Diarrhoea In Dogs - How To Treat It?

Chronic diarrhea may be caused by dietary intolerances, parasitic infections, pancreatic diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, gastrointestinal diseases and cancer. Black, tarry stool or stool that has red streaks in it should never be ignored. Abdominal bloating or a painful response when the abdomen is touched could be caused by abdominal infections. If your dog has diarrhea for over 48 hours, you must consult a veterinarian immediately. Frequent vomiting is another cause for concern.

If your dog is passing loose stool and vomiting, you could starve him or her for up to 12 hours. This allows the gastrointestinal tract to rest and recuperate. In the absence of food, you could give your dog rice water made by boiling one cup of white rice in 4 cups of water for half an hour or until the water turns creamy. You could also add a little chicken stock to this rice water. If your dog appears weak, you could also give him a few licks of honey.

Both probiotics and prebiotics are helpful in treating dogs suffering from diarrhea. Probiotics encourage the growth of healthy gut bacteria and strengthen the immune system. They also help maintain the mucosal barrier in the digestive tract. Prebiotics are undigested by the body and are fermented into short chain fatty acids in the colon. This inhibits the growth of diarrhea-causing bacteria and helps maintain the fluid balance. Probiotics and prebiotics are often recommended to be used together.

Pumpkin is rich in fiber and can be very helpful in treating diarrhea. It also contains a number of important vitamin and minerals. Dogs can be fed fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin. The pumpkin fiber helps make stool firm and produces fatty acids that stimulate water absorption and lower the dog s intestinal pH levels. When using pumpkin to treat diarrhea, a dog can be given 1-4 tablespoons of pumpkin with their meals.