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- Dec 30, 2018
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Dogs develop diarrhea from stress and excitement as well as from eating things that they shouldn’t. As long as your dog is feeling reasonably well (active, interested in food, no vomiting, small amounts or no blood in the stool) it is safe and reasonable to treat diarrhea symptomatically.
Mucus on the stools is a normal protective response of the intestinal tract to inflammation and irritation. Sometimes there will be a wee bit of blood on the stools because many dogs strain when they have diarrhea. Large amounts of blood can be more serious, and will require examination of the pooch.
Uncomplicated diarrhea from stress or dietary indiscretion (garbage-itis) responds well to symptomatic homeopathic treatment. Choose remedies from the list below, as described in point 6.
Symptomatic Approach for Diarrhea:
1 - If the dog is medium to large (over 20 pounds) and there is a large quantity of diarrhea, it is best to start with a day of fast. During this day, you can give fluids, including electrolyte replacement fluids and broth, but no solid food. This gives the intestines a rest, and allows the lining to regenerate. If there is little or no diarrhea during the fast, and the dog feels good, you can resume feeding as indicated below.
2 - Feed frequent small meals of bland, easily digested food. I like to use plain cooked meat, as cooked meat is slightly easier to digest than raw. (My own animals all eat raw otherwise.) Some people want to add grains, if so, I would suggest cooked oatmeal. In digestibility studies with dogs, turkey is the most digestible protein, and oatmeal is the most digestible grain. A study of fecal (stool) quality showed that rice produced looser stools than barley or sorghum. Pumpkin is a good source of fiber to add, as is psyllium husk.
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3 – Offer plenty of water, ice, and other clear fluids (such as low sodium chicken broth) to ensure that the pet remains hydrated.
4 - Provide probiotics to replenish the natural bacteria that are being flushed out of the tract by the diarrhea. Probiotics are safe for all animals. Some people give them daily at a low dose; during times of digestive upset double the daily dose. There are many probiotic sources, and they vary widely in quality and number of live active bacteria. I like Aunt Jeni’s Digestive Aid for everyday use. When there is severe diarrhea I will use the human products of PrescriptAssist, VSL 3, or HLC Mindlinx. There are many other high quality probiotics.
5 – Ensure that parasites are not a major complicating factor by having a stool checked.
6 – Use homeopathic remedies appropriate to the individual’s signs. I give a dose of the chosen homeopathic medicine in a 6 X, 6 C, or 12 X potency after each diarrheic stool. There should be significant improvement within a few hours, if not, the remedy is probably not correct, and the case should be re-evaluated. You can mix the medicine in a little water and give to the dog, or you can put a few granules on a spoon and add a few drops of non-chlorinated water to it; most dogs readily lick it off the spoon. Homeopathic medicines appear to work best dissolved in water.
7 – If the diarrhea persists, or if at any time the patient’s condition deteriorates, consult your local holistic vet.
Symptomatic homeopathic remedies for diarrhea include:
Argentum nitricum – These patients develop diarrhea when they are excited, such as dogs on holiday or in competition.
Arsenicum album – This is the remedy most often used for gastrointestinal signs from eating unusual foods or garbage. Animals are usually restless, and may have vomiting as well.
China - This diarrhea is often periodic, recurring every few days. The patient frequently has gas, and feels tired from the diarrhea.
Nux vomica – These animals may belch a lot, with nausea right after eating. They may have frequent urges to stool, with no result. They may be uncomfortable before and during passage of stool. They may seek out warmth.
Phosphorus - These patients have sudden onset of watery stool with blood. They are usually thirsty, and may vomit right after eating.
Podophyllum – These patients have explosive diarrhea, often with a lot of gas. They often seem uncomfortable before the diarrhea, and are better afterwards.
Pulsatilla – This animals have changeable signs, often resulting from dietary indiscretion or overeating fatty foods. These dogs want to be out in the open air, and they may belch.
Sulphur – These animals have early morning diarrhea which is quite foul smelling.
There are many more remedies which can help with diarrhea. I suggest the book by Lockie “The Family Guide to Homeopathy”, as an excellent resource. This book is written for people (well obviously, animals can’t read) and does not specifically address animal problems. However, most problems are similar and often directly referable. If you use homeopathy for yourself, you will understand better how to use it for your animal friends.
