If dogs with the very watery, small intestinal diarrhea, are still acting okay, and will eat, we recommend feeding them a very bland diet, say boiled white meat chicken, or low-fat cottage cheese, mixed with white rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta. Though this stool with blood may look scary, it’s usually not something to panic about. Dogs with large intestinal diarrhea are more often than not still happy and animated. These dogs are often more depressed or lethargic and seem “sick.” In contrast, large intestinal diarrhea is often more soft or “mushy,” more like “cow patties,” and can even appear to be encased in mucus or even frank, or red, blood. Small intestinal diarrhea is typically characterized by very loose or watery stool. Now, if the vomiting continues despite all of this, or your dog seems to be becoming more depressed or listless, begins to dry-heave frequently, or you note his or her abdomen beginning to expand and tighten up, then it is definitely time to call your veterinarian or a local emergency hospital.Īs far as diarrhea is concerned, we typically see two types-small intestinal and large intestinal. This will prevent the stomach from stretching. What we recommend is to keep these dogs without food for at least 12 hours, and instead of allowing them access to water, place a few ice cubes or ice chips in his or her water bowl in order to minimize the amount of water that can be ingested at one time. So, anything that goes into that stomach, even something as benign as water, which will stretch that stomach wall, and can easily induce more vomiting.
Often, once that stomach goes through the rigors and smooth muscular contractions associated with vomiting, not to mention the potential irritation to the stomach wall itself, it is primed for more vomiting. As a matter of fact, though these dogs want to eat or drink, it is best not to let them.
If your dog starts to vomit, but is still acting totally normal, and WANTS to eat or drink, I’m usually less concerned. That being said, let’s talk about a few of the “common” complaints:Ī very large proportion of calls are for gastrointestinal problems.
Mind you, from experience, I’d venture to say that 80-85% of “emergencies,” aren’t! Werber, find him on Facebook or on his website at So when is that “problem” really serious? When should you panic and take your pet to your veterinarian immediately? As a general practitioner who fields phone calls from anxious clients on a very regular basis, I thought it would be a good idea to share with you some guidelines to help ease your minds (or not), and help you answer these questions. Jeff Werber is an Emmy Award-winning, nationally renowned veterinarian and former president of the Association of Veterinary Communicators.
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