Dog Health Problems - Diarrhoea and Vomiting

A single episode of diarrhoea or vomiting isn't something to be overly concerned about. You usually discover that your hungry hound has just wolfed something that he shouldn't have wolfed and now he's paying the price, or that he's managed to keep it down but his body has sent it through as fast as it can so as to get rid of it.

What you do need to be concerned about is if his problems continue for longer than a day as they could be signs or symptoms of something you need to check out such as an underlying illness, worms, the toxic effects of something he's found and eaten or drunk that has given him food poisoning, or even poisoning itself from finding rodent bait..

You will need to check him over yourself for any sign that his physical condition has changed. Are his eyes still bright or is he looking listless? Does he have a temperature? What's actually in the diarrhoea or vomit and what colour is it? Is he straining when he passes the diarrhoea and is it bloodstained or full of mucus?

Even though he might still look perky, if the symptoms have lasted this long he really needs to see the vet so that he can have a thorough check to see what's causing and prevent the symptoms worsening. If it is simply something he shouldn't have eaten then the vet can prescribe some treatment to help stop the diarrhoea and vomiting and to advise you about water intake and food as your dog will have lost a lot of salts, minerals and water. You will need to restrict your dog's food intake for two or three days and give him food that is low fat and easy to digest so there isn't undue pressure put on a weakened digestive system.

If it's worms or other internal parasites, your vet will prescribe treatment to expel them and set up a treatment routine to help to prevent their recurrence, especially as dogs sniff and explore and are likely to pick them up from other dogs or areas where dogs have soiled. Or it might be that your dog has developed an allergy to something he's eaten or come into contact with and that his body is having a violent reaction to it.

The more serious illnesses will need investigation, treatment and good nursing care, and if your dog is very flat he may need overnight care at the surgery for intravenous therapy to put fluids back into him, tests to establish viruses or bacteria he may be harbouring conditions affecting his liver or his digestive system. The longer you leave your dog suffering the bigger chance there is for things to get worse - so when in any doubt, always get veterinary advice as soon as possible.

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