mother dog with diarehia

Question
QUESTION: My boxer gave birth on the 18th and now has diarrhea, I bought plain gelatin (I saw this was good for this problem) for this but not sure how much to mix in her food.

ANSWER: Hi Kimberley.  I'm sorry but giving a dog with diarrhea plain gelatin is a new one for me.  There are several home remedies (such as Pepto Bismo) and products on the market that can be purchased at local pet department stores, such as Petco and Pets-Mart, that can help firm up your boxers stools.

However, because your Boxer is nursing a new litter, I suggest that you try a more natural approach.  Try feeding her cooked lean chicken breast and rice for a couple of days.

It is never a good thing for a animal (or a person for that matter) to have prolonged diarrhea, but it is even worse for a nursing mother.  We need to keep an eye on her to insure that she does not become dehydrated.  

One way you can check for dehydration is to do the following:  Using your thumb, pointer finger and middle finger pinch a good amount of skin/fur at the base of the head between the shoulder blades.  While you have a hold of the skin/fur pull up and away from the body, forming a tent, then release and observe how fast/slow the skin/fur returns to normal.  If it returns quickly, she is well hydrated, however if it is very slow, or remains tented she is dehydrated.  

If, after preforming the test, you feel she is dehydrate you can feed her water using a turkey baster or something similar.  I would feed her water every 30 minutes until the skin/fur snaps back quickly and make an appointment to see your vet.

Good luck, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions.

Sincerely,
Penny DiLoreto



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I am unable to give her any wheat and poultry due to allergies, I know about the testing for dehydration and will keep an eye on this.
I have read about giving them pedialite to help, I will look at petsmart for some stuff for diarrhea.


Answer
Hi Kimberly.  I'm sorry to read that your dog has allergies, I did not know this and would not have recommended Chicken and or wheat products had I known.

As you probably already know, Pedialite will help to replenish the electrolytes, but will not help clear up the diarrhea.  One product I recommend, that can be purchased at Pets-mart is Excell.  I am adding a link to their website for this product as follows:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3159406

Good luck, and please keep in touch.

Penny DiLoreto
www.puppies-dot-com.com