however, important that the dog is provided with sufficient small amounts of liquid.