Why would my dog have diarrhea for 3 days?

When a dog has diarrhea, there are few symptoms that pet parents find more alarming (and possibly messy!) Our Baltimore veterinarians are aware that if your dog has diarrhea, you need a treatment right away. Here are a few of the most typical causes of canine diarrhea as well as some helpful remedies.

Over the course of their lives, many dogs will experience diarrhea for a variety of reasons.

Our canine friends frequently experience mild bouts of diarrhea, which can be brought on by mild intestinal distress. This is frequently the result of your dog eating a small amount of something that doesn’t sit well with them, like dinner table scraps, or simply because you switched to a new flavor or brand of food.

Despite this, your dog may experience diarrhea due to a variety of serious medical conditions. Our Baltimore veterinarians will list these issues today, suggest when to contact your veterinarian, and outline typical treatments.

How can you tell if your dog needs to go to the vet given all these potential causes?

Lyme Disease in Dogs: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Clubs Offering:

AKC participates in affiliate advertising programs that give websites a way to monetize their content by promoting and linking to akc. org. If you buy something after reading this article, we might get a cut of the sale.

Nobody likes to talk about it, but if you have a dog, chances are you’ve had to clean up a smelly brown puddle (or, to put it less politely, doggie “runs”) more often than you’d like to.

A common condition that affects dogs, diarrhea varies from dog to dog in frequency, duration, and intensity.

Although you might not be able to completely prevent diarrhea, learning as much as you can about it could help you reduce the frequency and duration of your dog’s unpleasant episodes. Fortunately, there are several over-the-counter remedies for dog diarrhea.

The digestive processes of dogs and people differ significantly.

For instance, the human jaw and salivary enzymes will begin breaking down a morsel in the mouth. Dogs, however, have mouths and jaws that are designed for tearing, crushing, and gobbling down food. They can tolerate substances that would send their human companions to the hospital because their salivary enzymes are primarily designed to kill bacteria.

Food enters the stomach in chunks after traveling quickly through the canine esophagus, where the majority of digestion occurs. Because canine stomach acids are roughly three times as powerful as human ones, they can digest food that is largely intact. Transit time from the mouth through the small and large intestines should typically take less than 10 hours, resulting in a firm, well-formed stool at the other end.

This well-balanced system can be upset by a variety of factors, leading to diarrhea or, less frequently, constipation. Some issues, like consuming excessive amounts of grass, are not at all serious Other symptoms, like an indigestible object (like a rock) lodged in the stomach or a disease like cancer, can be a sign of a life-threatening issue.

There are numerous causes for a dog to have loose stools, but these 12 factors account for the majority of cases:

Dietary indiscretion: Eating too much, eating garbage, or spoiled food. There’s actually a name for it in veterinary circles—“garbage toxicosis” or “garbage gut.”

Change in diet: It may take a few days for a dog’s digestive system to adapt to new proteins. That’s why many dog-food manufacturers recommend that you go slow when you switch from one brand of food to another.

Food intolerance

Allergies

Parasites: Most of these will cause illness in puppies or in adults with weak immune systems:

1. Roundworms
2. Hookworms
3. Whipworms
4. Coccidia
5. Giardia

Poisonous substances or plants

Swallowing an indigestible foreign body, like a toy or socks

Infections with common viruses such as:

1. Parvovirus
2. Distemper
3. Coronavirus

Bacterial infections, such as salmonella

Illnesses, such as kidney and liver disease, colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer

Antibiotics and other medications

Stress or emotional upset

Some veterinarians refer to this as “garbage gut. It indicates that your dog ate something that upset his stomach (possibly trash or table scraps). Despite the fact that most cases of garbage gut are mild, depending on what was eaten, your dog could develop pancreatitis, a more serious condition that needs medical attention.

Dehydration may be a concern if your dog’s diarrhea lasts longer than a day. Long-lasting diarrhea may be a sign that something is wrong with your dog’s health.

Your dog’s prescription may cause diarrhea as a side effect. NMDA receptor blockers and NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories used for pain relief), such as Rimadyl, Metacam, and Meloxicam, can both cause diarrhea. Frequently, the medication’s adhesive additive, or the binding substance (like lactose), is what is causing the diarrhea. Learn more about toxic medications for pets.

Animal feces and outdoor water sources (puddles, ponds, stagnant water) are where intestinal parasites are most frequently found. There is a possibility that your dog may have consumed parasitic cysts shed in the stool that allow parasites to live in his intestine if he consumes contaminated water or stool. This can result in diarrhea that appears frothy, greasy, has a lot of mucus, and has a very pungent smell. Your veterinarian will treat your dog to remove the parasite.

The symptoms of diarrhea in dogs include loose, liquid-like stools and frequent trips outside to relieve one’s bowels. Dogs’ diarrhea can start suddenly and last for a day or two all the way up to a few weeks or months.

FAQ

When should I be concerned about my dogs diarrhea?

However, if the diarrhea persists despite restricting food and then reintroducing a bland diet, it’s time to call your veterinarian. Even if they are otherwise acting normally, pets with persistent soft stools or persistent severe diarrhea should definitely be examined by a veterinarian.

Should I be concerned if my dog has diarrhea for 3 days?

Dogs’ diarrhea can start suddenly and last for a day or two all the way up to a few weeks or months. Dehydration may be a problem if your dog’s diarrhea lasts longer than a day. Long-lasting diarrhea may be a sign that something is wrong with your dog’s health.

Why does my dog have diarrhea but is acting normal?

If your dog has diarrhea but is acting normally and isn’t exhibiting any other symptoms, the problem is likely in the GI tract. This indicates that your dog most likely consumed an item that didn’t sit well with them or has a parasite infection.