What Canine Stools Tell You About Diarrhea
Diarrhea is the passage of loose, unformed stools generally occurring in more frequent bowel movements. It is the most common sign of an intestinal disease.
Diarrhea can be classified as acute or chronic, depending on its duration. Acute diarrhea comes on suddenly and is finished in a short period. Chronic diarrhea often comes on gradually and persists for three weeks or longer, or has an episodic pattern of recurrence.
Chronic diarrhea requires veterinary investigation.
Food in the small intestine takes about 8 hours to reach the colon. During that time, the bulk of the food and 80 percent of the water is absorbed. The colon concentrates the remainder. In the end, a well-formed stool is evacuated.
Transit time in the intestinal tract can be speeded up for a variety of reasons resulting in a large, loose, unformed bowel movement. This accounts for the majority of acute diarrheas of short duration.
To determine the cause of the diarrhea, it’s impoprtant to decide where the disease is located: small intestine or colon. This is done by examining the color, consistency, odor and frequency of the stools, as well as the condition of the dog:
COLOR
- Yellow stool — indicates rapid transit (small bowel). When the stool is loose, full of mucus and is yellow in color, it is typically the result of a food intolerance. Did you change foods recently?
- Green stool — It could mean your dog has eaten a large amount of grass. It can also be intestinal parasites, rat poisoning or other internal issues.
- Orange stool — It could indicate a liver issue or biliary disease, or it could just mean that your dog’s poop moved too quickly through the GI tract to pick up the bile which changes poop to the normal brown color we expect. If your dog has orange diarrhea, contact your vet.
- Black, tarry stool — indicates bleeding in the upper digestive tract. It may be a sign of a gastrointestinal ulcer or a stomach ulcer. Many human medications can cause stomach ulcers in dogs, especially aspirin, so never give human meds without consulting your vet.
- Bloody stool — red blood or clots indicate bleeding in the colon. Streaks of blood may be colitis (inflammation of the colon), a rectal injury, an anal gland infection or possibly a tumor.
- Pink or purple stool — Anything that resembles raspberry jam could indicate hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE). A large number of dogs die each year from HGE but most will recover with prompt treatment. Seek medical attention.
- Pasty, light-colored stool — indicates lack of bile (liver disease). While it could be a sign of liver or biliary disease, it could simply mean that your dog’s poop moved too fast through the GI tract to pick up the bile which changes the color to the normal brown you recognize.
- Large, grey, rancid-smelling stool — indicates inadequate digestion or absorption (malabsorption syndrome). Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) is commonly referred to as maldigestion. Essentially this means the pancreas is not functioning properly. It is a common issue for German Shepherds and Collies. The good news is that this is a very treatable condition, but it is serious, so take your dog to the vet right away.
- White specks — Worms often look like white grains of rice in your pup’s stool. Your dog needs to be de-wormed.
CONSISTENCY
- Watery stool — indicates small bowel wall irritation (toxins and severe infections). When the stool is watery, it can be a sign of an upset stomach due to dog food or GI tract issue. If it continues, see a vet.
- Foamy stool — suggests a bacterial infection
- Greasy stool — often with oil on the hair around the anus: indicates malabsorption
- Excessive mucus — a glistening or jellylike appearance; indicates colonic origin.
ODOR (the more watery the stool, the greater the odor)
- Foodlike, or smelling like sour milk — suggests rapid transit and malabsorption: for example, overfeeding, especially in puppies
- Putrid smelling — suggests an intestinal infection.
FREQUENCY
- Several in an hour, each small, with straining — suggests colitis (inflammation of the large bowel)
- Three or four times a day, each large — suggests a malabsorption or small bowel disorder
CONDITION OF DOG
- Weight loss, malnutrition — suggests small bowel disorder
- Normal appetite, minimal weight loss — suggests large bowel disorder
- Vomiting — small bowel origin, except for colitis
Common Causes of Diarrhea
Intestinal parasites are a common cause of acute and chronic diarrhea in puppies and adults. The greatest problems are caused by roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, threadworms, and giardia.
Most cases are caused by an irritation of the bowel lining from ingested substances or infections agents — in other words, something they ate. Any change in your dog’s diet could be the trigger: unfamiliar water; intolerance to certain foods like beef, pork, chicken, horsemeat, fish, eggs, spices, corn, wheat, soy, gravies, salts, spices, fats, and some commercial dog foods; excitement or emotional upset.
Dogs are scavengers and sometimes tend to eat things they can’t digest like:
- dead animals, rodents and birds
- garbage and decayed food
- rich foods, table scraps, gravies, salts, spices and fats
- sticks, cloth, grass, paper, etc.
- parts of flea collars
Toxic substances causing diarrhea include:
- gasoline, kerosene, oil or coal tar derivatives
- cleaning fluid, refrigerants
- insecticides
- bleaches, often in toilet bowls
- wild or ornamental plants, toadstools
- building materials: cement, lime, paints, caulks
- fireworks containing phosphorus
Many of these are equally as irritating to the stomach and will cause vomiting.
Treatment
Diarrhea is a symptom. The first step in treating it is to identify and remove the underlying cause, if possible. If the diarrhea is caused by overeating, cut back the food intake and feed 2-3 times a day in controlled portions. If unfamiliar water is the problem, carry an extra supply with you. In the case where irritating or toxic substances have been ingested, an effort should be made to identify the agent as specific antidotes may be required.
Food allergies can be cleared up by removing the problem food. Sometimes changing a dog’s food can trigger diarrhea. The new food should be introduced slowly over a couple weeks to avoid this kind of diarrhea.
Most cases of diarrhea can be treated at home:
- Withhold all food for 24-48 hours. If your dog appears thirsty, give a small amount of water or ice cubes to lick.
- Administer lomotil at a dose of one tablet per 25 lbs of dog, three times a day. Or Kaopectate at 1/2 – 1 tsp per 5 lb, to a maximum of 2 Tbsp every 8 hours. Or Pepto-Bismal at 0.5 ml per lb or 1/2-1 tsp per 5 lb, to a maximum of 30 ml or 2 Tbsp.
- As the dog starts to respond, feed an easily digested diet that contains no fats:
- boiled hamburger (1- to 2-parts cooked rice; discard the broth)
- cottage cheese
- cooked macaroni or soft-boiled eggs
Prescription diets are available from your vet.
- Continue the bland diet for three days, even if your dog seems better.
A diarrhea that persists for more than 24 hours, a bloody diarrhea and diarrhea accompanied by vomiting, fever and other signs of toxicity should be checked out by your vet immediately.
Source: Dog Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook
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My Jack Russel got diarrhea 2 night ago and was up 10 times. It was originally watery and the next day I started her on rice and hamburger and I added pumpkin each time. we are 36 hours after I first discovered this and the diarrhea was yellow and had a little mucous in it. Now the color is yellow/brown or orange and is like soft serve ice cream. Should I stay on course?
The mucous is a naturally occurring thing that protects the lining of the digestive tract from the digestive acids. It’s not unusual to see it when there is stomach upset. It sounds like you are making progress — even slow progress — so yes, stay the course. You might add some plain yogurt or other probiotic to her food to add good bacteria back into her gut that has been lost from the diarrhea. I use powdered acidophilus and sprinkle that on the food. It works really well.
My dog is a Spaniel. For three days she has been sick. She had diarrhea whike we were sleeping one night, regular brown in color. Then she threw up foamy looking food. She then threw up a yellowish color(second day) today she has not thrown up but still has diarrhea and it has turned a yellowish orange color. She doesn’t want to eat the bland food I have tried to give her but is still drinking some water.
Sounds like an upset stomach. You can try some Pepto Bismol for her. The recommended dosage is 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds. It can be offered to your dog every 6-to-8 hours, but if she still has diarrhea after a few doses, stop the medication and call your veterinarian.
You can also give her plain canned pumpkin. The fiber in it draws up excess moisture. It actually works on both diarrhea and constipation. Some plain yogurt or other probiotic will help by adding good bacteria back into her gut. You might be able to mix a tablespoon of each of these together, then give it to her via an oral syringe.
