Digestive Disorders in Dogs
Digestive disorders in dogs: diarrhoea, vomiting, and the conditions behind them
More than one dog in eight seen by a vet has a digestive problem. Most are simple and short. Some are the first sign of something that needs treating. Here is how to tell them apart, and what to do tonight.
Acute diarrhoea
Sudden, often after something scavenged, a rich chew, a fast food change or a parasite. For an adult dog who is otherwise bright: water always available, skip a meal or two (12 to 24 hours at most), then three or four small plain meals a day, building back over two or three days, with no treats or chews until firm. Puppies and older dogs do not fast; they see the vet, because one or two days of fluid loss can be dangerous for them. The full first-aid guide.
Vomiting
A single vomit in a bright dog is usually a simple gastritis. Rest the stomach for around a day with small amounts of water, then small frequent meals. Persistent vomiting, vomiting with lethargy, a swollen belly, blood, or retching that produces nothing is a vet visit today. Vomiting that recurs near mealtimes can point to a food intolerance.
Chronic diarrhoea
Anything lasting two weeks or more, or recurring in episodes. Even when mild it is not something to live with: it can be the first sign of pancreatic, liver or kidney disease, and each bout damages the gut lining a little more. It needs blood tests, sometimes imaging, and often an exclusion diet. Keep a food diary with product names and grams; it is the tool that finds the trigger.
The conditions behind persistent problems
Diarrhoea, gas or vomiting driven by a food component, usually a protein. Around two thirds of dogs with chronic diarrhoea improve on an elimination diet. One novel protein, one carbohydrate, nothing else, for at least three weeks. How to run it.
Inflammation of the pancreas, often after a fatty meal. Painful, and an emergency when severe. Long term it calls for a highly digestible, low-fat diet fed in small meals. VET Intestinal Low Fat is the dietetic food; your vet will say when.
The pancreas stops producing enzymes. The dog eats ravenously, loses weight, and passes large greasy yellowish stools up to eight times a day. German Shepherds are predisposed. Enzymes must be replaced with every meal, with plenty of water, and the food should be highly digestible and not high in fibre.
Chronic inflammation of the gut wall, diagnosed by biopsy after other causes are excluded. Managed with diet first, then medication where needed.
Not the food but the mites living in it. Looks like a food allergy. A sealed glass of kibble under cling film in a warm place shows a yellow-brown film if mites are present. Smaller bags, sealed storage, and wet food avoid it.
What the stool tells you
Large, smelly, with undigested food and weight loss points to the small intestine. Small, frequent, with mucus and fresh blood points to the large intestine. Black or tarry stool is digested blood and always a vet visit. The full chart.
- your dog is a puppy or a senior with diarrhoea or vomiting
- the stool is black or tarry, or there is a lot of blood
- there is repeated vomiting, a swollen belly, or retching that produces nothing
- your dog is bloated, in pain, or not themselves
- diarrhoea has lasted more than 48 hours or keeps returning
Where our food fits
For an elimination diet or a sensitive stomach, our single-protein Sensible dry and Pure wet recipes are the tools. For a diagnosed condition, the VET range is formulated for it and we stock all of it; the vet names the diet, we help with the switch.
Salmon & Rabbit (Ireland)Sensitive stomach
Pure Goat (Sardinia)Single-meat wet
VET IntestinalDigestive disease
VET Intestinal Low FatPancreatitis
Based on "Vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation" and "Gastrointestinal disease in the dog: feeding tips" by Pascale Huber, veterinarian, and "Sensitive stomach in dogs and cats" by Pascale Huber, Happy Dog veterinary team. General information, not a substitute for veterinary advice.
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