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Treatment

If your dog is only mildly ill, it may be treated on an outpatient basis, but patients with severe dehydration and/or vomiting should be hospitalized for fluid and electrolyte therapy. Shock fluid therapy may be necessary. Potassium supplementation may be required in very ill patients but it should not be given simultaneously with the shock fluid therapy. Patients that are mildly ill, and are not vomiting should follow a period of fasting (12–24 hours), which is often followed by a bland diet, such as boiled rice and chicken or a prescription diet.

Patients with obstruction or foreign bodies may require surgery to evaluate the intestine and remove the foreign objects. Your veterinarian will prescribe the appropriate medicine for your dog’s diagnosis. Anti-secretory drugs, intestinal protectants or dewormers are the most commonly prescribed medications. Rarely, antibiotics are prescribed.

Living and Management

Be sure to follow your veterinarian’s time guidelines for deworming puppies. Parasitic infections that can cause diarrhea can be easily prevented. Watch your dog so that it does not eat from the garbage or from other inappropriate sources. Garbage can be dangerous to your dog’s health, especially if very fatty food is eaten, or if foreign bodies, such as bones are ingested. Also, there are several infectious causes of diarrhea that may infect people as well. Caution must be taken when cleaning up diarrhea and feces.