As for food, you might try some canned Friskies Turkey flavored cat food pate. That almost always works for my dogs.
My dog is having explosive diarrhea that literally shoots out his but it’s about a hundred pounds and he’s a pit mixed with Walker Hound. We have not changed his diet he’s normally very playful and now he’s not even wanting to lick my hand he’s also throwing up a light brown slimy vomit
Give him some Pepto Bismol to soothe his stomach. If you can get him to eat, give him some plain canned pumpkin. The fiber in it works to draw up excess moisture in his digestive tract. It generally starts to work fairly quickly.
Sounds like he may have eaten something that really disagrees with him. Was there anything in his vomit or his diarrhea that you could recognize as something he may have eaten?
My dog has been having diahrea for about a week now. It was at first normal brown colour and was a liquid consistency. Something I have seen before. We normally don’t feed her for 24 hours and she is back to normal.
She hasn’t eaten for 3 days and has no interest in eating. She will drink water though. I’ve been trying to force feed her boiled chicken breast but no luck. Her stool was free same colour and consistency until this morning. Now it is a lot more of a liquid and just blood. She has to go outside a lot more frequent as well.
Diarrhea that lasts this long is a good reason to have your vet check her out. With the diarrhea, she is losing more liquid than normal. This could lead to her being dehydrated.
It’s also concerning that she is not eating and her stool is so bloody. So I suggest you get her to the vet as soon as you can.
I have a 5 lb York is. Gave her turkey. She usually eats chicken roasted or baked. She gets only white meat and no skin. She did not use the bathroom for 3 days while eating the turkey twice a day. Then Saturday she had violent diarrhea. She drank fine . waited till next day to feed her again. Still has loose stools and now notice small drops of bright red blood in tiny amount. She eats and drinks fine. Still playful but cannot get her stool back to normal. Had all shots and flea and heartworm meds. She will not eat hamburger and rice or cottage cheese. Only chicken. Can she have bad reaction to Turkey only white meat no skin. I do however put raisins an apple in my stuffing and the bird was stuffed, she had no stuffing. She still has loose stools since yesterday. And couple tiny drop of blood. Not diarrhea but close. No symptoms of fever, eating well, and not lethargic. Help please. I am legally b Lind and cannot get ride to vet
The small drops of blood could be because her system is stressed. Add some plain canned pumpkin to her food. It is the great equalizer. It works for diarrhea AND constipation. The fiber in it is the key. She may be reacting to the raisins cooked inside the turkey. Raisins can be highly toxic to dogs.
I have a 5 year old Labralound who recently in the last 3 days had eaten about 8 pistachios and has since had green diarrhea. I’ve given him boiled chicken and a little bit of raw liver for the last couple of days and still has diarrhea. He eats and drinks just fine and has good energy. The diarrhea has slowed down but has gotten darker. Any advice?
Advice? Hide the pistachios! 🙂
He eats and drinks just fine, and his energy is good… I think you have to wait this out. You can add a tablespoon of plain canned pumpkin to his food to firm up his stools (pumpkin actually works on diarrhea and constipation) and also add some plain yogurt or other probiotic to his food to put good bacteria back into his gut that was lost from the diarrhea.
After reading this thread to find info on my dog’s black diarrhea problem; I’d just like to comment on some of the problems other people have sent in. Many of them mention dog’s diarrhea being yellow with some mucus but the dog’s behavior is still in good spirits and same appetite, even after eating only rice and chicken for a while. Just want to say that is exactly how my dog behaves when she eats chicken. Yellow runny poop but in great spirits. That is because she is allergic to chicken.
I have a puppy boxer mix that’s 6 to 7 months. I started to notice she wasn’t eating her food two days ago. But, drinking water. I thought she might have eaten grass but I started to notice she bile a bit but still not eating. She doesn’t have a lot of energy but is still alert. Today in the morning I noticed she has dark brown liquid diarrhea. What can I do? Please, I need help.
Feed her a bland diet: 1 part boiled, skinless, boneless chicken breast to 2 parts boiled rice. Do not use any oil, salt, seasoning, or other additives. Feed her in very small portions 3-4 times a day for the next 3-5 days, gradually increasing the amount to her normal daily portion.
Continue feeding the bland diet until she returns to normal, then add a couple days so she stabilizes. Gradually incorporate your dog’s normal food after that.
Other things you can also include:
• Add a tablespoon of plain, unsweetened yogurt to her food. This will help soothe her stomach, add good bacteria back into her gut, and may even stimulate her appetite.
• Plain canned pumpkin, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and bananas can also be added to help settle the stomach.
• Pepto-Bismol: The recommended dosage is 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds, according to Dr. Klein. It can be offered to your dog every 6-to-8 hours, but if she still has diarrhea after a few doses, stop the medication and call your veterinarian.
We adopted a 10 week old puppy and have had her for about a month now. She has never had a solid stool since coming here. She switched foods which seemed to make it worse so we withheld food for 36 hours and haven given her plain boiled chicken and white rice for 2 days and she still has watery stool and today had a couple drops of blood and mucus. Should we take her to the vet? What could the problem be?
Congrats on your new puppy! It would be a good idea to take her to the vet and get her her puppy shots. They generally include a small amount of live virus that stimulates her immune system. Also, the vet can check her for worms which are common in puppies. The soft stools could be a response to worms. You may not see them in her stools, but they can be present. It’s advisable to fix the source of the problem now rather than later.
You can also add some plain canned pumpkin (NO spices) to her food. The fiber in the pumpkin should help balance the liquid in her stomach. The few drops of blood are not uncommon with frequent diarrhea unless the amount increases, however it does indicate an irritation. The mucous is naturally occurring as a protection for the digestive tract against the digestive acids. It’s always there, but more noticeable and a larger amount when the tract is in distress.
I have a almost 12 week old mix lab/boxer that I adopted last weekend. On Monday morning he made a poop in the middle of the floor (still working on housebreaking) and I notice tape worms. I told him to the vet the same day and they gave him a shot and some meds orally for de-worming. They sent us home with a few bills to talk for the next two follow months. Every since then he stool has been getting lose. He currently is eating Hills Science Diet that they provided us with the day of the adoption and the vet told his to keep him on it for another week then I could stitch foods. As of yesterday morning I have been feeding him rice for both meals but this morning he has diarrhea that was first a firm and brown then turned greenish almost yellow and he’s had gas at night for the last two nights. Could this be from the medicines he was given. My biggest concern was chicken bone (bojangles) that he ate whole the other night that he discovered on a friends plate.
Congrats on your new baby!
Yes, de-worming meds can cause diarrhea. The chicken bone can be concerning in the event it splinters and gets stuck somewhere, so you want to keep an eye on him. Cooked bones are brittle and that’s where the problem comes in. The bones wouldn’t necessarily cause diarrhea but could stick somewhere. Sometimes bread with a little cooking oil on it can help slide things through. In a small enough amount, this shouldn’t cause any further soft stool problems. In the event his behavior changes or he stops eating, you should have your vet check him out.
If you are feeding just rice, you should add some boiled chicken so your pup is getting protein. You can add some plain yogurt to what you feed him to put good bacteria back into his gut that is being unbalanced by the meds. Also, add a tablespoon of plain canned pumpkin. The fiber in it balances out the liquid in his gut and should firm his stools as well. You should begin to see an improvement in his stools within a day.
We have a 3.5lb yorkie that is 8 yrs old.
About 4 weeks ago he had a case of diarrhea and vomitted a couple times. Plus, he had a small amound blood coming from his anus.
So we took him to the vet immediately and they ran blood test and about 4 other test on him to find he was fine other than being a tad bit dehydrated.
They told us to go to a bland chicken and rice diet for awhile, and gave us some meds to give him.
Although, he never showed signs of pain or abnormal behavior throughout, he then a week later had the same problem again: Runny stool, foul smelling breathe (from constantly licking his anus area), constipation, some blood (we think fron the straining), rubbing across the carpet, but no irregular behavior.
