Canine Diarrhea: A Complete Guide

If you have a dog, chances are it has had diarrhea at some point. Dog diarrhea is not only a disaster, but it is an indicator that something could be seriously wrong with your pet’s health.

Remember: Diarrhea that gets worse, becomes more frequent, lasts longer than 24 hours, or is accompanied by fever or lethargic behavior is an indicator that your dog needs to be seen by a vet right away. Don’t wait to call the vet: It’s much better to call and find out that your dog will be fine than to wait and find out that he left the symptoms untreated for too long.

Here are some common types of canine diarrhea and some of the things that could be causing your puppy or dog to suffer from diarrhea symptoms.

Yellowish or Greenish Color – This type of canine diarrhea often has a very unpleasant odor and can be runny in consistency. It is often an indicator that something your dog has eaten has traveled quickly through his system and that the body is trying to quickly eliminate it. If your dog has a habit of eating garbage or has found something unpleasant to chew on, such as a dead animal, this could be what is causing the diarrhea.

Yellowish With Mucus And Streaks Of Blood – Anytime you see blood in your dog’s stool, you should be alarmed. This type of diarrhea can indicate a bacterial infection such as Coccidia or Giardia. If it gets worse quickly and is accompanied by vomiting, it could be Parvo. Take your dog to the vet right away to give it the best chance of survival.

Diarrhea with blood and bad smell – Dog diarrhea with a lot of blood is usually an indicator of Parvovirus. When most dogs reach this stage, they have less than twenty-four hours to live, unless emergency treatment is administered immediately. Dogs with Parvo are lethargic and cannot keep anything down without vomiting. Bundle up your dog and take him to the vet right away.

Black tarry diarrhea – Diarrhea that looks black or tarry likely contains digested blood from the dogs own digestive tract. This could be an indicator of serious illness, and your vet will likely need to run a blood test to determine what’s wrong with your pet.

frothy diarrhea- Very light, frothy canine diarrhea can be an indicator of a bacterial infection, especially if it is yellowish or greenish in color. If your dog has no appetite, vomits or appears lethargic, and has watery or foamy stools, he may have an internal obstruction. Veterinarians extract things like bits of rawhide, strips of cloth, pieces of plastic from the trash or a toy the dog has destroyed, and even objects like coins from the dog’s intestines every day. Many dogs, especially puppies, ingest just about anything, so don’t be surprised if your vet wants to X-ray to see if there’s a blockage in cases like this.

Pale gray diarrhea – If your dog has very pale colored diarrhea on a regular basis, this could indicate that he has an internal disease. Pale dog diarrhea is often seen in dogs suffering from liver disease. The vet will probably run a blood test to see what is causing the diarrhea and then prescribe treatment.

Remember, parasites and bacteria can often be transmitted to humans and other pets through contact with contaminated surfaces. Talk to your vet about disinfecting your pet’s area, and be sure to get rid of anything that has come in contact with the diarrhea.