Change in Diet
Dogs’ digestive systems don’t always do well with sudden changes, and can sometimes cause diarrhea when switching from one type of food to another. Change your dog’s diet slowly to avoid the effects of diarrhea. Mix a little bit of the new food with the old, and add more daily.
Parasites
Giardia and Coccidia are organisms that attach themselves to the intestinal wall; they’re parasites but not worms. These parasites can affect how the stool looks, but there won’t be an obvious presence in the stool like with worms. Check with your veterinarian for a stool check to rule out parasites or worms.
Illness
Different illnesses can also cause digestive upset. If you notice that your dog is suffering from a lack of appetite, fever, and fatigue, or chronic loose stools, you’ll want to take them to your holistic vet as soon as possible.
How Do I Know If My Dog’s Stool Is Abnormal?
Now that we’ve discussed causes, it’s time to talk about the appearance of your furry friend’s poop. Learning the basics of stool appearance can teach you when your best friend needs help.
When you’re concerned that your dog is sick, look at their stool’s color, consistency, coating, and content.
Color/Consistency
How your dog’s stool looks and feels can tell you a lot about its health status. Most healthy stool can be varying degrees of earth tone colors. Seek veterinary assistance if your dog’s poop seems black/tarry or dramatically shifts in color from your pup’s norm.
Hard stool may mean your pup is slightly constipated or dehydrated, whereas loose/runny stool indicates diarrhea.
Coating
Healthy poop shouldn't have any coating. If your dog’s stool has mucus, it could be a sign of inflammation due to stomach problems, such as IBD, IBS, parasites, or colitis. It could also signify food allergies or changing a diet too quickly.
Worms
Some parasites can be visible to the naked eye in stool and look similar to rice or spaghetti, oftentimes moving.
Fur
If there’s visible fur in your dog’s stool, that can mean overgrooming is occurring. Overgrooming is a coping mechanism for allergies or stress.
Foreign Objects
If you notice something that shouldn’t be in your dog’s stool, like clothing, bits of plastic from toys, or grass, there could be objects stuck in the digestive tract. If you notice your dog is acting differently, then they may have an obstruction and should seek medical attention.
Natural Dog Diarrhea Home Remedies
Here are a few dog home remedies for diarrhea that you can do from the comfort of your home. Keeping your best friend relatively stress-free (easier said than done when they don’t feel well) is an essential part of their recovery. There’s nothing more comforting than being home.
Fasting
While it may seem cruel to not feed your fur baby for 12 to 24 hours, it helps with their diarrhea. Fasting allows the stomach to calm down and may help eliminate that which is causing the upset stomach.
Food
You can also battle diarrhea by providing the right food types. Nutritious but bland food is crucial for diarrhea recovery. It’s even better to mix it into a slurry for easier digestion.
Food that may help solve diarrhea problems are:
Feed your dog this bland diet for a few days and when you feel ready, slowly introduce Dr. Harvey’s base mixes as part of their daily diet.