So we took him again this time to see his regular vet and again no real problems just keep him on the bland diet.
That was over a week ago, since then he is still on a bland diet.
We thought we were seeing some progress although his bowel movements have been a bright neon color yellow, sort of loose, with mucus in it.
He eats like regular and acts like regular but today he got sick and couldnt hold his bowels. It was again yellow in color, very runny, smelled like his chicken and rice, and was full of mucus.
We ran him outside and he went again. He hasn’t eating at all today and we usually feed him about this time everyday. He did a bowel movement late last night also, which had no shape, loose, yellow, and full of mucus.
We are running out of options here and we really could use some help. No one has been able to tell us anything and the problem continues (about 6 weeks now). Do you know what we are dealing with here and what we can do?
Thanks in advance.
No, I don’t know what’s going on.
Generally rice is slow to digest and that helps firm up stools. The chicken provides protein. The tad of dehydration is likely from the diarrhea.
The mucous you are seeing occurs naturally to protect the digestive system from digestive acids. The yellow stool color generally indicates that the stool passed too quickly through the small intestine. This could be because of an irritation in his digestive system or an infection. Sometimes even a blockage can cause very loose yellow bowel movements. Though with a blockage you would not have diarrhea that smells like chicken and rice. To me, that goes back to the food passing too quickly.
Has your dog been de-wormed? Intestinal parasites can cause stomach upset. Is he eating something outside to soothe his stomach, but it’s actually causing him more problems? Dogs sometimes eat green grass to soothe their upset stomach. Is he eating something other than grass or is he eating grass that has been treated with something? Is there anything in your house that he is getting into — even to try to soothe his own stomach?
You can add some plain canned pumpkin (1-2 tsp) to his food. It has fiber in it that draws up excess liquid and generally improves the stools in about a day’s time. You can also add some plain yogurt or other probiotic to his food to put good bacteria back into his gut. You can’t go wrong or even overdose on these products.
Pepto Bismol is another option to settle his stomach. The recommended dosage is 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds. It can be offered to your dog every 6-to-8 hours, but if your dog is not improving after a few doses, it’s probably not going to work.
Pepcid Original Strength (famotidine) can help with stomach acid build-up, gastric ulcers, or other stomach- or GI-related issues. Many veterinarians recommend this. The dosage is 5-milligrams for a 10-pound every 12-to-24 hours. You might ask your vets if this is a possibility. It’s generally administered about an hour before meals.
I would also recommend sticking with the bland diet just to rule out a food allergy. Are you feeding plain white rice with the chicken (not wild rice or anything flavored)?
Let me know how things go and if any of these options create a change for the better in his stools.
my eighty pound golden doodle, Bruno had a very loose stool this morning which was kind of golden yellow. The disturbing part was that the first piece, while slightly more solid, seemed to be encased in whitish mucus like a big poop cocoon. He was given Bravecto 5 days ago and his heartworm pill two days ago. Are they related? I have the poop on ice, should it be taken to the vet to be analyzed, or do I just watch him. There were no diet changes.
Wow, I didn’t know Golden Doodles could get so big! Bet he’s handsome!
Mucous is naturally occurring in the gut to protect the digestive tract from the digestive acids and is often passed in small amounts with a normal bowel movement. During times of distress, it passes in larger amounts that you can see. The meds could have created some stomach upset to his normal balance that have resulted in the loose stool. Add some plain canned pumpkin to his food. The fiber in the pumpkin draws excess liquid in and balances out stool consistency. You can also add some plain yogurt or other probiotic to his food to restore the good bacteria to his gut. You should see an improvement within a day and hopefully a normal stool shortly after.
If the loose stools continue or get even softer over the next couple days, you may want to have him checked out. But in general, occasional loose stools aren’t unusual.
Hello. My 7 mo husky stoped eating and has watery gray smelly diaharria, But she only poops diaharria in the morning and that’s it. What could it be?
If she has an upset stomach, she may stop eating. It could also be that she ate something that is creating a slight blockage. So you need to keep an eye on her bowel movements.
It would be good to get some plain canned pumpkin in her to firm up her stools. If she has a blockage, it may also help to get a few bits of bread in her that have some salad oil on them. This could hopefully ease the blockage on out of her gut.
If this continues for a couple days, you should have your vet check her out.
Follow up on 13 year old Weimaraner: early last week he did eat a whole bag of uncooked macaroni noodles and one bag of uncooked roman noodles with the small seasoning packet. It has been at least 4-5 days since this and he has had solid normal stools afterward but now that I’m thinking about it I never saw pasta or the packet in his stool.
Is it possible he threw up the macaroni and noodles?
Or maybe he chewed the macaroni into very small pieces. This would make it faster to soften them inside his gut. There would be liquids and heat in his gut that could soften the macaroni, like heating does.
Glad to hear his stools are back to normal.
My 13 year old Weimaraner started have pea green diarrhea two days ago. It is very large amounts and every 4-6 hours. He isn’t lethargic and still has an appetite and drinks water. Should I take him to the vet or try to treat at home with bland diet?
Have you noticed him eating grass? Grass would cause the green color and dogs often eat grass when they have an upset stomach. If he is still active and he is eating and drinking normally, add some plain canned pumpkin to his food and some plain yogurt or other probiotic. The fiber in the pumpkin draws up excess moisture and the yogurt adds good bacteria to his gut. If you don’t see an improvement in his stool in 24 hours, have your vet check him out. It may take a couple days to get him back to normal, but you should see a positive change within a day.
hi,
We got a mixed breed puppy (lab, blue healer, chihuahua, + ?) that is quit small (10ish pounds) 12 days ago. Got her for free from an online ad. Adorable, smart, lovable, and of course rambunctious (she is a puppy). On the ad it said they were old enough to go to new homes, when we went to pick her up the lady lied about her age (she wasn’t quite 6 weeks yet!) and that she was fully weaned, which she figured out food the first day, and water the 2nd, but i don’t believe she was actually weaned. The only reason we took her so tiny was the lady was giving away ALL the puppies that day anyway, and if we didn’t take her someone else still would have.
She is very smart and learns quickly. We have been feeding her a mix of wet and dry puppy food and she drinks from her water bowl at will. She is very lively.
2 days ago, we took her to my parents where she met their dog, and hung around us while we worked in the garden. She stole a green bean from my bag and i let her eat it. She also figured out she could dig in the dirt- while dad was digging potatoes. (she is always on lead and never out of sight). Around the same time she discovered sticks and the kids let her bring one in the house- it was an older more rotten kind of stick. We assumed she would chew- but after a while we noticed she was EATING it (not much, but a little bit) and promptly removed it. We have never seen her get into the garbage and we are conscious not to leave large scraps of food where she can get them (or other foreign materials) though she may have scavenged a nibble or two off the kitchen floor- just a bite or 2 of homecooked (nothing processed) food.
Yesterday morning, the day after going to my parents, her first morning poop was basically all liquid. Throughout the day she continued to have very watery (with some more normal bits mixed in) bright orange/brown poops (even had 2 accidents in the house- hard to clean up). She is just over 7 weeks now. She acted normal- eating, drinking, playing all day. But had the watery orange poop and her anus looks like it’s protruding just a little bit (like it does when she is getting ready to have a normal bowel movement)
up until now she has had firm (not hard, but regular firm) brown poops about 4 times a day, and eats and drinks a fair amount (about 1-2 cups food total a day), and she pees frequently and has no issues (no issues with peeing yesterday either).
I monitored her behavior and bowel movements throughout the day, and honestly i was hoping her bowel was just upset from the green bean. When i got her up to go potty at 3 am (get up at least once a night, as she doesn’t go in her kennel) it was very liquidy again/still. She also felt VERY warm (her belly is basically hairless) when i picked her up, but she has just been sleeping on her fleece blanket in her covered (well 75% covered, keeps her calm and content and warm, but allows airflow) kennel. Will monitor temp again after she is awake and up for the day and running around. Will take rectal reading if she feels warm.
