“Nobody can fully understand the meaning of love unless he’s owned a dog. A dog can show you more honest affection with a flick of his tail than a man can gather through a lifetime of handshakes.”

— M.K. Clinton

Dogs are more than your cuddle partners when running movie marathons on a Saturday night. They’re your four-legged therapists who only ask for pets, treats— a stick sometimes. Their love is selfless paired with unwavering loyalty. But let’s be honest, owning a dog isn’t always going to be waging tails and sunshine. Sometimes, you can wake up to an unpleasant surprise on your favorite rug. I’m talking about dog diarrhea. 

One of the least appealing aspects of being a pet parent is dealing with dog diarrhea. It could be a case of “garbage gut” or something more serious, what matters at the end of the day is how you handle it. Ready to dive into the stinky details that may make you scrunch up your face? Here’s a detailed 101 on what’s normal, what’s not, and how to help your dog(carpet too) recover.

What on Earth is Dog Diarrhea?

It’s a phrase no pet owner wants to hear, let alone smell. The condition is defined as passing liquid or loose tools in large amounts or more than normal. 

Before you head onto Google and misdiagnose your dog’s diarrhea, know this: diarrhea itself isn’t a disease. Sure, it can point out something more serious, but mostly, it’s nothing more than your pet’s stomach letting you know that they sneaked in some table scraps they shouldn’t. 

But, when should we call the vet, and when can you brace yourself for a few messy days? And even more importantly, how can you stop it before you start wrapping your entire house in plastic? Let’s dive in!

What are The Different Types of Dog Diarrheas?

Your dog’s poop is gonna smell and maybe make you gag and puke, but not all diarrhea is created equally. Your vet will likely ask you for details about your dog’s morning surprise so it is better to know beforehand what type it is. Veterinarians put dog diarrhea into four categories:

• Osmotic diarrhea: Osmotic diarrhea refers to when water moves into the GI (Gastrointestinal Tract). This creates a large volume of fluid feces. Lactose intolerance or even a high-fat meal can trigger it. With this type of diarrhea, pet owners would observe extremely loose, watery bowel movements. Making your dog fast helps in improving osmosis diarrhea. 

• Secretory diarrhea: Secretory diarrhea refers to when the GI tracts secrets a lot. It can be caused by certain bacterial toxins and viruses. With this type of diarrhea, dog owners won’t see abundant amounts of watery feces. Unlike osmotic diarrhea, fasting does not improve secretory diarrhea. 

• Exudative diarrhea: This happens when the GI lining gets damaged. Certain autoimmune diseases and ulcerative colitis can trigger this type. With this form of diarrhea, pet owners can expect to see blood and/or mucus in the feces. 

• Rapid intestinal transit diarrhea: This type of diarrhea occurs when a dog’s colon malfunctions by squeezing more intensely than normal, causing whatever’s inside to pass quickly through the GI tract. Quick bowel movements and rapid intestinal transit diarrhea result in watery feces.

Real-Life Scenario:

Meet Sun, a Golden Retriever (duh, that’s why he’s named that) with an insatiable appetite for everything from cuddles to food. One day, he managed to raid the trash can and feast on some leftover pizza crusts. Guess what? In the morning, his owner, Emily discovered not only that the trash was spilled everywhere but also some good ol’ osmosis diarrhea right next to the dog’s litter bowl. Needless to say, it was a long afternoon for a very tired dog parent.

Photo by Enis Yavuz on Unsplash

What Does Dog Poop Color Mean?

Color also tells a lot about what is happening within your dog's intestines. Chocolate brown is normal dog poop, but dog poop colors of orange, green, or gray can indicate problems with organs such as liver, gall bladder, or pancreas.

Black tarry stool in dogs is quite severe and can indicate internal bleeding. If you notice black tarry poop or red blood in your dog's poop, you should call your vet immediately.

When Does Dog Diarrhea Become an Emergency?

If your dog lets out a loose poop once and otherwise is their cheerful, healthy self, you can watch their condition at home. In other words, a single episode is nothing to panic over. 

Seek an emergency visit to the pet hospital or your vet if:

• You suspect or know your dog has eaten or drunk a toxin. 

• You suspect your pup has eaten something foreign

• Your dog may not be eating normally 

• They may not be as active as they are normally

• Their body temperature is higher than normal

• Your dog may have stomach pain

• Your dog vomits

• Your dog is a senior or puppy

• Your dog has a pre-existing health condition.

