| When your dog has diarrhea everyone in the | | | | or fighting; many get crazy if you run the |
| house is unhappy. When you look into their sad | | | | vacuum cleaner, blender, or just leave the room. |
| eyes, you get a sense of meaning to the phrase | | | | Travel, or the anticipation of travel (with or |
| "I'm sicker than a dog!" | | | | without them) causes stress. Traveling with your |
| Diarrhea is the number three reason people take | | | | dog often means different air quality, humidity, |
| their dogs to the vet. Before running off to the | | | | water, sounds, even food. Rescue dogs also feel |
| vet, look around at what you might be doing to | | | | the emotional stress of all involved in the rescue |
| cause your dog to have diarrhea. The good news | | | | mission. Now that's travel stress! Any one of |
| is that most episodes of routine diarrhea can be | | | | these can cause your dog to have diarrhea. |
| prevented, or at least minimized. | | | | Female dogs in heat will drive male dogs that |
| The usual suspects are:o Food- either too old, left | | | | have mating experience into a frenzy that can |
| out too long, or exposed to high temperatures. | | | | cause loose and bloody stools. The female doesn't |
| Such exposure can happen while being | | | | even need to be in your house. It could be a |
| transported to the pet store. Bugs and flies may | | | | neighbors dog out on a walk. |
| have climbed into open bags, laid eggs and left | | | | How to handle routine dog diarrhea? |
| droppings during packaging or in your home after | | | | A lot of people think it's a good idea to let their |
| they being opened.o Chlorinated water- your dog's | | | | dogs outside to eat grass when they have |
| intestinal tract requires a variety of bacteria to | | | | diarrhea. Well, that's partially true. Dogs eat grass |
| break down and process the food. Chlorinated | | | | even when their GI tract is not upset. If you look |
| water can kill these bacteria, causing diarrhea.o | | | | carefully you will notice they pull at the grass. |
| Cleaning agents. Don't forget, dogs living indoors | | | | They do this to get at the dirt around the roots, |
| are walking barefoot. If not sufficiently diluted, | | | | which is teaming with soil-based organisms (SBOs). |
| many cleaning agents can burn their pads, their | | | | SBOs are essential digestive aids that also help |
| eyes, and their lungs. They will often lick their | | | | maintain optimum intestinal balance. |
| pads to stop the burning, which can lead to | | | | Healthy grass and soil contains organic sulfur |
| diarrhea.o Pesticides/Insecticides- Similar to | | | | (MSM), as well (SBOs). However, if you live in an |
| cleaning agents in that when dogs lick their pads, | | | | area where lawns are watered with municipal |
| they will ingest some of the chemicals. They | | | | water (chlorinated) or are treated with inorganic |
| might also eat a bug that has been exposed to | | | | fertilizers, or sprayed with pesticides and |
| insecticides. | | | | insecticides it is not a good idea to let your dogs |
| Dogs are notorious for eating bacteria laden | | | | eat the grass. |
| morsels out of garbage cans, or found while out | | | | The actual cause of diarrhea is an intestinal |
| on a walk. Dogs off leash are more likely to drink | | | | imbalance between what is commonly referred to |
| from a stagnant puddle. A few slurps is all it | | | | as "good and bad" bacteria. A balance of both is |
| takes! Puddles can be toxic cocktails containing | | | | essential to break the food down so that the |
| anything from bug larvae, discarded food morsels, | | | | nutrients can be absorbed through the intestinal |
| infected spittle, leaked automobile fluids like | | | | wall, as well as to push along what's left to be |
| transmission oil, or antifreeze. | | | | eliminated. The good bacteria get spent in the |
| Stress is another cause of dog diarrhea. Stress | | | | digestive process and need to be replaced daily to |
| comes in many forms. Small dogs are particularly | | | | maintain optimum GI balance. Once the "bad |
| sensitive to non-harmonious living environments. | | | | bacteria" get the upper hand, they breed quickly. |
| They prefer peace and quite to yelling, screaming, | | | | |