So far she is her rambunctious self- but I am still highly concerned and need to know when to take her to vet. We cannot afford unnecessary vet bills (literally), but will take her in a heartbeat if her health is at stake! What would you suggest I do?
Congrats on your new baby. What a combo of breeds. She sounds like a very lucky puppy!
Because she is eating, drinking and playing as normal, I would look at addressing the diarrhea. It could be related to intestinal parasites which are not uncommon in puppies. You can check with your local feedstore for a broad spectrum dewormer.
For the soft stools, add plain canned pumpkin to her food (about a teaspoon or two). The fiber draws up extra moisture and should start to firm up her bowel movements within a day. It actually works on constipation as well as diarrhea — it’s the great equalizer. Also add some plain yogurt or other probiotic to her food to put good bacteria into her gut.
If you don’t see an improvement, then you should visit the vet.
This is also a good time to look at getting her her puppy vaccinations. Different veterinarians recommend slightly different vaccination schedules and vaccines according to the specific dog’s risk factors, however these can start as early as 6-8 weeks of age. There is generally a series of at least three and is beneficial in helping her develop her immune system.
Good luck and enjoy your baby!
I have a 12 year old pit bull who over the last 2 weeks has had diahrea to one varying degree to another. I’ve been giving her rice mixed with her kibble (have not changed the kibble) and that seemed to help. Today it is like yellow water. Her a appetite is still good, drinking normal, not lethargic…im not sure if I should try some pepto or take her to the vet.
One concern of diarrhea is dehydration. Do you think she is drinking more water than usual to make up for what she is losing through her diarrhea? A healthy dog drinks about 1/2 to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day.
Rice helps because it’s a bit slower to digest.
The Pepto may help. Also you can try adding some plain canned pumpkin to her food. The fiber in the pumpkin absorb extra liquid in her system. Also add some plain yogurt or other probiotic to put good bacteria in her gut to counter whatever is going on in there.
If it doesn’t improve in a couple days after trying these things, I think it might be good to visit your vet.
My dogs symptoms started yesterday evening. Currently has Diarrhea, dark brown and watery, in small amounts, eats small amounts, and drinks, but is also throwing up. I suspect a fever as well, he’s been shivering, is now a tad lethargic unless directly interacted with, and is very warm.
Could he have eaten something that is not agreeing with him? If he has an upset stomach, he will likely not want to eat and sometimes not want to drink. You can try some Pepto-Bismol to soothe his stomach. The recommended dosage for Pepto Bismol is 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds. It can be offered to the dog every 6-to-8 hours.
You can give him plain canned pumpkin to firm up his bowels and plain yogurt to put good bacteria into his gut.
These options should start to work within a day. If you don’t see a positive change, have your vet check him out.
have an 11 yr old australian sheppard who has yellow diarrhea and isnt eating. passing gas that smells awful and notice a dark brown diarrhea now. change food for 1 day but hasnt eaten much for a couple days. is this an upset stomach
It sounds like an upset stomach. You can try some Pepto-Bismol to soothe her/his stomach. The recommended dosage for Pepto Bismol is 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds. It can be offered to the dog every 6-to-8 hours. You can give her/him plain canned pumpkin to firm up the bowels and plain yogurt to put good bacteria into the gut.
Yorkshire terrier, 10 years old was given Nexgard for fleas, about 24 hours after she had diarrhoea and passed yellow watery stools, would this be cause of the flea treatment,she is still passing yellow stools after 3 days,I am so worried
Anything that is eaten could be a source. You can add some plain canned pumpkin to her food to firm up her stools and also some plain yogurt or other probiotic to restore the good bacteria in her stomach.
My dog, who is about two or three years old, has been having bouts of yellow runny diarrhea. We with held food for 24 hours and gave her liquids in small amounts and she did not have any diarrhea. We fed her some rice with a little kibble mixed in and all of the sudden she has had 5 accidents in the apartment. We have not changed her diet and we watch her closely when walking her as to make sure she is not getting in to anything. I do not know what to do. Any advice?
Rice is usually slow to digest and that helps firm up loose stools. Not sure why it didn’t work when you mixed it with kibble unless somehow she is reacting to the kibble. Is it a new bag? Or has she been eating from that bag for a while? You can add some plain canned pumpkin to her food. The fiber in it draws in excess moisture and firms stools up. (It also works for constipation, too.) You might also add some plain yogurt or other probiotic to her food to put good bacteria back into her gut which she has probably lost through diarrhea.
Corey again re: my 12 year old loor mix.
He’s also eating and drinking fine and no other attitude changes. He acts pretty normal.
That’s certainly a good sign!
My dog had diarrhea while at the boarding place that has kept him numerous times for me in the past. They said they have him his normal food, but turns out the kibble was different. But that also makes me think the last few times he was there this happened too, but it certainly didn’t have the same effect.
He came home and his first poop was fine and then since then it has been diarrhea and he can’t hold it at all once the urge comes on. At first it was just very very soft and then it reached the point where it is liquid. I’ve had him on chicken and rice for four days now. Finally this morning he had somewhat firmer poop (soft but held its shape, normal color) but it was accompanied by yellow liquid. The yellow liquid has been happening for a day or two now.
There were traces of blood previously but not so much anymore. The frequency he needs to poop has gone done quite a bit. Maybe three or four times a day versus pretty regularly (every two hours maybe) during the day and night.
Was going to add pumpkin to his food today.
Any other thoughts?
He’s a twelve year old miniature poodle mix and has otherwise had no real stomach issues.
Poor guy! Give him the pumpkin. It has fiber that pulls in excess liquids to help the stools firm up and generally starts working quickly. In cases of diarrhea like this, it is not uncommon to see traces of blood. It would also be helpful to add some plain yogurt to his food to put good bacteria back into his gut.
My dog suddenly started vomiting today a white thick foam and then about an hour later she had diarrhea which was thick in mucus with hints of blood in it. She had numerous bowel movements outside but very little came out it cause her to tear her rectum causing a little bleeding. Can anybody help me understand what is happening? These symptoms came out of nowhere and I’m so worried for her. My sister says to wait 24 hours before taking her to the vet to see if she improves.
Could she have eaten something you don’t know about? You can give her some plain yogurt or even some Pepto-Bismol to soothe her stomach. But watch her bowel movements to see if she continues to strain. If so, she may have something stuck. The mucous occurs naturally to protect the digestive tract from the stomach acids.
This post has been very helpful but I am curious if you have any other insight. I have a 10 year old, 12lb schnauzer / poodle mix. For the past 48 or so hours, her pooping habits have been unusually frequent, watery (possibly greasy) and foul smelling. Usually, she poops 1-2 a day, but in the past day she’s pooped/peed 5+ times. She rarely poops in the house (we have puppy pads out for when we are at work during the day) but has done in the past day. She does not seem to be straining and her drinking and eating habits are normal. Her energy levels are normal excluding some “annoyed” sounding squeaking or whining if we are up and she needs to be let out again.
I am watching her closely. The only cause I can think of is that I noticed she got into a burger wrapper two days ago before the odd poop habits started. I am unsure if she just licked or ate the paper wrapper or if there were food bits (onion, tomato, lettuce, etc) she ingested as well. There has been no vomiting which is usually the case when she eats something that does not agree with her (and it is usually instantaneous).
Based on advice I’ve read tonight, I am going to withhold food for the next few hours, then start again with rice, pumpkin, chicken, etc. If this does not improve, I will call her vet when they open on Monday. In the meantime, any other insights are appreciated.
Sorry for the delay getting back to you. I am in Texas and we have been dealing with Hurricane Harvey.
How are things with your dog now? It sounds like a temporary stomach upset. Plain yogurt will add good bacteria back into her stomach to help fight whatever is going on there. Plain canned pumpkin has the fiber to bulk up her stools and even things out. Rice is slower to digest, so works to firm stools as well.