• Your day shows signs of dehydration such as dry nose, sunken eyes.

How To Check for Dehydration in Dogs?

1. Gum Check: Pale or sticky gum? RED GLAG!

2. Capillary Refill Time: Press and hold on to your dog’s gums, then release. If the color doesn’t return to normal in 2 seconds, call your vet.

3. Skin Turgor Test: Gently pinch the skin at the back of your pet’s neck. If it doesn’t snap back quickly, that’s a sign they’re dehydrated. 

Photo by Ryan Stone on Unsplash

What Causes Dog Diarrhea?

There are numerous reasons as to why your dog ruined your favorite carpet. Common ones include:

• Toxin ingestion: Pet toxins such as alcohol, chocolate and certain essentials can make your dog’s stomach upset.

• Switching foods: Suddenly changing what dog food your pet was having can make their GI upset.

• Dietary indiscretion: Eating foods meant for people or trash can cause your dog to develop diarrhea. 

• Allergies: Most dogs are allergic to chocolate. Other food allergies most commonly cause skin itchiness in dogs, but they can also lead to diarrhea. 

• Foreign body digestion: Sometimes, dogs can eat foreign objects, such as rocks, which can lead to diarrhea.

• Internal parasites: Stomach parasites, such as coccidia, hookworms, giardia, roundworms, or whipworms, can cause diarrhea.

• Infection: Viral and bacterial infections, such as parvovirus, canine distemper, or salmonella, can lead to GI upset, including diarrhea.

• Cancer: Cancer in the GI tract can cause diarrhea.

• Inflammation (swelling): Conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can cause GI upset.

• Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas can lead to diarrhea.

• Organ dysfunction: Kidney or liver disease can lead to GI upset.

• Stress: Stressful events, such as a veterinary visit or adopting a new pet, can cause your dog to develop diarrhea.

How Vets Diagnose Dog Diarrhea?

Vets diagnose the underlying cause of your pet’s diarrhea so that they can come up with a treatment plan that works. Diagnostics vets often use:

• History: Your veterinarian will take a detailed history to determine if your dog has been exposed to anything that may have triggered their diarrhea.

• Physical Exam: A thorough nose-to-tail examination helps your veterinarian assess your dog’s overall health and identify any abnormalities, such as fever or abdominal tenderness.

• Blood Work: Blood tests, including a complete blood count (CBC) and a biochemistry profile, can uncover issues such as kidney or liver disease, infections, and can also evaluate your dog’s hydration and electrolyte levels.

• Fecal Exam: A fecal exam can help detect intestinal parasites.

• Parvo Test: If you have a puppy or an unvaccinated dog, your veterinarian may recommend a parvo test to rule out this potentially deadly viral disease.

• X-Rays: In certain cases, such as a suspected foreign body blockage, your veterinarian may take X-rays.

• Biopsy: An intestinal biopsy may be necessary to diagnose the underlying cause of the diarrhea.

• Food Elimination Trial: If your veterinarian suspects that your dog has a food allergy, they may suggest a food elimination trial to identify the problematic ingredient.

What Are The Treatment Options for Dog Diarrhea:

Treatment for your dog’s diarrhea depends on the underlying cause. Potential treatments include:

• Diet change: If your dog is allergic to some food items, your veterinarian can recommend a good diet to help control their symptoms.

• Monoclonal antibody treatment: A monoclonal antibody treatment is available for puppies with parvovirus.

• Withholding food: In cases of dietary indiscretion, making your dog fast for 12 to 24 hours can allow the intestines to calm down.

• Antibiotics: In some diarrhea cases, antibiotics are prescribed to clear up or prevent a bacterial infection.

• Anti-parasitics: If your dog has intestinal parasites, your veterinarian will prescribe the right anti-parasitic.

• Fluid therapy: For moderate to severe diarrhea, fluid therapy may be required to replace lost fluid and correct electrolyte imbalances.

How Can One Prevent Dog Diarrhea?

Prevention is better than cure, and well…. diarrhea. Although not every dog diarrhea case can be prevented, to lower the risk of your canine catching one, follow the tips given below:

• Stay up to date with your dog’s vaccinations.

• Switch your dog’s diet gradually if you want to. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. Follow the 7-day transition plan: Day 1-2: 25% new food, 75% old and so on.

• Opt for year-round parasite prevention.

• Keep your garbage in sealed containers or in places that prevent your dog from getting into them.

