Diarrhea in dogs is a frustrating health concern and can lead to many sleepless nights for owners forced awake multiple times a night to tend to their dog’s urgent elimination needs. Luckily, there are a number of things that you can do at home to help your dog recover from diarrhea more quickly and with less discomfort.
The most common causes of sudden diarrhea in an adult dog are due to: dietary indiscretion, acute colitis (triggers can be from stress) or secondary to a toxin released by common bacteria in the gut called clostridium perfringens enterotoxin.
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Causes of diarrhea in dogs
Diarrhea in adult dogs
Acute diarrhea in adult dogs is most often triggered by what we like to call “dietary indiscretion”. This refers to times when your dog forages mysterious edible delights from their backyard and around the neighborhood. Some dogs have more “iron clad” stomachs and can regularly engage in his behavior with minimal to no adverse effects. Other dogs have a more precarious countenance and suffer the consequences later of an upset stomach and urgent bathroom breaks to the dismay of their owners.
The most common misconception by dog owners is that their dog’s diarrhea is due to something infectious like worms or another “identifiable “ cause determined from the stool sample they urgently provide their veterinarian. Most of the time, the results of a fecal test on an adult dog that is on regular heartworm preventative will be negative for worms.
While it is possible that an adult dog’s diarrhea could be triggered by an infectious cause, the fact is that in practice the vast MAJORITY of dogs have nothing infectious identified in their stool sample during a bout of diarrhea. In fact, most adult dogs that are diagnosed with giardia, hookworms, whipworms , tapeworms and roundworms have normal stool quality and no sign of diarrhea! We most often find these pathogens incidentally during an annual fecal screen.
Fecal parasites in dogs
Another reason we often don’t find parasites on a fecal exam is because the majority of fecal parasites are treated monthly by the heartworm medication their dog is taking. Most heartworm preventatives treat and control roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. Heartworm preventatives do not prevent or treat giardia or coccidia infections. But, once a dog has matured into adulthood, they rarely develop diarrhea with a giardia infection.
Diarrhea in puppies
Diarrhea or loose stools in dogs under the age of one are more likely to be infectious in origin. Giardia is a cause of diarrhea in a lot of puppies. Treatment with deworming medications may need to be repeated in puppies with recurrent diarrhea from giardia. Puppies are still developing their immune system and may still be in the middle of their puppy vaccinations. This puts them more at risk for viral and bacterial causes of diarrhea as well.
Most uncomplicated causes of diarrhea in dogs will last only a few days to a week and will be self-limiting . Before making an appointment for Fiido to see his vet, here are a few things you can try at home first.
Things you can do at home to treat your dog’s diarrhea
Home prepared bland diets to treat diarrhea in dogs
A bland diet is an essential component to treating any case of diarrhea . The goal of the bland diet is to pare down the diet to a simple protein and a simple carbohydrate that are easily digestible and easy on the stomach. The most common home prepared diet is made of one part protein (skinless, boneless chicken breast with no salt, oils or other seasonings) and two parts carbohydrate (boiled white rice).
The most common question I receive about a home prepared bland diet is: how much do I feed my dog on the bland diet?
Amount of chicken and rice diet to feed a lightly active spayed/neutered dog based on their weight:
(Assuming a mixture of 1 part chicken to 2 parts cooked white rice: 243 kcal/cup)
| Weight of your dog | Calories to feed | Cups of chicken and rice diet per day |
| 10 lbs | 250 caloreis | 1 cup |
| 20 lbs | 400 calories | 1.5 cups |
| 30 lbs | 575 calories | 2.5 cups |
| 40 lbs | 740 calories | 3 cups |
| 50 lbs | 900 calories | 3.5 cups |
| 60 lbs | 1000 calories | 4 cups |
| 70 lbs | 1230 calories | 5 cups |
| 80 lbs | 1400 calories | 6 cups |
| 90 lbs | 1560 calories | 6.5 cups |
| 100 lbs | 1720 calories | 7 cups |
Over the counter anti-diarrheal medications for dogs that soothe the GI tract and bind toxins and harmful bacteria:
Pro Pectalin tablets: a probiotic tablet mixed with kaolin/pectin.
These tablets are yummy but large beef flavored tablets that can be given three times a day to your dog when they are having diarrhea. They work quickly and can be crumbled over their food if the tablets are hard to give as a treat. The probiotic is enterococcus faecium and the kaolin and pectin act as adsorbents (they bind toxins and harmful bacteria and coat the inflamed surfaces of the intestinal tract. Kaolin is made of aluminum silicate and pectin is a carbohydrate from a fruit that helps absorb excess water and coat and soothe the intestinal tract. This product helps to reduce fluid loss from diarrhea and assists with firming up loose stools.
Endosorb: a tablet or suspension of attapulgite and pectin.
Attapulgite is a magnesium aluminum product that absorbs toxins and bacteria and pectin which is a carbohydrate from a fruit that absorbs water and coats the intestinal tract. This reduces fluid loss from diarrhea and helps to firm up diarrhea.
