Causes of Dog Diarrhea: Common Reasons Explained

Acute diarrhea in dogs can be caused by several common factors:

1. FoodBorne Enteritis: This occurs when a dog consumes allergenic, irritant foods, toxins, or experiences a sudden change in diet.

2. Bacterial Enteritis: Conditions like E. coli, Campylobacteriosis, and Salmonellosis can lead to acute diarrhea in affected dogs.

3. Viral Enteritis: Diseases such as canine distemper, parvovirus, canine coronavirus, and canine hepatitis often result in diarrhea, which may occur with or after vomiting. The stool is typically loose, watery, foulsmelling, and may contain mucus, turning bloody in severe cases.

4. Toxic Diarrhea: Dogs may develop gastrointestinal inflammation and vomiting after ingesting pesticides, rodenticides, or certain medications, leading to diarrhea. The nature of the stool can indicate the type of toxin, such as arsenic causing a ricewaterlike stool, mercury causing black, sticky, and bloody stool, and phosphorus causing stool to glow in the dark when exposed to darkness.

5. Neurogenic Diarrhea: Cold temperatures or other factors that excite the parasympathetic nervous system can lead to increased mucosal secretion and rapid intestinal peristalsis, resulting in diarrhea.

6. Intestinal Obstruction, Uremia, and Addison's Disease can also present with diarrhea symptoms.

Common causes of chronic diarrhea in dogs include:

1. Malabsorption Diarrhea: Dogs with poor carbohydrate or starch digestion may exhibit borborygmi, abdominal pain, and distension, with soft, starchy stool. In cases of protein malabsorption, the stool is foulsmelling, watery, muddy, and strongly alkaline. Fat malabsorption is often due to incomplete pancreatic function, seen in chronic pancreatitis and juvenile pancreas atrophy, with grayish stool that contains fat.

2. Inflammatory Diarrhea: Chronic enteritis can lead to persistent diarrhea, constipation, and alternating symptoms.

3. Toxic Diarrhea: Various forms of endotoxin toxicity can cause chronic diarrhea in dogs.

4. Parasitic Diarrhea: Dogs with intestinal parasites often suffer from chronic diarrhea, with stool containing eggs or parasites.

5. StressInduced Diarrhea: Cold temperatures or overeating can trigger diarrhea in dogs, characterized by the passage of soft or watery stools after expelling some hard feces.

6. Nutritional Imbalance Diarrhea: This often occurs in conjunction with other diseases, such as liver or kidney diseases, and blood disorders.

7. Intestinal Tumors and Ulcers: Lymphangiectasis and hypothyroidism can also lead to chronic diarrhea in dogs.