Do dogs get diarrhea when pregnant? We scoured the internet and found several sites claiming this, but there is no scientific evidence to support it. It might be happening due to improper nutrition. Read more about this here.
Table of Contents
Around 28.6 percent of dogs who visit the veterinarian suffer from diarrhea. One reason that people often quote for diarrhea is pregnancy. However, there is no scientific evidence to support that pregnancy in itself can cause diarrhea in dogs.
Female dogs can, however, suffer from diarrhea during pregnancy due to a poor diet or lack of food that is easy to digest. Many people are confused about what to do in this situation and should you take your dog to the vet for this reason?
In this article, we will discuss why diarrhea may occur during pregnancy and what should be done next. You can go through the entire article to understand it adequately.
Do Dogs Get Diarrhea When Pregnant?
It can happen if the diet is insufficient or the food you give is hard to digest.
Yes, diarrhea can indeed occur in dogs during pregnancy. Demands of lactation are quite heavy, the female dog needs to take in an exceptionally good diet during this time. If you feed your dam an insufficient diet or give her food difficult to digest, then uncontrollable diarrhea can occur.
Do Pregnant Dogs Get Diarrhea?
There is no evidence to support that diarrhea is a symptom of pregnancy.
However, this might happen due to various hormonal and physical changes in the dog’s body, and the need for a superbly nutritious diet while lactating. The extra stress that occurs as she is carrying puppies can also be the reason for diarrhea.
Is It Normal For A Mother Dog To Have Diarrhea?
Yes, Dams can get diarrhea after whelping, it is quite common.
Yes, diarrhea is a common problem after giving birth, and consuming a probiotic can help overcome it. Once the puppies begin nursing, the dog’s appetite increases gradually. Lactation requires a lot of energy demand in the dogs, so focusing on the diet will help them.
The dam might be overfeeding during this time because of the demands of lactation. Thus, it is possible that she may get diarrhea due to overfeeding as well.
What Are The Causes Of Diarrhea In Pregnant Dogs?
There are multiple reasons people quote why dogs can suffer from diarrhea during pregnancy.
- The primary reason is lack of a diet good enough for a lactating mother, or else a diet that is nutritious but is hard to digest
- The second possibility is that the hormonal changes during pregnancy in the dam can result in gastrointestinal upsets.
- One remote possibility for diarrhea can be that the growing fetus puts excessive pressure, resulting in constipation or diarrhea. When the puppies grow, they start to move in the uterus, creating discomfort and leading to diarrhea. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this, it is more of an old wives tale among dog breeders.
- An underlying medical condition could cause diarrhea, such as parasites or any other infection.
How to Care for A Pregnant Dog With Diarrhea?
You can pay attention to a few things to help your dog feel healthy and better.
- You need to pay special attention to your dog’s food. Diarrhea can signify that your dog is not getting enough nutrients.
- Try to make sure that she is drinking enough water and eating a rich diet.
- Try to avoid food with high fat and sugar content.
If your dog’s diarrhea doesn’t improve through home treatments, then you can take her to the vet for further evaluation. If the dog is suffering from diarrhea for more than one day, then you can consult the veterinarian.
What To Do If My Dog Ate Imodium?
Imodium is potentially dangerous in dogs. Consult with your vet immediately.
When a dog eats Imodium, they can suffer from various serious side effects like bloat, pancreatitis, constipation, and sedation (it can be quite severe).
If there is any medical emergency, you need to visit the veterinarian right away. Try to understand how much Imodium tablet your dog has swallowed and take the product with you to the veterinarian.
How Long Does The Imodium Last?
Imodium starts affecting the dog’s body within a couple of hours. If you see no improvement and the issue remains for more than two days, then you can take another alternative from your veterinarian. Giving Imodium to Dogs for more than two days isn’t prescribed without consulting the veterinarian.
Why Is My Dog So Skinny After Having Puppies?
Losing weight is a sign that the nutrition needed is not being met.
Dogs lose weight after the birth of the puppies. The energy requirements increase for a nursing dog. The nutritional requirement can even double or triple (as per the size of the puppies) depending upon the dog’s body as it has to produce milk to feed the little puppies.
Nutrition plays a vital role when it comes to recovering after pregnancy in dogs. It can even be difficult for the mother dog to put on weight if the nutrition isn’t proper. The good news is that they can gain weight, and you need to provide them with a healthy diet and switch some of the foods in the dog’s diet.
How To Ensure Puppy And Mother Dogs’ Health?
By following this step, the dog can recover after the pregnancy.
- Step 1: You can feed your dog with essential nutrients such as puppy food. Puppy food also provides extra calories since the puppies need extra energy in their growing period. You can feed your nursing dog puppy food, and it helps in weight gain and can provide proper nutrition for her to cope after the pregnancy.
- Step 2: You can feed your dog weight-increasing foods to increase her calorie intake and fat health. You can even check the nutritional value, which is printed on the backside of the packet. Various home-cooked foods can also enhance their health and help them overcome weight loss.
- Step 3: Try to enhance the number of meals for the dog. If your dog eats three meals, you can increase it to 4. But make sure you do not provide too much food to your dog in one meal.
- Step 4: Try to allow the nursing dog away from the dish of puppies throughout the day. Your dog will start eating its own and gain weight effortlessly through this.
A Few Final Words
Dogs are our beloved pets, and it’s essential to take care of what they eat and visit the vet when they are sick. As a preventive measure, you can get some tips and tricks from the doctor. We always worry when the dogs are pregnant and wonder if we are taking enough care of them.
Many dog owners wonder if they are sick or suffer from diarrhea. If dams suffer from diarrhea during pregnancy, it might be a sign of a diet that is not rich enough in nutrition.
Thank you for going through this article, we hope it answered some questions, and if you have more feel free to drop us a word in the comments section.
We have written a lot about mating, pregnancy, and pups on our site. Do read and learn more about this incredible journey of becoming pet parents to a litter.