My Dog Has Diarrhoea (But Is Acting Fine)

Is your dog suffering from diarrhoea but otherwise acting normal? If you’re confused (and we bet you are!), our resident Chief Veterinarian and Co-Founder, Dr Guy MRCVS, is on hand to explain the reasons behind this puzzling phenomenon.

My Dog Has Diarrhoea, but is Acting Fine! Why?


Molly from Hertfordshire recently asked our vets this very question: “Why does my dog have diarrhoea, but is acting like everything’s fine?” 


By the time she came to us, her Golden Retriever, Sammy, had been suffering with diarrhoea for around a week already, and nothing she had tried seemed to improve the situation. What’s more, Sammy didn’t seem to mind: she continued as if everything was normal! 


Diarrhoea and loose stools in dogs are one of the most common complaints that owners come to vets with, so we thought it high time to deal with this problem in our Ask A Vet series. 


If you’ve got a problem you’d like to be included in Omni’s Ask a Vet series online, just drop us an email to woof@omni.pet. 


Our Chief Veterinarian, Dr Guy MRCVS had this to say: 


There are many reasons why dogs can suffer from diarrhoea despite ‘acting normal’ outwardly. 


  • Eating something weird. Dogs off the lead can find all sorts of nasties in the undergrowth! 
  • Dietary allergies or sensitivities. Dogs can develop allergies at any stage in their lives, even if they never suffered with allergies as a pup. 
  • Potential pancreatitis. Read more below to find out how to spot pancreatitis. 
  • Tummy bugs that can be caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites 
  • Other abdominal diseases 

Reasons Why Dogs Could Have Diarrhoea, But Act Normal 


It Could Be a Sign of Having Eating Something Weird

Dogs off the lead can find, sniff and eat all sorts of undesirable nasties in the undergrowth of your local walking spots. Never underestimate your dog’s ability to find something disgusting lurking around the next corner! 


As a result of this uncanny ability, dogs can frequently suffer digestive distress or pick up stomach bugs from their walks. 


If this is the case, you’ll want to keep an eye out for a few other behaviours, too. 


  • Vomiting. If it’s just one occasion of vomiting but they are fine and well in themselves, then it’s likely nothing to worry about. But if they are persistently vomiting or weak, you should seek veterinary advice.  
  • Straining. Straining whilst defecating can sometimes lead your dog to suffer secondary colitis. You may notice fresh bright red blood and mucous. If there is a small amount of blood, it’s usually nothing to worry too much about, but it’s always worth asking your vet’s opinion, just to be sure. 
  • Diarrhoea that persists or is accompanied by lethargy and lack of appetite. 

Usually, these sorts of symptoms pass naturally within a few days. If they persist or get worse, then talk to your vet and see if they can prescribe any medication to help with recovery. Ensure your dog is comfortable, drinking plenty, and not too anxious. 

How to Help Your Dog Through Diarrhoea


If your dog matches some or all of the symptoms above, our vet team recommend: 


  • Hydration. Ensure that your dog has plenty to drink, as this can help flush out their system and also replaces the water lost through diarrhoea. You can offer an electrolyte solution (for dogs)  if you are worrying that your dog has lost too much fluid already, failing this some low salt soup broth could help. 
  • Probiotics. Consider giving your dog a probiotic supplement to restore and replenish their gut microbiome. 
  • A stable diet. Changing their diet too much or using novel ingredients can exacerbate the problem. Make sure you keep their diet as regular and predictable as possible. We also advise to avoid common allergens in their diet, as in the next section. 
  • Fasting. Sometimes it is best to let the digestive system empty before trying to give them more food. Your dog may naturally reject food if they are suffering from bouts of diarrhoea anyway. Consider removing food for 12-24 hours, whilst ensuring they have plenty of water, before starting to feed them again. 
  • Small meals little and often. Its better to feed a tablespoon of food every hour than a large meal, the latter could overwhelm a sensitive tummy and cause vomiting. 

Diarrhoea Could Indicate Allergies or Sensitivities, Too 

There’s a possibility that it could be a symptom of allergies or sensitivities to particular food substances in their diet. You should know that, even if you think your dog does not have any allergies (which may well have been the case!), dogs, like humans, can develop allergies or sensitivities to particular ingredients at any time in their life. 


In this case, you’re going to want to look out for: 


  • Itchy or inflamed skin. This is a common sign of allergies in both humans and dogs. You can often treat this via supplementation. 
  • Sneezing or coughing. 
  • Chronic ear infections or itching behind the ear. Ears are a very sensitive part of dogs and often flare up from allergies. Again, this can be treated via supplementation. 
  • Excessive licking or chewing of paws. This goes hand-in-hand (or, rather, paw-in-paw!) with the itchy and inflamed skin and/or ear infections.
  • Vomiting as well as relatively consistent diarrhoea. 

How to Address Allergies 


In this case, Omni’s vets recommend: 


  • A hypoallergenic diet, of course. You will want to remove as many allergens from your dog’s diet as soon as possible. The commonest allergens for dogs are animal proteins, which is why we recommend a novel protein diet, containing protein from plants, algae, and yeast instead. Our vets recommend Omni Sensitivity for dogs requiring hypoallergenic food. 
  • An allergy test for dogs. Talk to your veterinarian about this, as they may be able to provide this in the clinic. It’s always helpful to allay any doubts by finding out exactly what it is your dog is allergic to! 

