Acute diarrhea is a common reason pet guardians rush their dogs to the vet. While it can be alarming to see your dog experiencing gastrointestinal distress, the good news is that acute diarrhea is often mild and self-limiting. In many cases, with the right approach, your dog will be back to their happy, tail-wagging self in no time. In this blog post, we’ll explore what acute diarrhea is, the common causes, and treatment options. We’ll also provide practical advice on what you can do at home and when it’s crucial to seek veterinary care. Let’s dive in and help your pup feel better fast!
Acute versus Chronic Diarrhea
Acute diarrhea can be characterized as one or more episodes of loose or watery stools. There are two main types of diarrheas, acute and chronic. Acute diarrhea comes on suddenly and lasts for a short period, often resolving within a few days. Chronic diarrhea, on the other hand, persists for weeks or even months and can indicate a more serious underlying health problem.
Causes of Acute Diarrhea
Several factors can lead to acute diarrhea in dogs, including:
- Stress: Just like humans, dogs can experience gastrointestinal upset when they’re stressed or anxious. Changes in their environment, such as moving to a new home or the absence of a family member, can trigger stress-induced diarrhea.
- Dietary Indiscretion: Dogs are notorious for eating things they shouldn’t. Consuming spoiled food, garbage, certain human foods, or getting into the cat’s litterbox can lead to digestive upset.
- Parasites: Intestinal parasites like roundworms, hookworms, and giardia can cause diarrhea. Regular deworming and fecal tests are crucial for preventing parasitic infections.
- Rapid Dietary Changes: Switching your dog’s food too abruptly can lead to digestive issues. Always transition to new foods gradually over 7-10 days. An example of a gradual diet transition might look like this:
- Day 1-3: offer 75% of current food + 25% of new food
- Day 4-6: offer 50% of current food + 50% of new food
- Day 7-9: offer 25% of current food + 75% of new food
- Day 10: offer 100% of new food
- Medication Administration: Some medications, especially antibiotics, can disrupt the normal gut microbiome and cause diarrhea. Additionally, certain medications when given together may result in drug-to-drug interactions which can also cause loose stool.
Treatment Options
Recent research has shifted the approach to treating acute diarrhea in dogs. While broad-spectrum antibiotics like metronidazole were once commonly prescribed, there’s growing evidence that supports using highly digestible diets with appropriate dietary protein and fat adjustments, as well as pre- and probiotics instead.
- Acute diarrhea in dogs can result in a large loss of water so encouraging water intake is important. Adding water to dry foods or feeding a food with a high moisture content such as wet or fresh foods can be beneficial for maintaining hydration during bouts of diarrhea. Your veterinarian will assess hydration status and in extreme cases may administer fluids as part of the treatment plan for your dog.
- Digestibility refers to how efficiently a dog can absorb nutrients from its diet. A highly digestible diet is one that is easy for your dog to breakdown in order to get to the nutrients. Some dog food categories generally tend to have higher digestibility, such as veterinary therapeutic diets indicated for gastrointestinal illness.
- Protein is an important nutrient that provides energy, building blocks, tissue repair and recovery, and has important role in inflammatory and immune responses for dogs, especially during a bout of acute diarrhea. Choosing a food with a moderate to high protein content that also uses a highly digestible protein source will be important. In cases where a reaction to food is suspected (i.e. food intolerance, allergy, or adverse reaction) your veterinarian may suggest using a food with a novel protein or a hydrolyzed diet.
- Another important nutrient is the dietary fat content. A high fat food is often discouraged because this can lead to undigested fats, increasing the risk of diarrhea, as well as nausea and vomiting. However, fats are very energy dense which can be beneficial for a dog who is reluctant to eat as it means we can feed less volume of food while still meeting the energy requirements of the dog. Dogs also tend to favour fat for taste and so a diet with a moderate fat content could help encourage a dog suffering from acute diarrhea to eat, while reducing the risk for further gastro-intestinal upset.
- Fiber has many important roles for the digestive system of dogs. Some types of fiber, both soluble and insoluble fibers, can help improve stool consistency which may be beneficial for diarrhea; however, some fibers can interfere with the digestibility and too much fiber can aggravate the gastro-intestinal upset; too much soluble fiber could lead to diarrhea and too much insoluble fiber could lead to constipation. Your veterinarian may select for a diet with a low to moderate fiber content and supplement the food with fiber, such as psyllium, to control the type of fiber for your dog during acute diarrhea.