• Make sure your dog stays away from fecal matter left by other animals.

• Keep your dog away from drinking from natural water sources such as ponds or puddles, or public dog watering bowls.

• Read labels to avoid feeding your dog any toxic ingredients.

• Tidy up your house if your dog is prone to swallowing foreign objects.

• Stop feeding your dog table scraps.

• Help your dog manage their stress levels.

Fasting Your Dog for Diarrhea Relief

Withholding food from your dog for 12 to 24 hours, and frequently providing fresh, clean water in small amounts can help clear the cause of the digestive upset and allow your dog’s gastrointestinal tract to settle. It’s usually the first line of attack for diarrhea. Before you decide to fast your dog for diarrhea, be sure that your dog is healthy enough to handle it—call your vet if you aren’t sure. Puppies and elderly dogs, for example, aren’t candidates for fasting. Also, a fast may not be appropriate for small dogs who do not have the physical reserves of their larger cousins. Always consult your vet if you have any doubts if fasting is right for your dog.

Diarrhea in dogs can lead to dehydration, so make sure to give your dog access to fresh, clean water at all times. You may also offer diluted unflavored Pedialyte to help maintain electrolyte balance, but only under a vet’s advice.

Homemade Remedies and Recipes for Dog Diarrhea:

After letting your dog fast for diarrhea relief, simple foods are usually slowly introduced to your dog’s diet. Many dog owners start with foods that act as binders, which can help normalize stool consistency. Some tried-and-true methods include:

• Boil good-quality white rice in plenty of water, drain out the grains, and feed your dog the cooled-down creamy white, starchy broth that remains. A dash of unsalted chicken broth or a spoonful of meat baby food can make it more appealing.

• Plain, cooked white rice

• Pumpkin can alleviate dog diarrhea. Canned 100% pumpkin puree you already have on hand, pet-safe pumpkin powder, or a pet-formulated canned pumpkin for dogs has the unusual distinction of working both for diarrhea and constipation. If you buy canned pumpkin at a store, make sure to check the label to ensure it's 100% pumpkin and not "pumpkin pie filling" that contains sugar and other stuff besides pumpkin.

• Plain yogurt with live cultures can benefit dogs who are able to eat milk and milk products.

• Probiotics to encourage live bacteria that support digestion (these are also present in yogurt)

• Boiled potatoes without the skin

• Plain, low-fat, low-sodium cottage cheese

• Plain protein foods like egg (cooked without butter or oil) or chicken (skinless)

• Herbs like fennel can have soothing effects on the gut

• Soothe stomach issues with some sensitive stomach dog foods that are available from some manufacturers. You might have to acquire sensitive digestion prescription dog food on prescription from your veterinarian.

What works for your friend's dog's diarrhea won't necessarily work for yours, so you may have to experiment a bit to discover the best formula when your dog has the runs. Writing down what works to halt your dog's diarrhea and what doesn't will be a good idea, too, so you'll know what to do in case your dog gets diarrhea again.

After you identify a recovery diet that works well with your dog's digestive system and doesn't trigger a relapse of diarrhea, you can gradually increase the serving size over a matter of days, then begin adding small portions of your dog's normal food until your dog's stool is once again normal.

Should You Walk a Dog With Diarrhea? 

If your dog only lets out a stinky poo once or twice a day, it’s okay to take them on a walk as usual. 

Otherwise, it’s a big fat NO! Just be sure that they don’t drink any water from natural sources. Also, the doggie cleanup may get a little messier than usual.

Dog Diarrhea FAQs

Should I be worried if my dog lets out stinky diarrhea but behaves normally?

Dog diarrhea, like human diarrhea, is a messy, unfortunate reality of pet parenthood. Although, in most cases, your dog will recover with time and some TLC, sometimes it may require a quick run to the hospital. 

Knowing when to wait, having a first aid kit, and when to act can help minimize the risk of your pup’s sudden gut surprises lying anywhere else except their litter bowl or the toilet seat. Keep your dog’s diet stable and healthy, hydration in check, and stress low, and you can easily minimize the risk of any gut surprises.

Here’s a quick check-in list:

• Is your dog showing any signs of dehydration?

• Is there any blood in the stool?

• Is your dog not eating anything and refusing food?

If your answer is yes to any of these, it’s time to call the vet. 

Remember! No matter how many how bad the mess can get(and the times you clean it up), your pup still thinks you’re the most beautiful/handsomest thing in the world.