Hi! I have a female 7 year old crossbreeed dog (Shitzu and Spitz) named Chloe. 4 days ago we noted Chloe to have loss of appetite, with soft brown stool and she seems to be vomiting, but only saliva comes out. She seems lethargic and less active. But Chloe still drinks water
Next day we brought her to the vet.Vet said she has fever (39°C). Vet suggested she have CBC and fecalysis done but unfortunately their machines doesnt work at that time. Vet prescribed Chloe with Co-amoxiclav twice daily, Dextrose, Royal Canine Recovery dog food, & Nutriplus Gel.
I was able to give Chloe her antibiotic everyday. I was able to put a tsp of the Nutriplus gel on her mouth daily. She has been drinking her water mixed with dextrose but she doesnt eat the canned dog food. She instead eats little amounts of her usual dry dog food and also little amounts of boiled chicken that I cooked for her. 2 days ago her poop was watery with little formed stools, greenish/orange in color. Today, she pooped soft formed stool still greenish/orange in color
What food do you think should I add in her diet to encourage her to eat more? Chloe used to eat a lot. We used to give her table food, bread or dry dog food. Thanks for your help!
With her eating just little bits at a time, it sounds like she has an upset stomach for some reason. Is she eating grass when she goes outside? Is that maybe the green you see in her stools?
It sounds like her stools are starting to firm up slowly, but you can add plain canned pumpkin to her food. The fiber tends to even out stools — it works when they are too firm or too soft. Also plain yogurt or other probiotic will add good bacteria back into her gut and that should help.
As for a food that she will eat… when all esle fails, dogs seem to like Friskies Turkey and Giblets canned CAT food. Yep, cat food.
My 11 year old GSD has a yellowish liquid coming frequently from his anus. 2 days ago he acted as if he had hurt his back(this happens more often lately when he runs with the dogs next door).
Then he started squirting very runny diarrhea. Now it is this VERY frequent yellow liquid. He acts very sad and is not eating. I tried cottage cheese with rice (as i normally do when he gets diarrhea) but he is not wanting to eat much of it. He is drinking normally. This has gone on for 24 hours now.
Any advice?
If his stools were normal and he was excreting yellow liquid, I would think it might be coming from his anal sacs. They can get infected and if they do, he may seem like his back hurts when it’s actually his butt that hurts.
But if he has diarrhea now and is not eating much, he could have an upset stomach. Maybe he ate something when he was out running. You can give him some pepto bismol. The recommended dosage is 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds. It can be offered to the dog every 6-to-8 hours, but if your dog still has the sdiarhhea after a few doses, stop the medication and call your veterinarian.
You can also add plain canned pumpkin to his food. The fiber in the pumpkin draws up excess liquid and firms the stools.
You may want to restrict his activity and reduce his water intake a bit for a day as “liquid in, liquid out” if he is not eating.
My Caucasian puppy is not eating and has loose stool, when i checked, he’s stool is mixed with sand and small stones. He is very weak and this is the second day he has not eating. I’m worried, please what should i do?
For some reason, he is eating dirt. Is he getting enough to eat? Does he have an upset stomach that caused him to eat dirt? Is he left unattended outside for extended periods? How long have you had him? There can be several reasons he is eating dirt.
Is he drinking water?
If he is very weak, my first suggestion is that you get him to the vet asap. He could develop a blockage from the sand and dirt that might eventually prevent him from pooping.
You can give him a small amount of pepto bismol to coat his stomach. The recommended dosage is 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds. It can be offered to the dog every 6-to-8 hours, but if your dog still has the soft stools after a few doses, stop the medication and call your veterinarian.
You can also try a small amount of vegetable oil or even milk on a piece of bread.
Are you feeding him dry food? Try canned food. Sometimes Friskies canned cat food works when other canned dog food won’t.
If you can’t get him to eat very soon, you need to have a vet check him out.
Hello,
Last week, my 1 year old bishon frise kept vomiting white foam like liquid. He seemed to have healed but then began to only poop in the nights (3am, 6am). Prior to this, he pooped 2-3 times in the daytime. Today, he began to have yellow, liquid poop. Little amounts every few hours.
We have not changed his diet. He eats boiled chicken and broth, and natural kibble.
What could be the cause of this and how do I fix this?
Not sure what it is. Is he eating and drinking as normal?
You might give him some plain yogurt or other probiotic to put good bacteria into his gut. You can also give him some plain canned pumpkin (no spices) to even out his stools — maybe 1 teaspoon twice a day. Pumpkin contains soluble fiber, which will help slow your dog’s digestion, and can help manage diarrhea by absorbing water. It actually works on constipation, too. You will usually see an improvement in a day’s time.
Hello. I have a 6 year old English Mastiff that has had diarrhea for 6 days now. I’ve given her rice mixed with wet food and it seems to help some because her stool is not watery anymore but stil not solid. I gave her pumpkin for a couple of days and that seemed to help. I really can’t afford to take her to the vet at this time. Should I introduce yogurt to her diet next? Please help! Concerned about her health because she is losing weight!
Given that this is causing weight loss and doesn’t seem to be going away, a visit to the vet to determine the source would be the best course of action. There’s obviously something going on.
Has she been de-wormed? Internal parasites can cause diarrhea. Are you seeing any worms or blood in her diarrhea? One concern when a dog has diarrhea is dehydration because she is losing more liquids than she normally would, so you want to be sure she has plenty of fresh water and you want to be sure she is drinking it.
Yogurt is a good idea — the plain kind. It adds good bacteria back into her gut.
You can also try pepto bismol. The recommended dosage is 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds. It can be offered to your dog every 6-to-8 hours, but if your dog still has diarrhea after a few doses, stop the medication and call your veterinarian.
The big thing is locating the source of the problem. We’ve talked about treating the symptoms, but you still need to find out the cause — internal parasites, change of food, did she get into something she shouldn’t have, etc. Good luck.
I have a black lab and she started having diarrhea a few days ago. I read up about giving her yogurt. She is still acting normal but the diarrhea has continued and it is an orange/ yellow in color. I gave her some minties and some pills for her joints. Not sure if this was it or something else.
I’m sorry, I don’t know what minties are. Is she eating and drinking normally? Any change in her food? Did she go anywhere new or get into anything? Has she been de-wormed? An intestinal parasite is possible.
The yogurt will put good bacteria back into her stomach and that often helps things out. However, you might try plain canned pumpkin (no spices). The fiber in the pumpkin tends to even things out and usually works for diarrhea or constipation. It generally starts to work in a day. Just add a tablespoon of the pumpkin to her food twice a day.
If there is no change, you should have your vet check her out. And make sure she has access to plenty of fresh water. Diarrhea can sometimes lead to dehydration.
Anxiously awaiting the arrival of a anti-parasitic I ordered online, an 8-in 1 dewormer from chewy.com yesterday. Something that will kill “flat worms, and/or flukes” (after reading up so much on the long-shot, last-ditch Heterobilharzia possibility, it’s difficult to recall exactly what the little nasty bastards are called)
The only certainty now is that this will be the last thing we try for my sweet angel before her health makes a hopefully major turn around or we let her down as gently as we now possibly can.
we don’t want her to suffer anymore than she already has.
She still doesn’t seem to be experiencing any “pain”, no moaning crying whining or groaning- though of course she is extremely weak (took 4-5 tries to get on the couch yesterday, which she hasn’t attempted at all in the last month) and I know she is tired physically, emotionally and spiritually. I just couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do everything within my means reasonably to help strengthen my incredible little bearded lady.
If this is not a parasite.. If the de-wormer (3 vets with their 5 different courses of treatment)
fails her then I will resolve myself to it being some kind of cancer, tell myself there was nothing I could do from even before the beginning of this living nightmare. I will let her sleep. Let her rest.
For the remainder of my life I will have a Scruff shaped retched pain and loneliness knowing that she passed far, far too soon, but maybe if I keep myself busy- enough time will go by and we can be together again, and I’ll NEVER have to say goodbye to her and more importantly she can be happy and healthy for all of eternity.
No more pets for me, this dog has all the love I had to give.
Best of luck to each of the desperate parents of four-legged children everywhere experiencing soul-crushing health crises of their own.