- Pre- and Probiotics: These supplements help restore the natural balance of gut bacteria, which can be disrupted during bouts of diarrhea. Probiotics add beneficial bacteria, while prebiotics provide the nutrients these bacteria need to thrive. Interested in learning more about probiotics? Check out our blog post Probiotics 101!
Veterinary therapeutic diets indicated for gastrointestinal illness will often be a first choice; however, your veterinarian can also recommend over the counter options that meet these recommendations. Oftentimes, over the counter foods, such as those targeted for sensitive stomachs, are an option. Wet foods or fresh/frozen options that meet the above recommendations can also be great options depending on the specific needs of your dog. Speak to your veterinary team about complete and balanced dietary options that are gentle on the gastrointestinal tract and can provide easily digestible nutrients as well as pre- and probiotic supplements.
What Should You Do?
If your dog is experiencing acute diarrhea, here are some steps you can take at home:
- Provide Fresh Water: Diarrhea can quickly lead to dehydration. Ensure your dog has access to clean, fresh water at all times to keep them hydrated.
- Frequent Bathroom Breaks: Take your dog outside more often to prevent accidents and allow them to relieve themselves as needed.
- Reduce Potential Triggers:
- Minimize stress in the home by keeping your dog’s routine consistent.
- Avoid further dietary indiscretions by preventing access to table scraps, garbage, or non-food items that could irritate their digestive system.
- Speak to your veterinarian about fecal testing for parasites and appropriate parasite prevention strategies to help reduce the likelihood of future gastrointestinal issues.
- Diarrhea Log: Record the consistency of your dog’s stools by either taking pictures or using a fecal scoring chart (such as the one found here!) and count the number of days they have gastrointestinal upset. This is a helpful tool for your veterinary team.
- Consult Your Veterinary Team: Talk to your veterinary team about safe and effective pre- and probiotic products they recommend. They can also suggest highly digestible diet options tailored to your dog’s needs.
When to See Your Veterinarian
While many cases of acute diarrhea can be managed at home, certain signs indicate that it’s time to seek professional help:
- Persistent Diarrhea: If your dog’s diarrhea doesn’t improve after three days of feeding a highly digestible diet, consult your veterinarian.
- Blood in Stool: Blood can be a sign of a more serious issue that requires immediate veterinary attention. Please take pictures of your dog’s stool to share with your veterinarian.
- Black or Tarry Stool: This can indicate internal bleeding and is a medical emergency.
- Other Clinical Signs: If your dog is also experiencing vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, or other unusual symptoms, see your veterinarian promptly.
Acute diarrhea in dogs can be concerning, and with the right approach, it’s often manageable at home. Understanding the causes and following appropriate treatment steps can help your dog recover quickly. Always keep your vet informed, and don’t hesitate to seek their advice if your dog’s condition doesn’t improve.
Written by:
Tonia Palermo, BScH
Reviewed by:
Hannah Godfrey, BScH., MSc., PhD Candidate
Dr Adronie Verbrugghe, DVM, PhD, Dip ECVCN, Associate Professor and Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Endowed Chair in Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition
References:
Ellis C, Odunayo A, Tolbert MK. The use of metronidazole in acute diarrhea in dogs: a narrative review. Top Companion Anim Med. 2023;56–57:100824.
Stübing H, Suchodolski JS, Reisinger A, Werner M, Hartmann K, Unterer S, et al. The effect of metronidazole versus a synbiotic on clinical course and core intestinal Microbiota in dogs with acute diarrhea. Vet Sci. 2024;11(5):197.
Tanprasertsuk J, Perry LM, Tate DE, Honaker RW, Shmalberg J. Apparent total tract nutrient digestibility and Metabolizable Energy Estimation in commercial fresh and extruded dry kibble dog foods. Transl. Anim. Sci. 2021;5(3).
Grant C., Dodd S., Verbrugghe A. (2019). Chapter 12: Nutritional Approach to Acute Vomiting and Diarrhea. In J. Mott & J.A. Morrison (Eds), Small Animal Gastrointestinal Diseases (pp.84-88). Wiley Blackwell.