The use of probiotics in dogs:
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can help repopulate the bacterial flora of the intestinal tract to promote better intestinal health and bolster the immune system. Seventy percent of the immune system lies in the intestinal tract.
Acute diarrheal events were studied in dogs and probiotics reduced the length of diarrhea episodes by 50%! Recovery time in studied dogs with acute GI symptoms reduced the time to resolution from 2.2 days to 1. 3 days. A daily probiotic can help control chronic diarrhea as well.
Pro Tip: A lot of people think that a few spoonfuls of yogurt will be an effective way to add a probiotic into their dog’s diet. The problem is that to provide the amount of beneficial bacteria you would have to give most dogs about 5-6 cups of yogurt per day.
The optimum number of cfu/day of the beneficial bacteria in a probiotic for dogs based on our current information is in the range of 1x 10 8 (100 million) to 1 x 1012 (one trillion) CFU/day. Most human studies use 5 to 10 billion CFU per day.
Studies on the use of probiotics in dogs are still lacking. One hallmark study evaluated the label claims of several probiotics and found few contained the bacterial strains they professed and also did not contain the bacterial counts that were indicated on the label.
The most studied probiotic on the market is a multi-strain probiotic that is called Visbiome. Visbiome is used to treat inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative colitis. The prescription strength probiotic Visbiome contains two to eight times the numbers of bacteria (900 billion CFU/capsule) in their lower strength capsules. Their lower strength OTC capsules contain 112.5 bililon to 450 billion CFU/capsule.
To learn more about how using probiotics in dogs read this.
Veterinary probiotics
The veterinary formulation is called Visbiome Vet. It contains 8 strains of beneficial bacteria at a concentration of 112. 5 billion bacteria per capsule.
Proviable DC contains 7 bacterial strains, 5 billion CFU per capsule
Fortiflora only contains one bacterial strain, 100 million CFU per individual use packet.
Lactoquil 9 strains, 1.5 billion CFU per chew but these are not individually sealed.
Pro Tip:
Don’t purchase probiotics that come in a tub that you scoop out daily onto food. Exposing the living microorganisms to air and moisture will dramatically decrease the numbers of live bacteria. It’s safest to use a probiotic that is individually sealed in pouches or capsules or sealed individually in foil. If you do use a product that is a scoopable powder or chew, it might be safest to keep the product in your fridge. Cooling the microorganisms will keep them in a more dormant and less ‘stressed’ state to enhance viability.
Add Fiber to your dog’s diet
Studies in dogs have found that duration of diarrhea is reduced and relapse of diarrhea is less common in dogs given 2 tablespoons per day of metamucil fiber.
Metamucil: this supplement contains psyllium husk which is 70% soluble and 30% insoluble fiber. This helps to bulk up and soften stool and also absorb water to improve loose stool consistency.
The recommended dose is 2 tablespoons per day for a dog (20 grams of fiber)
Pro tip: Canned pumpkin is another natural fiber source often used by owners. It contains a lot less fiber however. One cup only contains 7 grams of fiber. So, to provide 20 grams of fiber, you’d have to feed your dog nearly 3 cups of pumpkin per day!
Pumpkin does have other benefits like providing natural vitamins. However, adding a few tablespoons to your dog’s diet probably won’t do much to increase fiber. Your dog would have to eat about 3 cups of pumpkin per day to provide the same amount of fiber as 2 tablespoons of metamucil.
Over the counter anti-diarrheals to use with caution in dogs:
Imodium: This is a product that contains loperamide, an opiate anti-diarrheal. It is used to reduce the motility of the intestinal tract to slow the rate of defecation.
This product should be used with caution because some breeds of dogs have an MDR gene mutation (mostly in Collies, Shelties and Australian shepherds) which can make them sensitive to this drug and cause neurologic side effects . This drug can also be dangerous if the cause of the diarrhea is due to a toxin exposure or an infectious bacteria as this will slow the expulsion of the toxin or bacteria from the Gi tract. It is also considered dangerous to use in dogs under 20 lbs due to an increased risk of over dosage which can cause sedation, constipation and bloat.
Pepto bismol: This product contains bismuth subsalicylate. The Bismuth acts against endotoxins and serves as a gastroprotectant. The subsalicylate helps soothe inflammation. The subsalicylate is an aspirin derivative and should be used with caution in dogs with sensitivities to aspirin-like compounds. It can increase risk of gastric ulceration and should not be used in dogs on steroids. It can turn the stools a dark greenish or gray black color and can also cause tongue discoloration. This product may cause constipation.
When to bring your dog to the vet for diarrhea:
Although the vast majority of acute diarrhea cases in adult dogs are uncomplicated and will be limited to a few days, there are some cases where diarrhea can be very serious and even life-threatening.
If your dog is having diarrhea, acting lethargic and not eating well, you should bring your dog to your veterinarian.
Diarrhea with pools of frank blood or black stools of any consistency should be a reason to go to the veterinarian.
Diarrhea that lasts longer than a week or recurrent bouts of diarrhea in your dog should be investigated by your veterinarian as it represents a more chronic issue.