My dog has diarrhea and isn't eating. When should I see a vet?

Blood in the stool, even if it seems to "go away" and come back later, is never normal. The fact that it's accompanied by diarrhea suggests colitis, or inflammation of the colon, as opposed to some type of bleeding mass in the rectum or colon. Colitis can have a number of causes, including dietary indiscretion (eating something rotten or non-food), parasites, food allergies/food sensitivities, inflammatory bowel disease, or infection. Leah may improve with a diet change, perhaps a more digestible diet specifically for gastrointestinal problems. To assume it's a "tummy issue" could be to ignore causes that are treatable, and at this point she's not only having diarrhea but she also lost her appetite. It's been three days and she's not improving, so I recommend having her seen by her vet for labwork to include parasite testing, blood work, and urinalysis for starters. If all is normal consider a bland diet (as recommended above), and a probiotic supplement. Ultimately, she may need to have biopsies taken to diagnose the exact cause.

Poor girl. Giardia can very well be the cause, but it can’t be confirmed without a Giardia test done through your vet. Other possible causes of dereased appetite, diarrhea and vomiting is parvovirus (if Khaleesi isn’t fully vaccinated) or a bacterial infection. I would definitely take her in to your vet at this point since it seems to be a continued issue that isn’t resolving with a conservative bland diet. The most concerning symptom right now is the fact that she doesn’t want to eat. I would recommend taking her in right away. If you can’t get her in until morning, you can try offering Khaleesi slightly warmed cans of baby food (meats and vegetables) to see if that will entice her to eat and give her some much needed nutrition. Best of luck with your puppy Khaleesi and o hope she is able to make a full and speedy recovery from her illness. Take care.

Poor Morticia! The diarrhea could be due to many conditions including eating something she shouldn’t have, bacterial over growth, parasites or even organ disease. If the diarrhea has continued beyond 24 hours, I recommend to have her examined by the veterinarian. With continued diarrhea, there are often bacterial shifts in the gut that will make matters worse regardless of the initial cause. Make sure to bring in a sample of fresh stool. The doctor will check her for parasites and bacterial over growth. Many times a bland diet can help and then a slow, gradual introduction to the normal food can be done. A bland diet can consist of 25% boiled white meat chicken and 75% boiled white rice. This should all be plain. I hope Morticia starts feeling better quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions.

4 days is very long for a dog to have vomiting and diarrhea. I recommend that Alexa see a vet as soon as possible. Potential causes for her illness include dietary intolerance, dietary indiscretion, food allergy, intestinal parasites, GI blockage, gastroenteritis, bacterial or viral infection, IBD, pancreatitis, among others. Your vet may recommend abdominal x-rays, bloodwork, or an intestinal parasite screen to help diagnose her ailment and create an appropriate treatment plan.

If Bruno has had diarrhea and decrease appetite for 3 days I would recommend a visit to the vet. A young pup may have parasites, viral disease or a foreign body that can cause diarrhea. But at his age he can become debilitated quickly when sick so a vet visit at this point is probably a good idea. I hope he recovers quickly.

Hi there! Sorry to hear that Reeses is not feeling well. The clinical signs you describe are concerning when they occur in a puppy as they can be seen with serious gastrointestinal infections such as Parvovirus. Other possibilities include intestinal worms and dietary indiscretion, among other possibilities. The sooner these conditions are treated the better the outcome tends to be. For this reason, I recommend that you have Reeses evaluated by your veterinarian to check for these possibilities and to start therapy based on findings. At the very least they can address dehydration if present and start him on medications to make him feel better. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed for your boy!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Kairi. She may have been stressed by her change in environment while you were out of town. This can set off a bacterial imbalance in her gastrointestinal tract resulting in vomiting and diarrhea. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian today to see if this is the case. She will likely require fecal testing and some form of treatment depending on these results and her exam findings. She may receive an antibiotic, an anti-nausea medication and possibly fluid therapy. I hope this information helps!