Chihuahua with Diarhea

Question
Hi there.

I have a 3 yr old Chihuahua..have had Beelza Bubba for 2 months now.. he's got a good appetite and eats table food at dinner time with us.  Dry Iams during the day, very little of it actually.

Just recently Bubba's developed very wet diarhea, 2 days now.  Is there anything I can give him holistically or medicinally to help him feel better and get through this?  This is sucking the energy out of him... all he wants to do is lay down.

Yes he's had his shots, and is fixed, doesn't wear a flea/tick collar.  

Thank you.

Answer
Hi Nadia,

If Bubba is acting lethargic, and has stopped drinking water for the past day, then he needs to be taken to your veterinarian. He may have a serious disease, and needs to be re-hydrated with Intravenous fluids. If your dog does not have the following symptoms:

Abdominal pain
Fever
Lethargy
Dehydration
Bloody diarrhea

Then the cause of the diarrhea might be less serious. As long as your dog is eating and alert, it is not an emergency.  

First, give Bubba's inflamed system a rest. After a 12 hour fast from food (but let him drink water!), introduce a bland diet for the next 24 hours. Feed Bubba the equivalent amount of food he usually gets, but break it down into about 4 small servings throughout the day.

A bland diet for a dog means a home-made combination of chicken (no fat or skin) or a meat baby food that's mixed with boiled white rice, fed in a 1:2 ratio (1 part chicken or baby food to 2 parts rice). Or you can use a prescription bland diet such as Hill's I/D, which you can get from your vet.

After a day of the bland food diet, on the second day  mix 1/2 the regular food and 1/2 bland diet. By the end of day 3, Bubba should be back on his normal diet.

I mentioned that dehydration is a big concern. One sign of dehydration is loss of skin elasticity. When the skin along the back is picked up into a fold, it should spring back into place. In dehydration, the skin stays up in a ridge. Another sign is dryness of the mouth, the gums get a tacky feeling. Late signs are sunken eyes and circulatory collapse.
See if Bubba will drink Pedialyte while he's on the bland diet. If he won't drink it, try diluting it with water. There is a canine form of Pedialyte, but most dogs like the taste of the human Pedialyte.

Dietary fiber absorbs water in the intestine, which helps to decrease diarrhea. You can mix about 1/2 a teaspoon of canned pumpkin (100% pure pumpkin) into the bland diet, if you like.

You can help restore the natural bacteria in your dog's intestine, and also strengthen his intestinal immune system. The most effective supplement is Lactobacillus acidophilus, which can be found in plain non-fat yogurt with active cultures. Mix 1/2 teaspoon into Bubba's food, or let him lick it off your finger.

You can give dogs a 1/2 teaspoon of Kaopectate per 10 pounds of body weight every six to eight hours (which in Bubba's case is a very tiny amount!)

If your dog does not respond to the bland diet within 48 hours, or if he seems to get better, and the  diarrhea returns, then it's time for a vet visit. Bring a stool sample with you.

Besides a simple irritated stomach, possible causes for  diarrhea include: parasites, food allergy, infectious causes, inflammatory changes (such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease), and viral infection.

I hope I've been a help!

Best of luck,
Patti