Dog Diarrhea Symptoms and Diagnosis

Diarrhea, very simply, can be defined as too much water in the feces. Too much water can end up in the feces several ways. These include:

In the case of over eating, the intestines become over full with food particles which do not allow the intestines to produce enough enzymes to break it down. With changes in food, the stomach and intestines are not given a proper period of adjustment, creating the inability to produce the proper enzymes for the new food. With stress as the factor, the dos stomach becomes upset, causing an extreme fluctuation in the type and amount of enzymes produced. All three of these situations compel the intestines to hold onto the food particles which then in turn hold on to water which the intestines can not absorb.

Intestinal parasites result in too much water in the intestines which also results in diarrhea. In addition, things such as E. coli and Salmonella can also bring about episodes of diarrhea.

For many dogs, diarrhea is caused by over eating, stress, eating from the trash and intestinal parasites and in many cases does not cause severe illness. However, diarrhea can be the result of a serious systemic illness and in this case should be taken to a veterinarian immediately.

Visiting the Veterinarian

For the most part, mild cases of diarrhea do not require a visit to the veterinarian as they usually resolve on their own. So, in mild cases, it is perfectly acceptable to wait to see a veterinarian for 24-36 hours after the first onset. However, if your dog is uncomfortable, has bloody or tar like stool or acts ill, it is imperative to seek the assistance of a veterinarian. Even if the diarrhea does not clear up right away, you have the peace of mind knowing that your dog has been examined for more serious afflictions.

The veterinarian will require a sample of your dogs stool. This can either be done by you simply collecting a fresh sample from home no older than 30-40 minutes before your vet visit. If this is not possible, your veterinarian can collect the sample in the office. After the sample is collected, it will undergo many different tests including:

A fecal flotation to check for intestinal parasites

Fecal Smear – This test searches for white and red blood cells as well as any unusual bacteria.

A fecal smear with abnormal bacteria (the ones that look like tennis racquets)

If a dog has had diarrhea for several days, has bloody diarrhea, seems to be very ill, or has other symptoms such as vomiting, its a good idea to have blood work and x-rays done. Both of these tests are used to check for other systemic illnesses that might be causing diarrhea.

Heather Fox is an experience veterinarian who is passionate about writing and sharing her knowledge. She has an online classroom at Clivir.com where she shares about Dog Health Symptoms and Dog Diarrhea Causes.