Why does my dog have diarrhea after a vet visit? Should I worry?

Hi there and thanks for posting! I wouldn't start to worry unless Harley starts experiencing an increase in bouts of diarrhea and vomiting. You can try feeding him a bland diet of chicken and rice with a few tablespoons of plain canned pumpkin (not the pie filling ) for a day or two and see if that helps firm up his stool a bit. If the diarrhea and vomiting continue happening, however, I would recommend having Harley seen by his veterinarian. There may be other causes such as a viral or parasitic infection that will need to be ruled out with your vet. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I do not think you have anything to worry about. The stool could look this way more from the stress of the veterinary visit, than from the Heartgard. It can take approximately 8 hours from the time a substance is swallowed to the time it is passed back out, so I very much doubt that the medication caused this. Now, if Max had vomited within 30 minutes or so of swallowing the Heartgard, then I would say this is the probable cause. So, as long as he is eating & drinking regular, & his stool does not get looser, then he will be perfectly fine.

Poor Harley does sound quite sick at the moment! It is concerning that he started to limp after taking a wee, and he could have injured, torn, or strained a ligament. If he's still limping now, two days after the initial time you saw him limp, I would take him back into the vet today. The vet can diagnose what is causing the limp and how best to treat it. In addition, the vet can follow up on how he is doing after having such bad diarrhea. Good luck, I hope he feels better soon!

If she gets stressed out about being groomed it could be just a stress colitis. If she seems fine otherwise, withhold food for 12-24 hours, but let her have water. At the end of 12-24 hours, give her a very small amount of her regular food. If all goes well, give her a little more 30-45 minutes later, continue this way until she has had her normal meal amount. If the diarrhea continues, or if she starts vomiting, becomes lethargic, refuses food or shows any other adverse symptoms, get her in to see your vet as soon as possible.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bentley. He may be experiencing stress colitis which is diarrhea secondary to stressful events (ie. boarding, grooming, etc). When this occurs, it can resolve on its own, but other times a secondary bacterial imbalance develops in the gut. This can require an antibiotic to treat. Since the diarrhea has recurred despite your treatment at home, I recommend that he see his veterinarian. He will likely need fecal testing and a medication. I hope this information helps!

Since she still has diarrhea even though she was on a bland diet, it is likely that she has an intestinal infection, and it could indeed be something she ingested with the lake water. I suggest you take her to your vet for an exam. She will likely need prescription antibiotics and/or anti-parasitic medications.

Dogs will frequently develop diarrhea from a diet change which is why it is recommended to slowly transition your pet from one food to another. Since worms have been ruled out, it is likely that this is your pup's issue, although there may be many reasons for diarrhea including infection, allergies and other disorders. If the diarrhea does not resolve in another day or two, you should take her back to your veterinarian to determine the underlying cause of the diarrhea.