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What Causes Dog Diarrhea – 5 Common Causes

What Causes Dog Diarrhea

Causes of Dog Diarrhea. It is not the most pleasant topic to talk about. But if you have a dog at your home, chances are you either cleaned up some of the runny poop or even removed some from you canine’s behind.Diarrhea is a quite common issue among dogs. Its impact, frequency, and duration can vary from dog to dog. Diarrhea is not a disease. Neither is it possible to completely avoid such a situation. But if you know the causes of dog diarrhea, it can help to reduce the frequency of your dog having diarrhea. With the correct knowledge, you can also reduce the duration of the runs when they do come.

So, what are the causes of dog diarrhea?

1)  Eating Spoiled Food

Dogs have a very strong digestive system. But sometimes, dogs do eat some things which even their digestive system finds hard to deal with. These items may be from trash cans or table scraps are referred to as “garbage gut”. Mostly, such cases are not very serious and it’s just a matter of a couple of days before everything settles down.

But, if your dog has eaten something extremely unhygienic, then the matter can get very serious. Your dog may develop pancreatitis and would need medical help.

2)  Abrupt Change In Your Canine’s Diet

Never change your dog’s diet abruptly. Your dog’s digestive system will not be able to take it and will result in diarrhea. The general thumb rule is that the change in the diet must be slow and gradual. Vets suggest that you must slowly reduce the old diet items and gradually introduce new items into your dog’s diet.

Let’s say your dog’s diet is a pie and each item in the diet is a separate piece of the pie. Each day take out one old piece of diet and replace it with a new piece. The entire shift to the new diet must be done in 7 to 10 days.

3)  Intestinal Parasites Can Cause Dog Diarrhea

Water sources such as puddles, ponds, and stagnant water are home to intestinal parasites. Animal stools may also have intestinal parasites. If your dog drinks contaminated water or eat stool, there is a threat that parasites might start to live in its intestines. This can be one of the leading causes of dog diarrhea. Diarrhea will look greasy, will have a lot of mucus, and will have a very pungent smell.

In such a case, straight away take your dog to a vet. Let the professional remove the parasite from your dog’s intestines.

4)  Allergic Reaction Your Dog Is Allergic To Something He Ate

If your dog eats something to which it is allergic, its system will not accept it. The digestive system will recognize the problem and will try to flush out those substances. This will cause your dog to have diarrhea.

If your dog is having diarrhea due to an allergic reaction, the symptoms could be

  • Watery eyes
  • Sneezing
  • Licking and chewing of paws
  • An itchy skin

Anything in your dog’s diet may have caused an allergic reaction. You will have to consult your vet to narrow down which item in the diet caused the problem.

5)  Your Dog Ate A Toxic Substance That Causes Diarrhea

If your dog has eaten something toxic, he would immediately start to have diarrhea. In fact, diarrhea is one of the first symptoms if something poisonous enters the dog’s digestive system. There are plants, flower and harmless looking indoor and outdoor plants that can make dogs sick. Below are just a few.

Things that are toxic for a dog include:

  • Honeysuckle
  • Mistletoe
  • Daffodils
  • Bluebells

Some everyday items which humans use can also be toxic and poisonous for dogs. Such items include

Concluding the 5 Common Causes Dog Diarrhea?

There could be multiple causes of dog diarrhea. If you think your canine friend has got into something that he should not of, then contact your vet.

If there are obvious changes such as a recent change to your dog’s diet it will likely clear up in a short matter of time. And, if there are any doubts at all or additional symptoms then it’s always best measure to consulting your vet. This will help to get clear on the real underlying problem for the possible causes of your canines’ diarrhea.