Has anyone looked at her throat? Could there be something going on there that makes it uncomfortable for her to eat? Does she seem to have any difficulties swallowing when you syringe feed her? And similarly, is there anything affecting her butt.
I had a dog, Maxwell, who had megaesophagus. Feeding him was an incredible challenge. Everything was chopped down in a blender. He seemed fine and he seemed like he wanted to eat, but something stopped him. He eventually had to be fed in a Bailey chair which held him upright until gravity took his food into his stomach.
I also have a dog, Alice, who has had issues with anal polyps. She is a frustrating challenge to feed everyday, twice a day and continues to lose weight, but seems happy. I soak her kibble until it is really soft and put canned cat food on top when canned dog food doesn’t work. Sometimes I put cooked chicken or chicken liver on top. Most of the time it works. Some days, she eats only once a day, sometimes not all day, and sometimes ravenously twice a day. I also supplement her food on occasion with Dyne, a high calorie liquid supplement.
Her appointment this morning ended with the Vet ruling out liver damage/issues. Scruff is losing protein through her kidneys and there is now some blood in her urine.
Vet said that euthanizing her is an understandable stance but that there is one more test we can try, she says it might be a parasite of some kind. For the past few years she hasn’t seen this parasite hardly at all but within the last six months she’s seen it over 4 times. So she thinks it’s Scruff’s best last hope before we talk about putting her to sleep. We need to collect a stool sample and bring it on to be sent off for evaluation. A titer test is the name of it, hopefully this fecal test will find something. She says if it is this parasite that it is curable. …IF that’s what is wrong with Scruffles. It is something called HemaBilharziasis???? A parasitic worm from stagnant water infestation but I told the vet we are diligent about overturning volumes of water because of the gross mosquitoes larvae and how they hatch from those undisturbed water sources. We need a decent/firm stool sample from Scruff to send it out for testing. This may be her very last shot =( it’s just so frustrating when they all rule out the other VEts diagnoses and come up with something totally new. She is 22 lbs today =(
I brought in her stool sample Scruff so generously provided us sithy and paid to have the results expedited, hopefully we will know tomorrow or Saturday if it is this parasite.
She says if it is not a parasite then she will test another blood sample for histoplasmosis. Then she can offer the exploratory surgery/tissue biopsy route but I think she’s too weak for something so invasive, YA know? All we can do is keep praying and keep encouraging (syringing down her throat) food. Best of luck to all the emotionally exhausted pet parents here
Foodwise, have you tried cooking chicken liver for her? Or even Friskies Turkey cat food? These generally work when I have a dog being fussy. And for what it’s worth, at my house chicken liver is preferred over beef liver. And sometimes fish flavored cat food works.
Hugs to you guys… and our thoughts are with you and Scruff for some answers, GOOD answers.
Hi Isak, Its been a while.
I wanted to give you and any other readers who may be having the same issues and update on my precious angel Scruffles-
Scruff continues to shock and surprise us… after not being able to keep food down for nearly a month with the exception of baby food and broth- and l on top of just being flat-out uninterested / disgusted by food, these past six or seven days she’s been able to hold down everything she has eaten!!
she has become visibly much thinner of course, I’m starting to see her ribs, however her appetite seems to be returning and psychologically perhaps she is more confident in her abilities to keep food down.
diarrhea is still an issue however she has had one large solid form bowel movement last week and I am trying not to over do it with the pumpkin (cuz of the possibility of Vitamin A poison) but I believe it is helping. A tricky issue I’m having now is trying to find the perfect combination of forcing food (mainly pumpkin, egg, probiotics and Greek yogurt mix) on her and letting her decide when to eat on her own.
I have been scouring the internet like a mad woman and I’m now convinced that her issues are predominantly liver related so I ordered some milk thistle (was giving capsules but have switched to alcohol free dropper) as well as some other liver defense products (from Sprouts)
and have noticed an almost immediate increase in her interest in outside things, people, food and other dogs.
Next when I’ve saved another $300-400, is a trip to another vet- but this time I am insisting we focus testing and
treatment on the liver..hopefully I can get that money together by the end of next week.
I was so beaten down and defeated I dug a her a grave on my land and have booked an cancelled two appointments to euthanize. As I’m writing this, she picked up and gobbled three decent sized bites of chicken meat, and I am trying to hold back tears of joy. We are not out of the woods but her attitude this past week is making my heart sing!!!!!
This is such great news! The BEST I have heard all day! I am so happy for you and the bright happy wonderful Scruffles! It sounds like she’s doing her best to get through this. Please do keep us posted on her progress.
I firmly believe our companions will tell us when it’s time to let them go. And I don’t think Scruffles is planning on going anywhere just yet. 🙂
I wanted to thank you once more for your time.
We are laying my precious smart sweet Scruffles to rest this week.
We want time to love on her but refuse to let her feel pain or be scared.
She will be one week shy of her 5th birthday.
My heart is ruined.
Best of luck to all the other dogs and owners mentioned on this thread.
OMG! I am in tears reading this. Was any conclusion ever reached as to what is going on? Do you want to speak to her through a communicator before she goes. If so, contact Diane Samsel. She’s great. And sometimes it helps at these moments to understand each other. I am so, so sorry. Hugs to Scruffles.
I think it is important to note that the entire time this has been going on (to the best of my calculating could have started around M 4/3) as well as before Scruff is waking down the 14 stairs or getting off the couch to walk outside to drink out of a bucket of rain water (we have two other water stations in the house we have two cats And they all have their choice of water types tap or rain water inside or outside- but she seems to by hydrating well enough on her own.
Each day she she takes 3-5 trips to the bucket to lap up about 30 laps on average each trip. Scruffles’ water intake these past sick/ill weeks have not changed in volume to the best of my knowledge.
She urinates 2-3 times a day, though her stream is not super strong (like when you’ve been holding it in for a while) that also has not changed much overall. Its not dark yellow, its on the lighter shade of yellow.
Those sound like good signs.
Isak says:
April 22, 2017 at 12:44 am
Generally a capsule or pill takes 20-30 minutes to break down. If you wrap it in food, it takes longer as the food has to be digested to expose the pill or capsule. Thank you for that clear response.
If she is interested in and holds down canned food, I would consider going a wet food route with her. Maybe migrate to a high quality puppy version (doesn’t have to be sensitive care) for the extra calories for now.
Thank you! I am very worried about her caloric intake! Im glad to know puppy food has more.
Perhaps she will ultimately be satisfied with a combination of canned food and moistened kibble.
I would pay for gold coated diamonds if she could hold them down and they had nutritional content of any kind.
I am gonna get those food items you mentioned, I will try any kind of combination of foods as long as she can keep I down and it Will help nourish her.
There is a product by Freshpet that is sold at Walmart and Target (and some pet stores and grocery stores) in a refrigerator case in the pet food section. It comes either in a tube that you chop up or in a bag that you just scoop out. I have a couple dogs that eat either version of this food on top of moistened kibble. Alice is a senior with some health issues and she loves this stuff. You might give it a try, too. Here’s what it looks like. It smells pretty good, especially the bagged version.
I feed kibble with canned or Freshpet on top, but I moisten the kibble first. I feed both cats and dogs this way. I did she that FreshPet at Kroger the other day so I’ll have to bring it home to see how she likes it.
Her bowel movements are about what I would expect from what you have said. Pumpkin is the great equalizer. Because of the fiber in it, it works for both soft and hard stools and generally does so after a few doses (about a tablespoon a couple times a day). I am trying to incorporate pumpkin, she wants nothing to do with it. Would you advise mixing some canned pumpkin with some chicken broth and syringing it in her mouth/down the hatch? 3-4 times a day? The syringe is only 15ml yes, ML so she would not be getting much pumpkin with broth in one sitting but I will administer the amount as many times as I can get her to take it and keep it down.
The plain yogurt will be good for her because antibiotics tend to clear out all bacteria, including the good bacteria her gut needs. She was a dairy lover up to four weeks ago, maybe she will take to the plain yogurt, her stomach is still just so sensitive, my sweet angel. Any specific brand? Or Greek yogurt?
