Is dog diarrhea normal during heartworm treatment? When to worry?

He could have colitis secondary to something he ate. You could feed him a bland diet of chicken breast and white rice for a few days and see if that helps. You could also add a probiotic to his diet, like Fortiflora or Proviable. If the abnormal stools continue then he should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and treat. Your vet can run a fecal test to make sure he doesn't have a parasite.

Hello, depending on which medications she has, side effects may include GI signs such as the ones you saw this morning. If she continues to have blood her stool contact your veterinarian in the morning. However, if she develops profuse watery and bloody diarrhea with other GI signs such as vomiting and inappetence then she should be seen by an emergency veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry Hanna is having problems post heartworm treatment. Diarrhea with blood can be caused by many things. One very common problem in adult dogs that causes bloody diarrhea is a whipworm infection. Other causes include food intolerance/sensitivity, dietary indiscretion, parasites, drug reactions, stress, infection, etc. I would advise calling your veterinarian to investigate this problem and make sure that Hanna is ok after receiving the injections for heartworm. Your vet will review a history, perform a physical exam, and possibly advise some tests or treatment. Likely tests could include a fecal exam to check for whipworms, bloodwork, and possible xrays to evaluate her abdomen. Please have her evaluated to rule out whipworms or a possible reaction to the heartworm treatment. I hope she has a speedy recovery.

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.

Those symptoms can be normal the first day after such an intense treatment with Immiticide and also with Tramadol. The side effects that can be seen with Tramadol are as follows: "Tramadol appears to be well tolerated in dogs. Potentially, it could cause a variety of adverse effects associated with its pharmacologic actions, including: CNS effects (excessive sedation, agitation, anxiety, tremor, dizziness), or GI effects (inappetence, vomiting, constipation to diarrhea)." With that said, I would still opt to get Clementine examined by a vet soon, especially if her gait continues to be affected and if she isn't drinking water and having normal urinations. Her gums should always look pink, and her breathing should be normal (not panting). I hope that your pet Clementine is able to recover well from her rough 1st day of heartworm treatment. Best wishes and take care.

Usually few days. I would recommend to start feeding with a bland diet based on boiled chicken and rice in small portion every 6 hours for the following 48hours. Then gradually reintroduce the normal diet over 5 days. I would definitively recommend a veterinary check up if the signs persist or you notice vomiting, lethargy or inappetence. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Yes, as the diarrhea is clearing up you can still see bouts of diarrhea at the end of the bowel movement. I would keep adding the rice and cottage in his food for the next 48-72 hours, then slowly take it away until he is eating his normal diet only.