My dog has diarrhea for days, vomiting. Could it be an obstruction?

These signs could be compatible with a colitis, which is an inflammation of the last part of the intestine, the colon, usually related to dietary indiscretion. As a first approach, I would suggest 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. A probiotic like pro-kolin can be added to the diet. I would definitely recommend a veterinary check up if the signs persist or you notice vomiting, lethargy or inappetence. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that he is not feeling well. The symptoms you are describing could be due to multiple possibilities. If you have recently switched his food or added in a new treat it could be dietary indiscretion causing this. If this were the case, I would withhold food for 12 hours and introduce a bland diet as outlined below. If, however, there has been no recent switch to his food and he has been on the same thing his whole life this is likely something else. My recommendation would be to have a veterinarian take a look at him and run some testing such as blood work to see if there are any concerning changes that need to be addressed. If you are concerned about money, then you can start the bland diet as outlined below but if the vomiting and lethargy persist for more than 24 hours I would strongly recommend he be seen by a vet. CareCredit is a good option to look into. This option will allow you to put Veterinary expenses on a line of credit specifically for that purpose and you will pay Care Credit on a monthly basis. I would call and check to see if the vet clinic accepts Care Credit First. If he is one that choose toys and things that he shouldn't, then there is a chance this could also be a intestinal foreign body obstruction. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me if you have any other concerns. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm.

Since he is going every 3-4 hours it might be a good idea to take him to the vet to prescribe medications to help resolve the diarrhea, especially since he is going in the house at night. If you wanted to try some treatment at home, you could withhold food for 12 hours and then try a small amount of a bland diet, like boiled chicken and white rice. If the diarrhea has improved then continue the bland diet for a few days and slowly transition back to his normal food. You could also add a dog probiotic to his diet. Proviable Forte Kit has a probiotic capsule and paste for diarrhea. If the diarrhea continues then he should definitely been seen by your vet.

If the vomiting continues than he could have a blockage. If he is otherwise acting ok than you could withhold food for the day and then try a bland diet of boil chicken and white rice. If the vomiting resolves, continue feeding the bland diet for a few days and then gradually switch back to his regular food. If the vomiting and diarrhea continues then he needs to be examined by a veterinarian to determine the cause. Your veterinarian can take an x-ray to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat his problem.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Dre. Hopefully he passed all of the plastic and is feeling better. If not, I recommend that he sees a veterinarian for x-rays of his belly. An obstruction is a very serious problem and typically requires surgery to relieve. So if he is not acting back to normal, he will need imaging by a veterinarian. Even if x-rays were taken initially, it is worth repeating them given the foreign object seen in the stool. I hope this information helps!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Diarrhea is typically not a sign of an obstruction of the intestines. GI obstructions cause severe vomiting, lethargy, abdominal pain, and decreased appetite. It is possible that whatever toy Ben ate caused some irritation or trauma to the lining of his intestines/colon that is now manifesting as diarrhea. The diarrhea could also be unrelated to the toy, and could be due to eating any other type of new food, stress, or GI parasites. I recommend feeding Ben strictly his usual diet - no treats or other humans foods - for at least 5 days to see if this helps resolve his softer stools. I hope this is helpful!

It is possible to be related if it is a partial blockage in the stomach and it is floating around. But it may be unrelated as he could have a viral/bacterial infection that can cause similar symptoms. If the vomiting persist or bloody diarrhea occurs, then bring him to your vet for blood work and x rays to make sure.