Diarrhoea Can Also Indicate Pancreatitis 

This sounds like (and is!) a more serious condition, but we don’t want you to worry - many dogs with pancreatitis will completely recover and go on to live a normal, healthy life! 


It’s important to maintain a certain level-headedness when considering your dog’s health, as they’re counting on you to make positive, informed decisions about their wellbeing. 


Pancreatitis is caused by the inflammation of the pancreas, often due to fatty foods such as cheese, which are far too rich for dogs to digest properly. (While dogs do often love cheese, they are incapable of digesting both the lactose and the fats contained within!) 


With that said, the other signs of pancreatitis, besides diarrhoea, are: 


  • Vomiting, especially if repeated. 
  • Stretching or bowing into a prayer-like position. This ‘yoga pose’ (it’s often compared to the downward-dog position!) is not just to keep your pooch fit and limber - it relieves pressure on their pancreas. 

How to Address Allergies


In the case of a dog suffering pancreatitis, Omni’s vets recommend: 


  • A low-fat diet. All of Omni’s diets are low fat, so choose whichever life stage is applicable for your dog. 
  • Visiting the vet. Vets can prescribe anti-nausea medication, pain medication, gastric acid suppression medication, and potentially subcutaneous fluid administration to help them to rehydrate after fluid loss from diarrhoea and vomiting. 
  • X-rays, ultrasounds or blood tests. Again, take your dog to the vets for these: X-rays can be used to check for any other potential causes like intestinal blockage, while blood work can find elevated levels of pancreatic enzymes caused by the inflammation. The ultrasound, however, is one of the most accurate ways of diagnosing pancreatitis. 

If you are unsure, you can always speak with us also. 

Speak with a vet if… 


If the diarrhoea has persisted for more than 3-5 days, or if there is lots of blood in your dog’s faeces, or small amounts of blood on more than one occasion. If they have continued poor appetite and generalised lethargy, you should also seek urgent veterinary advice. 


Take your dog to your vets if…


Your dog has lost large volumes of blood through diarrhoea, or if they have not eaten in more than 24 hours. 


Thoughts from Dr Guy MRCVS


As dog lovers and guardians, it’s natural to worry about our furry friends, especially when they display abnormal symptoms that can’t be easily explained. That’s why, when I founded Omni, I knew that I wanted to keep vet consultation free and accessible at the heart of the business. 


If you’re understandably worried about your dog, but you don’t think you need to take them to the vets urgently, I highly recommend getting some friendly, professional advice from one of our team.

 

Book your appointment here. 


Got a question for the Ask A Vet team?


Submit your question below, or email it in to woof@omni.pet. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can, and, if suitable, post the response here to help others, too! 


Disclaimer: Whilst the advice given here is based on medical experience from our experts, and scenarios we do encounter during our career - we do not give tailored or specific advice for individual pets - please seek assistance from your in person vet as a first point of call with any issues your pet is having which are a cause for concern as soon as possible.

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FAQs

But aren’t dog’s carnivores?

Dogs are in fact nutritional omnivores as demonstrated by a robust scientific study published in the reputable journal Nature (1,2) in which it was shown that they have 30 copies of the AMY2B gene responsible for digesting plant-based foods.

They have also evolved relatively long intestines (21) (almost as long as humans) and relatively flat surfaces on their molars (31, 22) which they use for digesting and chewing a whole range of foods.

The common misconception that dogs are carnivores probably arises from the fact that they are classified in the order Carnivora but so are plenty of other species like bears, skunks, racoons who are omnivores and even the giant panda who thrives on a plant-based diet (20).

Is plant protein digestible to dogs?

Absolutely yes, studies which have looked at how much protein dogs can absorb from plant-based and fungi-based foods like soya and yeast demonstrated over 75% digestibility which is on par with meat-based foods (23, 24, 34, 35 & 25).

Both these protein sources also contain all 10 essential amino acids (36, 37) that dogs need to thrive.

Isn't there too much fibre in plant-based food?

The average amount of fibre in a commercial dog food diet is between 2-4%. omni’s plant-powered recipe has a fibre content of 3% which is on par with meat- based diets.

In our survey with over 200 dog owners, 100% reported that their dog’s stool consistency was either ‘normal’ or ‘perfect’ and there were no reports of any digestive upsets (data on file).

Can I mix omni with other meat-based diets?

We are proud that our recipes are nutritionally complete and so include everything your dog needs to thrive. This means omni can be fed as a sole ration. We also fully support a 'flexitarian approach' like meat free lunches or using omni as a mixer.

Every little helps to bring some of the health and environmental benefits of plant-power to meal times. Mixing omni with meat/fish will help to add variety into your dog’s diet whilst adding in healthy ingredients with a relatively low carbon footprint.

Can plant-based food provide the essential fatty acids dogs need?

All the essential fats and oils that dogs need, including omegas 3 and 6 are found in a variety of both meat and plant-based foods (31, 28).

omni’s recipe is rich in plant-based sources of these nutrients so your dog will get all the essentials they need.

I hear a lot about feeding raw meat, isn’t that better?

Feeding raw meat to dogs has become a very popular trend in recent years, but most vets will warn against this practise. This is because the cooking process is vital to help kill off dangerous bacteria like E coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter (9) that have necessitated several food recalls from the market and caused serious illness and even death in both dogs and their owners (40, 41, & 42).

There are also several worms and parasites that are only killed off when raw meat is cooked. Dogs are dogs, not wolves and thanks to their domestication over thousands of years, thankfully don’t need to hunt to get their grub nor do they need to eat raw meat, it's just not worth the risk.

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