One of the scariest things that is connected to owning a dog is your beloved pooch getting sick. When talking about health issues, you need to know that German Shepherd diarrhea is no joke.
Usually, large dogs have bigger issues when it comes to diarrhea and some other health problems. It will be very exhausting for both the dog and the dog owner.
Throughout this article, we will be going through a lot of things that you need to know in order to be prepared for this situation.
There is quite a lot to go through, so buckle up and let us start with the article.
Is German Shepherd Diarrhea Common?
There are a lot of things that can cause German Shepherds to get diarrhea, and we will talk about them a bit later. The thing you need to know is that these pooches are known for their intelligence, grace, beauty, and being hardworking dogs.
The thing that they are also known for is their sensitive stomach.
Because of this, we can say that German Shepherds can get diarrhea quite a few times in their lifetime. Other dogs can also get diarrhea, but because of their sensitive stomach, a GSD will most likely have it more frequently.
German Shepherd puppies can easily get diarrhea, and this is not something that is concerning in most cases. It usually lasts for a short period of time, and it does not take a toll on them.
This is mainly because of the milk that they are eating, and after that, because of the dietary changes. Their digestive system is still developing, and because of that, some foods can cause them to get diarrhea.
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What Causes German Shepherd Diarrhea?
Diarrhea (or loose stool) is something that can be caused by many different things. Some are easily fixable and won’t get that serious, while other reasons are scarier, and can really make your dog sick.
Figuring out what causes diarrhea can be very difficult. Dogs can not speak to us and tell us what the exact problem is. That would be wonderful if they could, right?
But, since they can not, we need to do our best to figure out what might be the problem. Here is the list of most common causes of German Shepherd diarrhea.
1. They Ate The ˝Forbidden Foods˝
It is a known fact that German Shepherds are extremely intelligent dogs that know their worth. They are too smart to go through trash or to steal a piece of food from the table, but things can happen if they get tempted enough.
If they picked something out of the trash, the logical occurrence will be diarrhea, and even vomiting. They can get ahold of things that have been in there for a long time.
This can be scary because they can get seriously ill, and it can take a bad turn.
If they got ahold of some human food, you might think that it will not cause problems, but it depends. If they eat something like spicy food, they can have a bad reaction to that and develop diarrhea.
Something that you need to take big care of is removing anything that can poison your dog. Cleaning supplies are one of those things that are toxic for your dog.
They might not necessarily take the cleaning supplies to drink them. The appearance of the packaging can invite them to play, and by chewing the bottle, they can consume some of the chemicals inside by accident.
2. You Changed Your Dog’s Diet
Whatever the reason might be for the dietary change, you need to know that it can cause some problems with your dog’s stomach.
Some dogs will not have a problem, but others can react to the changes a bit. Usually, this does not cause chronic diarrhea. They might get it, but it will not be that severe, and it will not last for a long time.
You need to be patient and consistent for your dog to get used to the new food. We suggest introducing it slowly. Try mixing the old food with the new. At first, you will put more of the old food and less of the new.
As time passess, you will add more and more new food, until finally they start eating only the new dog food.
3. They Ate Too Much
This might not pop into your head, but it is possible. A lot of dog owners make a feeding schedule, and know the exact amount of food that they need to give to their dogs.
If, for some reason, your dog gets more food than it is used to, they can get diarrhea.
This is also the case where the diarrhea will not last for a long time, and will not bother your dog much. It will only last for the amount of time that is needed for your dog to get rid of all the excess food.
4. Some Type Of Allergies
Dogs can also have allergies. They can have them since they were puppies, but they can also develop them at any point during their life.
This can be sometimes hard to detect and figure out, but your dog can be allergic to a certain food ingredient. Allergies usually occur when you give them a new diet, or introduce them to new foods that they are not used to.
They can be allergic to some medication, and can also have seasonal allergies like we humans have.
The best thing to do is test your dog for allergies while it is still a puppy. After the first testing, ask your vet how often you should come to redo the test to make sure that they didn’t develop any new allergies.
5. Bacterial Infections
Bacteria is all around us and our pets. Dogs are more resistant to bacteria since they are more exposed to them. Playing with their toys, sniffing around, eating bad food, etc. are just some of the things that can cause your dog to get a bacterial infection.
They will for sure get an upset stomach if they consume a lot of bacteria, especially the more scary ones.
The dog will develop diarrhea, and will most likely vomit and lose their appetite.
6. Health Issues
There are a lot of health problems that can cause your dog to have diarrhea. Some of these problems are very serious while others are not that serious, but are scary for sure.
Here are some of the health issues that can have diarrhea as a symptom:
– Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
– Heatstroke
– Thyroid problems
– Heart issues
– Cancer
– Dehydration
– Pancreatitis
– Dehydration
– Parvovirus
These are just some of the few health issues that can cause diarrhea. A lot of these will come with many different symptoms aside from diarrhea. If you notice your dog looking weak and having a lot of symptoms, you should contact the vet immediately.
7. Stress And Anxiety
Sometimes, we tend to forget that our dogs can develop some mental issues like stress and anxiety, and even depression. These can cause your dog to develop problems with its digestive system.
There are many reasons that can make your dog get stressed or anxious, and you need to find the reason for it.
We know that it is hard because you never know what your dog can find to be stressful. It is even harder to figure out that your dog is stressed and anxious in the first place.
The vet will be able to figure it out, especially when they see that there is nothing seriously wrong with your dog.
What To Do When Your German Shepherd Dog Gets Diarrhea
There are some things that you can do to make sure that your dog gets healthy as soon as possible. We know that it is stressful and overwhelming, but we need you to stay focused, calm, and persistent.
Here are some things that you need to do:
– Give your dog bland food. It is important to make sure that your dog is still eating. The key is to give your dog food that will not be hard on its stomach. Plain rice, chicken broth, and bland chicken are just some of the things you can give them. If you want to know more, you can check out our ˝what to give your sick dog without an appetite˝ article.
– Don’t give your dog food for 24 hours. This might sound strange, but sometimes you need to give their stomach some time to repair. If you give them food, especially when they don’t want it, you can be doing more harm than good. After 24 hours, if your dog is still refusing to eat anything, you should contact the vet.
– Give them medication that your vet prescribed. It is never a good idea to give your dog medication without consulting your vet first. If you want to try some home remedies, you can, but our advice is to consult your vet even then.
– Give them lots of love. This might not cure their diarrhea, but it will for sure make your dog more comfortable. They will feel safe, and they will know that you are there by their side. This will make them relax a bit.
To Sum It All Up
German Shepherd diarrhea is something that is not that unusual, but it is stressful for sure. In most cases, this occurs because of their sensitive stomach, especially if they ate some foods that they were not supposed to.
Other reasons may be something that you don’t want to hear, and those are different health issues. This will for sure take a toll on both of you, but just stay persistent and calm. Make sure that your dog knows that you are there for them.
Whatever the case might be, we wish your pooch a speedy recovery.
