Dec 13, Diarrhea in Dogs - Puppy or Dog Diarrhea Causes, Treatments and Preventive Measure

Diarrhea in dogs is a somewhat inevitable problem that you are going to have to deal with at some point or another.

Hopefully it's not too frequent, but it's something that is going to happen so it's best to prepare yourself and learn what you have to do to fix the problem when it occurs. Puppy diarrhea is often a bigger concern than diarrhea in dogs that are full grown, but both can be hazardous and neither should be ignored.

That's actually one of the main problems when it comes to diarrhea in dogs. Owners often think that it's nothing too unusual or out of the ordinary and there isn't any cause for concern. By and large there shouldn't be any serious problem but you never know, and you can't let the problem persist because there can be serious, complications and side-effects as time goes on and the problem is left unchecked.

First of all, there are two basic types of diarrhea in dogs. The first is acute diarrhea, which is a problem that comes up and lasts for a few days or even a week. There can be a variety of causes of this and most of them can be easily fixed. The other form you might encounter is chronic diarrhea, where the dogs have a persistent and long lasting problem. In this case, you'll certainly need the assistance of a vet to diagnose the underlying problem and develop a game plan for action, consisting of either medication, a change in diet or other treatments as well.

The main concern with dog diarrhea is that the increased, loose bowel movements can quickly lead to dehydration, which can be a very serious problem. This is especially true for puppy diarrhea, because their bodies are so small they can quickly lose a lot of water and fluids. However, it's a concern for dogs of all ages and you may need to take your dog to a vet for an IV of fluids after a particularly severe case, or an ongoing problem.

Acute diarrhea in dogs is something that just seems to pop up, which means it's usually caused by something the dog ate, or some other change. A very quick change from one type of food to another can cause the other, and even giving your dog new treats can lead to this problem. Additionally, your dog either stealing some or you providing certain foods that we eat everyday can lead to the problem as well.

Besides the food that is eaten, puppy diarrhea can also be caused by stress and other changes in the environment. For example if you have moved and your dog is now in a new home, the stress and the change can lead to digestive problems. Other major changes or unstable environments can produce the same effect. This should be a short lived problem that is fixed as the dog settles into the new environment or circumstances calm down a bit.

To help the situation you can switch your dog to a bland, homemade diet for a few days to get your dog nutrients and easily digestible food. Cook up some plain white rice and plain chicken, and mix it into a bowl with about 2/3 cup rice and 1/3 cup chicken. This bland diet should help get your dog on the mend but if it doesn't, and your dog isn't eating or drinking, it's time to visit the vet.

Puppy diarrhea can also be caused by certain pathogens like viruses, parasites and bacteria. A puppy of just a few weeks old having diarrhea likely has a problem with worms or coccidia, although other potential culprits include Giardia and Trichomonas. In any case you'll need to take your dog to the vet and have him examine a stool sample to determine the cause and provide a medication to treat it. A typical medication used to combat many bacteria and parasites is Flagyl.

For diarrhea in dogs that are full grown there can also be many other causes. There can be issues such as worms and the above bacteria and parasites, or your dog may suffer from a condition such as IBS - irritable bowel syndrome or Colitis, which is inflammation of the lining in the colon. These problems will typically cause chronic problems as opposed to short bursts of symptoms, and you'll need to take your dog to the vet.

As you can see there are many different causes for both acute and chronic diarrhea in dogs. In many cases you can deal with the puppy diarrhea on your own, but other times you'll need to got to the vet for examinations, medication or even an IV of fluids.

Dec 13, Dog or Puppy Vomiting Causes and Treatments - Symptoms like Illness, White Form, Diarrhea

Any owner of a dog has to deal with all kinds of problems and issues with their lovable pet, and puppy vomiting is certainly one of them.

When your pet has some dog vomiting, it can be hard to figure out what to do. Of course your puppy can't just walk over and describe what's the matter and what they need to be better. Therefore, you have to use your best judgment and understand what to look out for and what kinds of steps to take in order to help fix the situation.

One of the first things you have to do with puppy vomiting is try to find direct causes for it. If you puppy vomited white foam or yellow bile, this would mean that the puppy ate something that he wasn't supposed to. This could include types of foods which don't sit well with dogs or it could be completely inedible objects (undigested food) that they picked up off the floor or elsewhere. Whatever it is, if you can track it to something you may be able to quickly understand that this case of dog vomiting was just a one-time scenario and your dog will be fine immediately after.

Of course, lots of dog vomiting is caused when your puppy eats one of those inedible objects and then gets something stuck in their throat as a result. This is when you're likely to hear a lot of that retching sound as your dog tries to rid the obstruction from its body. As long as the dog can clear this out you won't have a problem. But if it continues or is physically affecting the dog and it seems like he is having difficulty breathing or moving around then you also need to seek out the vet immediately.

Switches in foods and diet can also be a cause of puppy vomiting. The stomach of all dogs, and of puppies especially, is very particular. They get used to certain kinds of food, in certain amounts. Eating substantially more or switching to different foods can cause a problem with their digestive system. In this case, you may want to avoid giving your dog food for just a short while, giving their bodies a chance to clear out a bit. Then a bland meal consisting of foods like boiled white rice and maybe a small bit of plain chicken will help them get back on track.

Puppy vomiting can also be a sign of a more serious illness or infection of some kind. So how are you supposed to know if it's just something that's passing from a change in diet or something wrong that was eaten, or if your dog is really sick? Well, one way to check is to see if it's prolonged. If the dog vomiting continues for several days then it would clearly seem that there is more to the situation, and you will need to seek out a vet for some assistance.

Also important is that if your dog is dealing with some kind of illness or infection then the puppy vomiting will only be one symptom and there could be many others. Other symptoms could include diarrhea in your dogs, fatigue and lethargy, irritations or dog hot spots on their body and so forth. In this case it's definitely time to seek out the vet and to see what they recommend for treatment.

A veterinarian has many different tools and medications at his disposal that he may choose to use for your sick dog. One of these is the medication Flagyl, used to combat bacteria and parasites that could produce vomiting. To induce vomiting, the vet may use something like Apomorphine, a medication that's dispensed via an eye dropper. Alternatively, your vet may seek out actions such as an IV of fluids to combat a lot of harmful vomiting, or may want to take x-ray pictures to see what's going on and if there's anything else involved.

Hopefully by now you have a bit of a clearer picture on puppy vomiting. Many different things can be its cause, and there are many different ways that you can try to combat dog vomiting. The most important thing of course is to just be watchful of your pooch, to try to understand the situation as best as possible for yourself and to always seek out assistance for anything drastic or prolonged.