You just climbed into bed to get comfy for the night when your pup starts nudging your arm indicating they need to go outside. That’s odd - you just let them out no more than ten minutes ago. Hopping out of bed you meander to the back door while your pup can’t get there quick enough. As soon as you open the door, they fly outside and squat down for something you can’t pick up even if you tried. Next thing you know, your poor fluff ball is desperately asking to go outside every hour throughout the night. Even when it seems there is no way they could have anything else in their stomach, they still nudge your arm like clockwork. While you attempt to sleep between tummy episodes, you think to yourself – what on earth could have caused this and how can I help them feel better?
Does this story sound familiar? Despite being so common, diarrhea is surprisingly complicated. Many different factors can contribute including diet, activity level, stress, breed, parasite burden, medications, organ function, immune status, and much more! A detailed history combined with diagnostics can help get to the bottom of what might be causing your dog’s tummy troubles.
“That’s all well and good, but what can I do for my dog at 3 a.m. when my regular vet is closed?!”
The treatment for diarrhea depends on the underlying cause, however, if your dog is stable and you can’t get to a vet right away, there are a few general supportive care options you can try at home to help ease diarrhea symptoms.
6 Tips to Ease Symptoms:
1. Feeding a bland diet
Diets that are low in fat with a single carbohydrate source are ideal and highly digestible. Canned and kibble prescription diets that are available over the counter at your veterinarian’s office are completely balanced, formulated specifically for gastrointestinal issues, such as diarrhea, and have gone through rigorous testing. If you don’t have such a diet available, you can try plain boiled skinless chicken breast with boiled rice or potatoes. If your dog is allergic to chicken, other alternatives are boiled turkey or lean ground beef. It is important to ensure it is as low fat as possible.
2. Probiotics
Defined by the World Health Organization as “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”. Essentially, they are “good” bacteria that help support a healthy balance of “good vs bad” bacteria in a patient’s microbiome that have been shown to support digestion, dental health, weight management, and even general immune system function. Similar to in human medicine, due to lack of regulation, not all probiotics are created equal. Specific strains have specific benefits, and not all products have sufficient amounts of probiotics to be effective. Additionally, many products are not formulated properly to reach the intestinal tract as many will become digested in the stomach first.
3. Prebiotics
Complex carbohydrates that are processed by good bacteria (or probiotics) in the intestinal tract and support their ability to protect the intestinal barrier.
4. Fiber
Both soluble and insoluble can help, depending on the type of diarrhea. Soluble fiber helps absorb excess water in the intestinal tract to slow down the transit time of foodstuffs. It also acts as a prebiotic and feeds the ‘good’ gut bacteria. Insoluble fiber (such as Metamucil/psyllium) by comparison helps to bulk up stools, making them larger.
5. Water
With diarrhea, dehydration can occur quickly, so access to plenty of fresh, clean water is a must.
6. Pumpkin
Plain canned pumpkin is a bit of a controversy. Many dog owners anecdotally find a few tablespoons may help with diarrhea or constipation. However, if your dog has a medical condition that is ‘fiber responsive’, then you would have to feed A LOT of pumpkin to reach a truly therapeutic amount of fiber. Keep in mind, it is also an additional source of calories so may not be a great option long-term for dogs that are overweight. Regardless, if you do decide to try canned pumpkin, just make sure it isn’t pumpkin pie filling!
“What about Immodium?”
Medications that directly alter intestinal motility can help with certain types of diarrhea but should NEVER be given without the specific direction of your veterinarian. Diarrhea in pets can often be from irritating things they have eaten, or from toxin-producing bacteria. Medications that delay the removal of these irritants and/or toxins can make things worse and cause your pet to become much sicker.
“What about those magical antibiotics the vet gives me?”
Metronidazole and other antibiotics such as Tylosin are given in certain cases of diarrhea but should generally be reserved for pets who are very ill, not responding to supportive care, or that have been to a veterinarian and have a known or diagnosed cause to their diarrhea that is antibiotic responsive. Antibiotic use is usually avoided in otherwise healthy pets with uncomplicated diarrhea as generally, the diarrhea will pass on its own in 24-48 hours and to avoid the overuse of antibiotics that can also lead to antibiotic resistance, which is a growing problem in both human and veterinary medicine.
“How do I rule out intestinal parasites?”
If you are concerned your pet’s diarrhea might be due to parasitic infection the best thing you can do is perform a fecal screening test for ova and parasites. This will give your veterinarian the information they need to isolate the parasite in question and provide the specific medication your pet needs to get back to their best as quickly as possible.
Petlio Fecal Screening allows you to collect a fecal sample from the convenience of your home and test for the most common parasites. Clear and fast results mean less time in the dark and more time getting your pet back to its best. Obtain the peace of mind that no parasites were detected or share ahead of an appointment with your veterinarian so you can get to treatment faster.
Petlio identifies tapeworms, hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, and coccidia in samples by centrifugation floatation and microscopy. Giardia and Cryptosporidium are identified through lateral flow antigen testing.
“So when should I go to the vet?”
If your pet is also experiencing vomiting, not interested in eating, has blood in their stool, has eaten foreign material or consumed a known toxin, is very lethargic, showing signs of dehydration (such as tacky gums), has abnormal gum color, or is otherwise okay but their diarrhea hasn’t responded to supportive care after 24-48 hours, then you should take them to see a vet. Of course, if you are at all concerned, contacting your veterinarian or speaking to a pet care professional on a remote telemedicine platform are always great options.