Mucus on the stools is a normal protective response of the intestinal tract to inflammation and irritation. Sometimes there will be a wee bit of blood on the stools because many dogs strain when they have diarrhea. Large amounts of blood can be more serious, and will require examination of the pooch.
Uncomplicated diarrhea from stress or dietary indiscretion (garbage-itis) responds well to symptomatic homeopathic treatment. Choose remedies from the list below, as described in point 6.
Symptomatic Approach for Diarrhea:
1 - If the dog is medium to large (over 20 pounds) and there is a large quantity of diarrhea, it is best to start with a day of fast. During this day, you can give fluids, including electrolyte replacement fluids and broth, but no solid food. This gives the intestines a rest, and allows the lining to regenerate. If there is little or no diarrhea during the fast, and the dog feels good, you can resume feeding as indicated below.
2 - Feed frequent small meals of bland, easily digested food. I like to use plain cooked meat, as cooked meat is slightly easier to digest than raw. (My own animals all eat raw otherwise.) Some people want to add grains, if so, I would suggest cooked oatmeal. In digestibility studies with dogs, turkey is the most digestible protein, and oatmeal is the most digestible grain. A study of fecal (stool) quality showed that rice produced looser stools than barley or sorghum. Pumpkin is a good source of fiber to add, as is psyllium husk.
.
3 – Offer plenty of water, ice, and other clear fluids (such as low sodium chicken broth) to ensure that the pet remains hydrated.
4 - Provide probiotics to replenish the natural bacteria that are being flushed out of the tract by the diarrhea. Probiotics are safe for all animals. Some people give them daily at a low dose; during times of digestive upset double the daily dose. There are many probiotic sources, and they vary widely in quality and number of live active bacteria. I like Aunt Jeni’s Digestive Aid for everyday use. When there is severe diarrhea I will use the human products of PrescriptAssist, VSL 3, or HLC Mindlinx. There are many other high quality probiotics.
5 – Ensure that parasites are not a major complicating factor by having a stool checked.
6 – Use homeopathic remedies appropriate to the individual’s signs. I give a dose of the chosen homeopathic medicine in a 6 X, 6 C, or 12 X potency after each diarrheic stool. There should be significant improvement within a few hours, if not, the remedy is probably not correct, and the case should be re-evaluated. You can mix the medicine in a little water and give to the dog, or you can put a few granules on a spoon and add a few drops of non-chlorinated water to it; most dogs readily lick it off the spoon. Homeopathic medicines appear to work best dissolved in water.
7 – If the diarrhea persists, or if at any time the patient’s condition deteriorates, consult your local holistic vet.
Symptomatic homeopathic remedies for diarrhea include:
Argentum nitricum – These patients develop diarrhea when they are excited, such as dogs on holiday or in competition.
Arsenicum album – This is the remedy most often used for gastrointestinal signs from eating unusual foods or garbage. Animals are usually restless, and may have vomiting as well.
China - This diarrhea is often periodic, recurring every few days. The patient frequently has gas, and feels tired from the diarrhea.
Nux vomica – These animals may belch a lot, with nausea right after eating. They may have frequent urges to stool, with no result. They may be uncomfortable before and during passage of stool. They may seek out warmth.
Phosphorus - These patients have sudden onset of watery stool with blood. They are usually thirsty, and may vomit right after eating.
Podophyllum – These patients have explosive diarrhea, often with a lot of gas. They often seem uncomfortable before the diarrhea, and are better afterwards.
Pulsatilla – This animals have changeable signs, often resulting from dietary indiscretion or overeating fatty foods. These dogs want to be out in the open air, and they may belch.
Sulphur – These animals have early morning diarrhea which is quite foul smelling.
There are many more remedies which can help with diarrhea. I suggest the book by Lockie “The Family Guide to Homeopathy”, as an excellent resource. This book is written for people (well obviously, animals can’t read) and does not specifically address animal problems. However, most problems are similar and often directly referable. If you use homeopathy for yourself, you will understand better how to use it for your animal friends.
