How to Troubleshoot Runny Diarrhea in a Dog

Dogs can get diarrhea from a variety of causes.

Your dog's health is very important to you, and runny diarrhea in your dog can be a cause for concern. There are several causes for runny diarrhea ranging from your dog consuming something they shouldn't have to a chronic disease. If your dog is experiencing chronic diarrhea, it is important that you see a vet immediately. However, if your dog is suddenly experiencing runny diarrhea, there are some troubleshooting steps you can take to try to stop the diarrhea.

Instructions

1. Reduce the amount of food you typically provide your dog by half. Wait a day and observe your dog's bowel movements. Reducing food is a good first step in trying to cure or stop your dog's runny diarrhea.

2. Include some yogurt in your dog's diet at each meal. You can include 1 to 3 tbsp. of yogurt with each meal. Yogurt is known to soothe a dog's stomach, even though it does not provide any real beneficial bacteria.

3. Feed your dog a home-cooked meal instead of commercial dog food. Make sure that the food is bland and completely unseasoned. A home-cooked meal should include 1/3 meat, like plain chicken or ground beef, and 2/3 rice or other bland grain. Grains like rice tend to bind a dog's waste.

4. Try using a commercial solution if the previous steps were unsuccessful in stopping your dog's runny diarrhea. Products like Gastriplex have been known to help stop diarrhea.

5. Determine any factors that may be causing the dog excessive stress. If a dog has recently changed environments or experienced a traumatizing event like a dog fight, runny diarrhea may be the result. Do whatever you can to remove these stress factors from the dog's life.

Tips & Warnings

• Never withhold water from your dog because one of the biggest complications of diarrhea is dehydration.

References

• Well Vet: Treating Acute Diarrhea in Dogs
• Dog Breed Info: Diarrhea