With her starting to eat again, I think she is heading in the right direction. You might watch her bowel movements to see if anything comes out that explains her stomach upset. I am documenting her every breath these days. So i will continue to monitor her BMs closely.
I don’t know what flavor kibble you are feeding, but it could actually be that she doesn’t like it. Or maybe it doesn’t agree with her.
Carnivorous pets have not evolved to digest and assimilate foods like corn, wheat, rice or potatoes – yet these are the foods that the vast majority of pet food manufacturers use as primary ingredients in their formulas. Fortunately, dogs and cats are extremely resilient creatures. They can generally tolerate these foods for a long time, but that is not always the case. Maybe your pup is one of the exceptions.
Let us know how things go with her.
Again I so appreciate your time and very very thoughtful help. I will keep you updated, thank you so very much.
She doesn’t need much pumpkin, so syringing it with some broth should work. You can even add the plain yogurt to the food you syringe. As for which yogurt, you want the yogurt with the least sugar in it. The Greek may have more calories, so maybe it will be better.
ISAC:
Did your vet reached any conclusions on the cause for this behavior? First vet said blockage or ingested toxin. Prescribed oral antibiotics to a dog that couldn’t hold anything down. Now that she is able to hold *some small amounts of RX wet dog food I/d sensitive care chicken, I am going to incorporate antibiotics dosage and pray she can hold it down. How long will antibiotics take to absorb in her system should she vomit soon after taking them?
Often a dog will not eat because their stomach is upset enough that they would rather not eat. So my thinking is, why is her stomach upset? Is she eating the canned food better than she ate the dry food?
Yes. She is interested in and even eats and holds down RX canned I/d sensitive care chicken as where she will not even glance at her dry food anymore but I leave it there as an option.
If so, have you tried adding water to her dry food and letting it sit for about 10 minutes until it softens, then offering it to her?
I have not tried this by I will as she is eating a holding down more, I will slowly incorporate dry food softened ten minutes by warm broth.
If not, I think we are back to a problem in her stomach or digestive tract. Have you tried adding plain yogurt to her food to put good bacteria back into her gut to see if this will help her stomach feel better? Maybe add some plain canned pumpkin as well for the fiber to create a balanced stool. I have not yet tried yogurt or pumpkin but I will buy both in the morning.
How are her bowel movements? 35-40% firm. 60-65% runny. Poop smell. Brown no green or yellow.
How is her weight? She was 37.5 forever now she’s 32.2 =(
Have either vets x-rayed her digestive tract to see if there might be a blockage — even partial — that is causing these symptoms?
Yes. First vet said possible blockage with one side view xray And second vet ruled out obstruction with one aerial and one side view xray.
I’m sorry, but at this point I have more questions than tips. I just appreciate your time
Generally a capsule or pill takes 20-30 minutes to break down. If you wrap it in food, it takes longer as the food has to be digested to expose the pill or capsule.
If she is interested in and holds down canned food, I would consider going a wet food route with her. Maybe migrate to a high quality puppy version (doesn’t have to be sensitive care) for the extra calories for now. Perhaps she will ultimately be satisfied with a combination of canned food and moistened kibble.
There is a product by Freshpet that is sold at Walmart and Target (and some pet stores and grocery stores) in a refrigerator case in the pet food section. It comes either in a tube that you chop up or in a bag that you just scoop out. I have a couple dogs that eat either version of this food on top of moistened kibble. Alice is a senior with some health issues and she loves this stuff. You might give it a try, too. Here’s what it looks like. It smells pretty good, especially the bagged version.
I feed kibble with canned or Freshpet on top, but I moisten the kibble first. I feed both cats and dogs this way.
Her bowel movements are about what I would expect from what you have said. Pumpkin is the great equalizer. Because of the fiber in it, it works for both soft and hard stools and generally does so after a few doses (about a tablespoon a couple times a day). The plain yogurt will be good for her because antibiotics tend to clear out all bacteria, including the good bacteria her gut needs.
With her starting to eat again, I think she is heading in the right direction. You might watch her bowel movements to see if anything comes out that explains her stomach upset. I don’t know what flavor kibble you are feeding, but it could actually be that she doesn’t like it. Or maybe it doesn’t agree with her.
Carnivorous pets have not evolved to digest and assimilate foods like corn, wheat, rice or potatoes – yet these are the foods that the vast majority of pet food manufacturers use as primary ingredients in their formulas. Fortunately, dogs and cats are extremely resilient creatures. They can generally tolerate these foods for a long time, but that is not always the case. Maybe your pup is one of the exceptions.
Let us know how things go with her.
Hello, my 4 year old terrier Shepard mix has been vomiting or regurgitating her dry dog food. (been on this 50lb bag for about two months and a 50lb bag usually lasts her three months she has had this brand twice before so no sudden change in her dry dog food diet). Very very slowly she is now starting to want to eat again (prescribed I/d sensitive care chicken wet canned food) where as when this episode started she would avoid food for ten days because she was afraid to vomit, she knew she would. She is up and moving when she wants to bark at a cat or maipman but is VERY lethargic the rest of the day. She gets up to pee and poop outside and also drinks about 30-50 laps/sips/mouthfuls of water 2-3 times each day (not much of a jange in water in take, but its was hard for her to hold water down for the last 14-5 days). Been to 2 vets and am about to start introducing The round of antibiotics prescribed by the last vet only . any tips would he appreciated
Did your vet reached any conclusions on the cause for this behavior?
Often a dog will not eat because their stomach is upset enough that they would rather not eat. So my thinking is, why is her stomach upset? Is she eating the canned food better than she ate the dry food? If so, have you tried adding water to her dry food and letting it sit for about 10 minutes until it softens, then offering it to her? If not, I think we are back to a problem in her stomach or digestive tract. Have you tried adding plain yogurt to her food to put good bacteria back into her gut to see if this will help her stomach feel better? Maybe add some plain canned pumpkin as well for the fiber to create a balanced stool.
How are her bowel movements? How is her weight?
Have either vets x-rayed her digestive tract to see if there might be a blockage — even partial — that is causing these symptoms?
I’m sorry, but at this point I have more questions than tips.
Hello! Odd situation here…our 7 month old English lab has had an unremarkable history – except for serious anxiety when left alone. That continues to be an issue but not the reason for my question today. Since 4/14/2017, he has inconsistently had small in quantity (about 3-5 TBSP) additional, looser bowel movements minutes after his regular stools. His schedule, diet, level of exercise hasn’t changed, just these additional looser squirts at the end of his bowel movement. Can this be indicative that he needs less food? Thank you.
It could be related to the quantity of food he is eating. Has he been de-wormed recently? Internal parasites could also be a source. You might add some acidophilus or other probiotic to his food and even some plain canned pumpkin (it contains fiber that evens out bowel movements).
Good luck with the separation anxiety. If you are inclined, you might have an animal communicator work with him. I have worked with them in the past and found them quite effective. I have used Diane Samsel on several occasions with great results.
My puppy is 2 months old a cockerspanial terrier mix she was fine yesterday and today she took a turn for the worse … She started out just sad and depressed acting then I got some deworming medicine and Pedialyte got home and she was foaming out her mouth and so I went to give her a bath hoping that would make her feel better and noticed her butt had a light brown blood tinted yellowish color diarrhea or leakage … So I gave her the Pedialyte and deworming meds and a bath but I’m scared she won’t make it through the night help please I’m broke so a vets outta the question unfortunately
I’m sorry I missed your message last night. How is your puppy doing this morning? Does she stay indoors? If so, did you find any stools to see if they may be soft? The deworming meds could make them soft as well. And depending on the coloring in her food, that can make her stools seem red tinted.
If she has eaten something she shouldn’t have when no one was looking, it could have upset her stomach. And with an upset stomach, she may appear sad and depressed as you mentioned. If that’s the case, keep an eye on her to see if she passes it on her own or if it has become stuck and will require a trip to the vet.
