Pregnant Dog Diarrhea

Your dog is pregnant? Well, congratulations are in order but you must know that pregnancy comes with its own hardships. Your pregnant dog needs special care especially don’t take Pregnant dog diarrhea lightly.

Dogs and pregnancy

A dog’s (bitch) pregnancy is usually comprised of 63-65 days. During pregnancy, there will be a roller coaster ride of emotions and physical changes but you have to stand with your mama-to-be dog during this phase.

During pregnancy, along with emotional ups and downs, your dog will also undergo different body changes like the pregnant belly and enlarged nipples, etc. Pregnancy is tough on every female and so on your dog also. She needs your support throughout the pregnancy and during childbirth.

Diarrhea is a common health problem and usually can be handled with a help of a vet. Pregnancy, on the other hand, is tough itself and the body is not only undergoing different changes but is nurturing a fetus also. Pregnant dog diarrhea can worsen the dog’s health if not treated on time.

Causes of diarrhea in dogs

Usually, diarrhea is caused by

Bacterial or viral infection. Your dog may ingest bacterias through food or get a virus that may cause diarrhea. In diarrhea, a lot of body nutrition goes wasted and can cause weakness. This is the most simple and common cause of diarrhea but if not treated properly, this simple issue can turn fatal.
Diarrhea may be a byproduct of another infection in the body. This indicates serious health concerns.
A simple change in diet can also result in diarrhea. As the body is not used to dietary changes so it can throw up what goes inside.
Changes in the environment can also cause diarrhea. Usually, travel or change in the diet results in getting an infection or throwing up foreign diets.
Sometimes a serious illness like organ failure can cause diarrhea. This is a life-threatening situation and must be treated immediately.
A pregnant dog may show diarrhea and vomiting symptoms during birth also. This happens because of weakness due to the birth process. This is usually ok only if the situation doesn’t prolong more than 24 hours. However, if the condition persists, consult a vet as soon as possible.
After a tiring birth process, sometimes mama dog eats placenta and can get vomiting and diarrhea. To avoid this make sure to count and remove all the placentas from mama dog.

Diarrhea in different stages of pregnancy

A pregnant dog can get affected at any stage of pregnancy. Let’s have a look at the link between different stages of pregnancy and diarrhea in dogs and how it should be handled?

3 weeks pregnant dog and diarrhea

You may think if dogs get diarrhea in early pregnancy? Well, yes! Due to hormonal changes in pregnancy, a dog may be affected by diarrhea. It can also happen due to dietary changes during pregnancy. If the symptoms persist even after few days, consult your vet for further guidance. Keep checking the temperature also.

5 weeks pregnant dog diarrhea

Diarrhea at this stage of pregnancy is usually harmless. Your dog may have eaten anything that doesn’t suit her pregnant body or maybe she has eaten bugs etc. In this case

Give her fluids only and limit the intake of solid food.
It is better to keep her starved for 24 hours. (Fluids must be given)
Feed her light meals and that too in portions so that she could ingest the food properly.
Stick to this diet for the next few days till she gets better.

6 weeks pregnant dog with diarrhea

Usually, diarrhea at 6 weeks of pregnancy is due to worms. Pregnancy causes a lot of hormonal changes which can make worms in the body to migrate. Check if your dog is already on deworming medicines or not. Ask your vet to Prescribe you pregnancy-safe deworming drugs. Feed mama dog soft food and increase the fluid intake.

8 weeks pregnant dog diarrhea

If your dog is 8 weeks pregnant and has diarrhea, her labor is due soon. An average gestation period for a dog is 60-65 days. So in few days, you will be receiving those little bundles of joys. If your mama dog is fine otherwise, maybe this is labor-inducing diarrhea. But if she is extremely lethargic and there are other symptoms like vomiting or temperature, consult your vet.

Pregnant dog diarrhea with blood

If your pregnant dog has just a streak of blood in stool, this is not a problem. However, if she is passing frequent bloody stools, your attention is needed. Carefully examine how many times she is passing stools or if she has temperature and other symptoms like vomiting, loss of appetite, etc. Consult your vet for professional assistance.

If nothing is serious then maybe your dog is near the birthing process.

Pregnant dog diarrhea labor

A dog can get diarrhea during and after labor too. When the labor starts, a dog gets uterine contractions which may cause diarrhea. In the first stage of labor, (during nesting) body can refuse any food or fluid and may cause diarrhea and vomiting. This condition will not prolong more than 24 hours. So wait till the contractions begin and your dog enters stage two of labor.

After the birth process, count and de-attach the placentas. Any remaining placenta can make the dog extremely ill. Also, some mama dogs chew placenta while cleaning and licking their pups after giving birth. This can cause infection leading to diarrhea and vomiting.

Is dog diarrhea during pregnancy safe?

Well, no diarrhea is safe unless it’s gone. But if your pregnant dog has loose stools, no other symptoms are showing up and your dog is getting better with time, that’s ok. However, if after 24 hours, the dog is not feeling better or going in recovery mode, consult your vet.

If the diarrhea is severe and getting bloody, urgent help is needed. Anything can wrong especially in a hard time like pregnancy. The body may not have more tendency to fight diseases due to pregnancy. It already drains enough energy and diarrhea can waste more body fluids causing weakness.

What to do to treat pregnant dog diarrhea

Diarrhea may mean nothing and start getting better within 24 hours with simple home remedies or it may get worse. You should know the cause. Pregnancy itself is not easy. Carrying another fetus and that too of multiple pups is already hard on dogs. Your pregnant dog can get diarrhea due to multiple reasons and the simplest one could be due to pregnancy itself.

When a body undergoes a foreign change, the first symptom it causes is throwing out that foreign substance. In the case of pregnancy, even in humans vomiting and diarrhea are common. Throwing up is a bodily response to a foreign substance.

If you notice bloody diarrhea, things could be pretty serious. Your vet will perform certain tests to rule out causes. A pregnant dog must be treated immediately or it can be harmful to both pregnancy and mama dog.

The vet can take fecal samples, blood samples, or x-rays to know the cause of diarrhea. The texture of poop will also help in determining the cause. In serious cases, a vet may recommend a biopsy or DNA testing, or even surgery.

Treating pregnant dog diarrhea

After knowing the cause, the vet will treat your dog accordingly. In simple cases, your vet may suggest feeding your dog in portions. The food must be soft and light for the stomach so that it could easily be digested.
Fluid intake must be increased. Diarrhea causes loss of nutrition and electrolytes and the body needs strength to recover. Extreme fluid loss can cause dehydration that will result in other health problems.
Diet with prebiotic fibers is given to dogs as it helps in solidifying the stool improving the diarrhea situation.
The vet may recommend homemade food for several days till your dog gets better. Home-cooked food is good on the stomach.

Clinical Treatments for Pregnant Dog Diarrhea

A common cause of diarrhea is parasites or worms. Some worms can pass from mama to pup so doctors may suggest deworming medicines to dog. Dewormer must be pregnancy safe or it can cause a life threat to your dog. Don’t use cheap or horse dewormers. Safeguard is good to give to pregnant dogs as it doesn’t cause harm to the fetus.
In some cases, probiotics are given to increase the immunity and digestive system functioning. Only vets should be allowed to suggest supplements for dogs.
Antidiarrheal drugs may be given to improve health. Flagyl and Immodium are commonly recommended to treat diarrhea but are not safe for pregnant dogs.

For any medical assistance, always trust your vet for the diagnosis and cure. Don’t treat your pregnant dog all by yourself especially if she needs medicine to treat diarrhea.