Canine diarrhea is an unpleasant but common problem. As part of a healthy cleanse, it is a positive action by the body to purge toxins. It is also a healthy immune response to purge the effects of ingesting an unhealthy food, just as in people and other animals. But it can also be a sign that something serious is amiss. By using a system of natural dogs health care in place you can prevent this occurring.
When diarrhea lasts for only a short period, a few hours or even a few days, there is little cause for concern. That is, providing your dog is showing other vital signs (such as breathing normally, playing normally, wanting to go on walks, etc). He may not want to eat, but that is understandable given the problem is digestive. Even if your dog is lethargic for a time, just as you would be with food poisoning, sleeping it off can be all that he needs.
When a dog has a healthy immune system, he will be able to recover more quickly and more easily all by himself. If he has an unhealthy immune system, he may not be able to recover without assistance.
Most cases of canine diarrhea is this acute, short lived form. It comes from eating something that disagreed with him. Dogs generally have what is known as a ‘cast iron stomach’. They are scavengers by nature so can manage to eat almost anything (that is natural) – old rotting corpses, dung from other, normally herbivorous animals, earth worms, grain, vegetation. Anything that will keep them alive in time of scarcity. Sometimes, this food will give them diarrhea.
The chronic form of canine diarrhea is more cause for concern. Not only is there an additional problem of the possibility of dehydration, it can be a sign of a serious disease.
Signs of concern include:
- abdominal pain
- long lasting diarrhea
- lethargy that lasts over a prolonged period
- accompanied by vomiting over a prolonged period
- a high fever (normally seen by shivering, alternately hot and cold, hot ears, hot to touch)
- weight loss
- recurring bouts of diarrhea
- depression
Although pathogens such as bacteria, worms and coccidia are often touted as the cause, they are simply opportunistic scavengers. They are not at the heart of the problem. Whenever a dog’s health is compromised, these will appear. This means that antibiotics and anti-parasitic medications are only treating the effect, rather than the cause of disease. They are also liver toxic and immune suppressants.
A fever is a healthy response of the immune system and should never be artificially reduced. By doing so you can set up serious problems in the future.
To learn more about how to prevent and treat canine diarrhea and to establish a healthy immune system in your dog, click on natural dogs health.
