Probiotics for Dogs with Diarrhea

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Diarrhea in dogs is relatively common and harmless for the most part. However, if you see that the dog has frequent diarrhea, it could leave them dehydrated or it could be a manifestation of a more serious condition or poor gut health generally.

If your dog has diarrhea more frequently than normal, you need to address it because poor gut health can have a detrimental effect on your canine's overall health.

Probiotics happen to be used in humans for a while now and something from the main findings continues to be that probiotics effectively treat diarrhea in humans but only recently has there been more research done in to the advantages of probiotics in dogs. Probiotics could potentially be an effective therapy for diarrhea in dogs and improve gut health.

Causes of Diarrhea in Dogs

There are lots of potential reasons for diarrhea in dogs, some more serious than the others.

Some from the reasons your dog can experience diarrhea may include:

  • Eating spoiled food, non-food, getting into garbage
  • Stress
  • Having an imbalanced microbiome
  • Systemic illness
  • Bacterial/viral/fungal infection
  • Changes in diet
  • Disease
  • Intestinal blockage

Symptoms/Side Effects that Accompany Diarrhea in Dogs

If your dog has frequent diarrhea, if you notice other related symptoms. Indications of diarrhea, dehydration and other symptoms of related health problems may include:

  • Excessive panting
  • Extreme weight loss inside a short time of time
  • Dry mouth/nose
  • Dry skin
  • Fever
  • Low energy

How Diarrhea in Dogs is Treated

Sometimes diarrhea in dogs is minor it passes by itself with no issue. In some cases, home remedies might help and if not, a visit to the vet may be necessary.

Some stuff you can try before going to the vet include:

  • Fasting: Withholding food for 12 to 24 hours can help to enable your dog's digestive tract settle. However, be sure that you let your dog get access to water during this time, as diarrhea could be dehydrating.
  • Probiotics: Probiotics may help treat diarrhea in dogs by aiding in digestion and balancing the microbiome.
  • Yogurt: Small amounts of yogurt may help treat diarrhea in dogs, because it contains probiotics. Bear in mind this really is only for dogs who can tolerate some amount of dairy products.
  • Cottage cheese
  • White rice
  • Rice water

What Strains to Look for When purchasing Probiotics for Dogs with Diarrhea

Some from the probiotic strains likely to relieve diarrhea in dogs include:

  • Bacillus coagulans
  • Bifidobacterium animalis
  • Bifidobacterium bifidum
  • Bifidobacterium breve
  • Bifidobacterium lactis
  • Enterococcus faecium
  • Lactobacillus acidophilus
  • Lactobacillus casei
  • Lactobacillus plantarum
  • Lactobacillus rhamnosus
  • Lactobacillus reuteri

Conclusion

If your pet is experiencing diarrhea more what is considered normal, probiotics for dogs with diarrhea can likely help.

When buying probiotics for dogs, search for items that contain some mixture of the probiotics listed in the section above. Another thing to look for is really a product that is available in the form of soft chews, as it is healthier for dogs' teeth than hard foods and easier to obtain your dog to consider than powders or pills.

If you're trying to decide what's the best probiotics for the dog, we rated the best probiotic products available on the market here.