Digestive upset is never fun to tango with. All of our dogs’ have experienced this at one time or another – be it a result of them getting into food they shouldn’t, a pathogenic overload, or just a case of a simple “upset tummy” like humans get. I’ve loved many dogs, and I’ve seen this a lot.
Diarrhea is no joke! Yes, I’ve had our Robot Vacuum drag poop across the entire main floor of my house. Yes – I’ve been steam cleaning a carpet to remove poop, only to turn around and find out the poop-storm was commencing behind me (and I couldn’t hear it over the steam cleaner!!). With all of that said, I’m a Lab Mom; I’ve seen it all. This article is about my “less is more approach” to addressing short spells diarrhea, and working towards getting your dogs’ gastrointestinal health back on track. Preliminary Action: What does the diarrhea look like?
This guide is for stool that is “normal” brown colour (the artwork at right is a helpful guide). It's important to note that consulting your veterinarian is recommended, and this blog post is just my experience & my own personal protocol. Red/blood stained stool can be serious (ie. Parvo virus), but if it is just a small amount – it may be a slight tear in the rectum that will heal. Black stool can be serious and indicate a bleed further up in the GIT (digested blood). At the onset of “normal” diarrhea, my dogs complete a 24hour fast. Yes, 24 hours without food or treats. Ensure fresh water is available. I know this is hard, especially for Labs, but trust me – the system re-set is a great starting point! Don’t let your pooch convince you they NEED food….they will survive for 24 hours.
After a bout with diarrhea, the GIT is inflamed. The lining of the GIT is made up of many villi and microvilli – I equate these to tiny fingers lining the GIT – normally they are calm and relaxed, and able to do their job of absorbing nutrients. However – when these are inflamed/irritated, they are not able to absorb nutrients properly, nor digest the food properly. As such, giving 24 hours without further irritation (food) is a step in the right direction. After the 24 hour fast, slowly introduce cooked, plain, white rice. Rice is an excellent ingredient for an immature, sensitive or irritated gastrointestinal tract, since it is easier to digest when cooked. For a Labrador I recommend about 1 cup of cooked rice/feeding. It is best if you can add some cooked chicken breast to this (if your dog is allergic to chicken, you could use beef). Feeding this combination 3 times a day is best, as the smaller meals won’t shock your dogs’ gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Alternatively, you can introduce a quality Gastro canned food – I really like Royal Canin or Purina Gastroenteric diets – these are currently only available at your Veterinarian. I always have a couple cans of this in the cupboard – because you just never know!
Offer the Rice/chicken/gastro mixture for 1 day (so three meals), and assess your dogs’ stool. If you’re seeing improvement, begin to add ~1/4 cup of your dogs’ regular dog kibble to the mixture, and reduce some of the rice/chicken/gastro mixture. Proceed by gradually increasing the ratio of regular kibble, and reducing the rice mixture; monitor the stool at each change. Continue this way until you’re back to straight kibble, and firm stool! If at any point the stool starts to get soft again – revert back 1 step, and try again. That just means the GIT isn’t quite ready for what you offered. This can be a slow process, and does take patience. You might find adding a tablespoon of plain yogurt will help in the transition too.
I really like Purina Fortiflora Probiotics – this supports healthy digestion, and can definitely aid in times of digestive upset. Many animals do well with added probiotics daily (I use this daily for my pack), and you’ll note more firm stool and less odour/gas.
If your dog is still experiencing diarrhea, and there is no improvement after introducing the rice mixture; a veterinary visit is strongly suggested. Bring a fecal sample with you to the veterinary clinic so they can examine for any parasites. In some cases, and overload of parasites will cause extreme digestive upset, and deworming or even antibiotics will be required.
In a worst-case scenario – there is potential that your dog has consumed a foreign body (ie. toy, sock, who knows what!). This essentially puts a blockage on the movement of food through the Gastrointestinal tract, and the dog expels the only way possible – diarrhea. Again, a veterinary visit is recommended. Xrays and/or ultrasound would be required in this case; and potentially surgery. If not tended to promptly, this scenario can be fatal.