If your dog has loose stools, also known as diarrhoea, there could be various reasons for it. Finding the cause of this may take some trial and error or process of elimination. Here are some general tips that may help:
1. Hydration:
Diarrhoea can lead to dehydration, so make sure your dog has access to clean and fresh water.
2. Diet:
Withhold food for 12-24 hours to give your dogs’ digestive system a chance to rest. Ensure access to water during this time. After the fasting period, gradually reintroduce their regular complete food in smaller quantities, with no treats until the stools are remaining consistently firm. If the stools start to become loose again, make a note of what dietary changes were made last. Loose stools can commonly be caused from overfeeding. If you are feeding a highly nutritious food, it can be easier to overfeed by accident as the dog will not need to eat as much as a poorer quality diet.
3. Pre / Probiotics:
Adding a probiotic supplement to your dogs’ diet may help restore the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut.
4. Allergies:
If the loose stools persist even on a small quantity of complete food, your dog may have an intolerance to one or more of the ingredients in the food. This would be more common with Chicken/ Beef and foods that contain grain, as these are common allergens for dogs. If this is the case, we recommend trying a grain free food with a single unique meat source such as Fish, Duck or Venison.
5. Parasite Control:
Regular deworming and flea control are essential to prevent and manage parasitic infections, which can cause diarrhoea.
6. Vigilance on Walks:
Keep a close eye on your dog when out walking, to make sure they aren’t picking up anything they shouldn’t be!
7. Environmental:
If the loose stools start with no apparent changes to conditions under your control such as diet, it could be a temporary phase caused by environmental changes. This could be allergies to pollen, sudden changes in weather, or anxiety induced.
8. Medical Evaluation:
In some cases, diarrhoea may be a symptom of an underlying medical condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, or allergies. If you have checked your feeding quantities with the food manufacturer but the issue persists – seek advice from your Vet to check for medical conditions such as the above.
You are always welcome to contact us at Bentley’s for unbiased nutritional advice, we will be honest if we feel our food would not be suitable for you and your dog. Our philosophy is simply to see more dogs on a healthier diet.