Related: The Best Probiotics for Dogs in 2020
As you explore probiotics, check out our always up-to-date list of the best probiotics for dogs. With so many brands on the market, we did our research to make picking the right one for your dog easy!
Treatment for canine diarrhea depends on what may be causing loose stools. Some things to keep in mind when administering care for dogs with diarrhea include:
Even the healthiest dogs will experience diarrhea at some point in their lives. With a gastrointestinal system similar to humans, dogs experience many of the same kind of health problems humans do, from stomach aches and flatulence to nausea and, unfortunately, diarrhea. While some incidences of diarrhea in dogs clear up on their own within a day or two, other cases will require additional treatment, such as probiotics for dogs and puppies with diarrhea symptoms, a safe and natural way to restore intestinal health, prevent dehydration and improve overall well-being of dogs.
A change in dog food brand can be one of the causes of diarrhea.
Dogs that have only one or two loose stools generally do not exhibit other symptoms. When dogs experience diarrhea for more than two days, the risk of dehydration dramatically increases. Although a dog with diarrhea may continue to drink water, the amount of fluids lost is greater than the fluid taken in. Signs of dehydration and other complications resulting from untreated diarrhea include:
Lethargy can be one of the symptoms of diarrhea in dogs.
Veterinarians diagnose the cause of dog diarrhea by:
To treat canine diarrhea that is uncomplicated by systemic disease, tumors or accidental ingestion of a toxic substance, veterinarians often recommend withholding food from the dog for 24 hours to allow the intestinal tract time to normalize and recover from whatever irritated it. Some may even suggest giving the dog some Pepto-Bismal. However, most dog owners care enough about their pet to know that giving dogs human medication is not in the best interest of their pet. Although humans share some similarities with canine physiology, non-primate animals often suffer harmful side effects from synthetic drugs that we can take without any problem.
To treat diarrhea, veterinarians often recommend withholding food from the dog for 24 hours.
With the emergence of serious clinical research over the past decade into the natural, restorative effectiveness of probiotics, dog owners have found that probiotics also provide a safe, healthy alternative to fasting or antibiotics for treating dog diarrhea.
A type of natural, living bacteria that supplement the beneficial bacteria within your dog’s system, probiotics are ingested orally and begin colonizing in a dog’s intestinal tract within minutes of ingestion. As they colonize, they start readjusting the bacterial imbalance in the intestines that causes dogs to have diarrhea while reducing bacteria motility and increasing the amount of “good” bacteria for rapid relief from diarrhea.
Supplementing a dog’s diet with probiotics can reduce the likelihood that the dog suffers diarrhea due to stress, chewing on outside debris or having an older, less vital immune system. In addition, giving dogs probiotic supplements also promotes production of short-chain fatty acids that work to inhibit growth of pathogens like Clostridium perfringens, salmonella and E. coli and helps prevent female dogs from suffering urinary tract infections.
Keep your dog happy and healthy with probiotics!