If diarrhoea can be unpleasant to you or your children, how much more can it be to your dog? Diarrhoea is a common problem in dogs, and it's among the leading reasons pet owners frequently visit a veterinarian. Though watery poop in dogs may not be a severe problem sometimes, you should rush your dog to a vet if the diarrhoea looks strange and has a strong, pungent smell. The watery stool is a canine affliction that shows your dog is ill. See what you should know about your dog's watery poop.

Diarrhoea Cause

Several things can contribute to dog diarrhoea. Most dogs have diarrhoea after eating garbage or forgotten chicken nuggets. If you just introduced your dog to new medication or switched it to new meals, it may experience diarrhoea. Dogs may also get diarrhoea when they eat spoiled foods or foods with high fat, sugar or oil content. Other serious causes of dog diarrhoea include irritable bowel disease, gastrointestinal viruses and bacteria, anxiety or stress, stomach inflammatory issues, gastrointestinal parasites like giardia, roundworms or hookworms, metabolic diseases and thyroid, pancreas and liver disorders.

When It's Serious

Although pet diarrhoea may go away by itself, it gets serious sometimes. But can you tell when the dog's watery poop is serious? Yes, consider the symptoms, blood and volume. If the watery poop is small and mucous, it may clear up after a few hours even though the dog may experience some discomfort. However, don't take voluminous, watery poop lightly because it may cause electrolyte imbalance and dehydration within a short time. If you spot blood in the dog's watery poop — or even the solid stool — book a quick veterinary appointment. Dogs with some serious bowel movements will show symptoms such as general weakness, vomiting, pain, lost appetite, no urination and thirst loss.

Prevention and Treatment

Even if you know when the dog started to pass out watery poop and how long the problem has lasted, you may not help the dog if you don't know how you could stop it. Give your dog plenty of clean water, or even some oral electrolyte solution or chicken broth. Give the dog plain white rice for about two days and observe the stool's condition. If you want to give the dog chicken, just boil it and remove the skin.

If the dog diarrhoea doesn't clear up, the vet will carry out some diagnostic tests to identify the cause and how to treat the problem. If your dog swims in a public pool or lake on weekends, the vet may test the poop for giardia. The vet may prescribe tylosin and metronidazole to help solidify the pet's poop. If your dog experiences bouts of diarrhoea often, the vet could also recommend probiotics or give deworming medications.