We have a yorkie and poodle mix it has been two days and she hasn’t been acti e she has diarrhea with black and foul oder smell. What sould i do.
Part of your first sentence is missing. You said “she hasn’t been —“? Generally a black stool indicates the presence of digested blood in the intestines, or to internal bleeding that has passed into the intestine. It is not a disease but a symptom of some other underlying issue: maybe in the gastrointestinal tract, or the respiratory tract, or a blood clotting issue. The possible cause ranges from something she ate to an infection in her system to an ulcer/tumor among other things. You can add some plain canned pumpkin to her food to see if it helps the diarrhea, but if the color and odor continue, you should have your vet check her out to locate the source of the problem. The blood loss can be concerning if not addressed. They usually do a blood test and a urinalysis.
My dog is leaving cow patties in the yard for over a month. I have tried changing her diet, gave her dog diarrhea medication. Nothing is changing. Poverty so vet is not an option.
Has she been de-wormed recently? That may be the source of the problem. The cheapest was to handle that is to buy some FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth (usually sold where gardening items are sold or feed stores or even some pet supply stores, but be SURE it is FOOD GRADE). It is like tiny razor blades and slices the worms causing them to die. Just add a small amount to her food each day, then taper it off to maybe once or twice a week. It can also be used on the outside of your dog to kill fleas. Just be sure not to inhale it as it can cause irritation.
For the cow patties, try adding some canned plain pumpkin to her food. It adds fiber which usually helps whether an animal has diarrhea or constipation.
please help!
i have a dachshund puppy aged 9 weeks. He brought him home and he was very happy and lively 3 days later he took a turn for the worst he got diarrhoea and stopped eating and drinking. i took him to the vets straight away and they said he could have parvo. The vet said no point in doing a test for parvo because it can come back negative even though he has it.
there hasn’t been blood in his poo and he got fluids, anti sickness and antibiotics and when we got home he was sick twice. it was bile because nothing was in his stomach.
he then kept going in for fluids and then suddenly a dot a blood appeared and i admitted him to the vets hospital.
he has been there for 24 hours and has been on IV and still hasn’t eaten. The vets are still unsure if its parvo or not and I’m at a lost cause because they haven’t tested him for anything just giving him antibiotics and iv fluids.
i went to visit him today and he was crying his head off and he managed to eat a tiny bit when i was with him and encouraging him to eat.
his poo is now green and I’m not convinced he has parvo anymore and i think it might be something else.
please help as he has to come out of the vets hospital tomorrow as i can’t afford to keep him in there any longer. tomorrow will be day 5 of him being ill.
Without that nasty bloody diarrhea, you may be correct that it is something other than parvo. Does he drink water on his own or is all his hydration coming from the iv? If it’s through the iv, maybe they will show you how to administer it at home. The advantage when you have a dog who is vomiting is that you are administering fluids straight to the organs rather than going through the stomach where you risk him losing it from vomiting. I would imagine they would send you home with meds, too.
Could he have gotten into something during the first 3 days you had him? Was he fed a different food than he had been eating previously?
When you get him home, you want to make sure he stays hydrated, then work on getting him to eat.
My puppy is a cane corso boxer mix. She is for months old. She had had diarrhea for over a month off and on. She is on the same food she has always been on and before this fourth month never had diarrhea. Took her to the vet once for it and she does not have worms, he suggested it was something she may have eaten and also put her on an antibiotic for a few days. It is a very odd pattern of diarreah…maybe like one sold movement to two or three runny ones and it has been this way like I said for a month after she seen the vet for it the first time. Sheer always eats rocks sticks wood…basically every thing and any thing on the ground when she is out side. I try to remove it from her mouth as much as I can. Her runny stool is now a neon green color if smeared and very foul smelling. Her solid stool when she has it seems to be very dark brownish green. Any suggestions will help….I have read that if she had a rock or some other foreign object blocked in her intestines that she would have other symptoms but she eats well, drinks well, and over all healthy playful puppy. I have not tried the pumpkin yet as I have read in your other comments to people, do you think I should? And also any other ideas what could be causing this. Thank You
The green color could be from eating grass when she is outside. Dogs (and cats) will often do this to calm an upset stomach. Her diarrhea could be the end result of an upset stomach. I’m sure the rocks and sticks don’t help things much either, but puppies do that sometimes. Is she housebroken? If so, are the firmer stools the first ones of the day when she has held the urge overnight?
Since you have ruled out intestinal parasites, I would consider diet. Maybe you need to try a different flavor or a different brand or maybe a grain-free version. You can add pumpkin to her food everyday — about a tablespoon twice a day. It has fiber that balances out the stool whether a dog has diarrhea or constipation. You can also add some plain yogurt so she is getting the good bacteria in her gut replaced.
Is she eating dry or wet food? If she is eating wet, you could add some plain white rice to her food. It tends to digest more slowly which helps for firmer stools. Let us know how things go.
Hello,
My husky puppy has been having diarrhea for about 2 weeks now I took her to the veterinary and he said she had a fever he did a fecal exam and said she had no worms but he believed he seen Giardia but was sure he gave me meds and I’ve been giving yogurt meds are completed and she still has diarrhea idk what too do and I’m getting worried I already took her back to the vet he says she’s healthy but I don’t understand the diarrhea yogurt isn’t working either
Add some plain canned pumpkin to her food — about one tablespoon — twice a day. It should balance out her diarrhea. Yogurt adds good bacteria to her gut which helps diarrhea, but pumpkin works faster. You can still add the yogurt as well as the pumpkin.
My 6+ lb terrier mix year old rescue has very runny mucousy yellow diahrrea and strains to poop. Wants to poop frequently. Appetite is normal. Been spoon feeding her water. Had started feeding her small amounts boiled organic chicken with her wet food about a week ago. Giving her brown rice and chicken.
She has runny diarrhea AND strains to poop? Did she get into something she shouldn’t have? You can add plain canned pumpkin to her food — about 1 teaspoon twice a day. The fiber in the pumpkin seems to balance out poop whether it is too hard or too soft. It generally works in about a day.
Thanks for replying, his food wasn’t new but we change it alot like one day dry food, another day organic food,he hasn’t ate any grass and sometimes he eats cat food from our cats bowl. He started throwing up green too but now he seems a little better, his poop is still really watery but it turned brown. Thanks for your help
Hi I have a Yorkie pom at about 4-5 months. He just had a lot of diarrhea that turned into green liquidy poop like pea soup it didn’t smell though and now he seems tired. Nothing else seems wrong with him, he didn’t leave the house all day but maybe he ate something lying around.He just had some shots last week. I think he’s in pain I tried to make him drink water and he only drank a little he was completely fine earlier today. He also has green organic liquidy food but this has never happened before. What do you think might be the problem? 🙁 It’s my sisters dog, her life already sucks rn her dog can’t die
I’m a little confused…. his food is green? Is it new to him or has he been on it for a while? If new, that may be what you are seeing. Of if he has an upset stomach, maybe he ate some grass?
Shots can affect dogs in different ways and can throw them off their normal schedule. Some dogs do feel a bit lethargic and some can have stomach upset. You can add a teaspoon of plain canned pumpkin (no spices) to his food to firm up his stools. It has fiber in it that balances the liquids in his digestive tract. Also check the site where he got his shots to be sure there isn’t a bump indicating a reaction at the injection site.
My dog has has runny poop little mucas looking for a few days. I noticed discolored looking almost like blood stained. I am on second day of rice and seems to be better. Should I hold all food from her for 24 hours? The poop today was a little thicker. SHe is a 5 year old Pit. she still eats like normal and drinks.
Rice is slower to digest and that may be why you are seeing an improvement in her stool. The mucous is naturally occurring in the gut to protect the digestive tract from the digestive juices. A bit of blood is not uncommon when the gut is in distress, but keep an eye that it does not continue. Add some plain canned pumpkin to her food for a couple days and you should see additional improvement. It contains fiber and greatly helps even out stools. You can also add some plain yogurt or other probiotic to replace the good bacteria lost through runny poop.