My dog has night diarrhea, mucus, and scoots but acts normal. Why?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Bits is having diarrhea and scooting on the carpet. I recommend offering a bland diet such as boiled chicken and rice (in a ratio of 1 part meat to 2 parts rice) for the next few days to help bulk up his stool. You can also try mixing in 1/8 of a teaspoon of Metamucil into his food twice daily. This is a fiber supplement that can be purchased from a human pharmacy (purchase the original, unflavored kind). If his diarrhea persists for longer than a couple days, or if you ever see blood in the diarrhea, I recommend having him evaluated by your veterinarian, as there could be a more serious underlying cause. Common causes of diarrhea include intestinal parasites, inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease, infection, and in older dogs, cancer. The scooting may be due to irritation from the diarrhea, or due to full anal glands. Your veterinarian will be able to perform a physical and rectal examination and express his anal glands, if needed. I hope this is helpful!

Either is possible - diarrhea can cause irritation and 'itchiness' of the anus and perianal area. Baxter's anal glands could also be full since they are normally emptied during defecation and his stool probably hasn't been bulky enough to express them. If his anal area looks irritated you could apply a thin layer of Vitamin A+D ointment or Petroleum jelly to the area, but if he keeps scooting I'd recommend taking him in to have his glands checked.

Hello, sorry to hear about Sammie. It sounds like the loose stools are making his peri-anal area soiled. He may have loose stools because of the stress associated with going to the groomers. Additionally, if his anal glands were expressed he may be a little sensitive in the area and may be straining to defecate. Continue to clean and dry the area as needed when he becomes soiled. If the problem continues after 2-3 days, then Sammie should be seen by a veterinarian. If Sammie develops swelling, pain, or thick green discharge from his anal region, then he should be evaluated sooner. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hi there! Although dogs can get diarrhea from worms, there are other reasons why, including bacterial infections, or even dietary indiscretion (eating something out of the ordinary that they shouldn't), that can cause it. From the description of the mucous, it could very well be colitis - or inflammation of the colon or large bowel. Also, fleas carry tapeworms, so sometimes the over the counter de-wormers don't take care of those. You can try a fast of 12 hours of no food, and very little water. After that period of time, 1/3-1/2 of their normal portion of food in the form of boiled or steamed lean protein such as chicken breast or ground turkey (no sauce or seasoninng) can be introduced. If the diarrhea seems like it's improving, or it stops, every 12 hours you can increase the portion little by little until it's back to the normal portion of food. If the diarrhea is not improving, both dogs should be evaluated by their veterinarian. It is important to make sure that the dogs are not getting too dehydrated from the diarrhea (as even though they may be drinking, they lose way more fluid than they can take in sometimes with diarrhea). The veterinarian can also give them some medications to help with the diarrhea, like, for example, some antibiotics to help re-balance the bacterial populations in the gut. At any time, if vomiting starts in addition to the diarrhea, I always advise to have the pet(s) evaluated immediately, because this can indicate an intestinal blockage, or a severe gastrointestinal infection or diffuse inflammation. All of those issues need to be addressed immediately. If the diarrhea does improve with the bland diet, I always advise to feed it until there is 48-72 hours of normal, solid stools. Then, you can transition the dogs back to their normal diet, gradually, over the course of 5-7 days (as switching too quickly can actually cause diarrhea). You can find a food transition guide here: https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/nutrition-feeding/how-to-transition-my-dogs-food Best of luck!

I'm quite worried about Apollo from your description of what's happening. The most common reason a dog will squat as if to defecate and not have anything come out, is actually if the dog has diarrhea. Diarrhea causes inflammation in the intestines, which tends to give the sensation of needing to defecate, even if there's nothing left to pass! I agree, Apollo's rectum appears quite swollen and inflamed. The swollen appearance could be partially due to the fact that he's not neutered, but it could also indicate a chronic problem with his GI tract or anal glands. However, the most alarming symptom to me is that he is now refusing food and water and appears weak. These are very worrying symptoms, and if he's not eating or drinking, and likely has diarrhea, he can become dehydrated very quickly. I recommend a vet visit as soon as possible! Hope this helps and I hope Apollo feels better soon.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Mimi has been having diarrhea. Diarrhea with mucus can be due to a variety of reasons, including intestinal parasites, dietary indiscretion, food intolerance, or another underlying issue. I would recommend having her evaluated by her regular veterinarian, have any necessary testing done (fecal analysis, etc) and start any treatment (probiotic/antidiarrheal) that she may need to resolve it. Good luck!

It sounds like your dog is very uncomfortable or even painful, probably in his belly from your description of his symptoms. The diarrhea could be caused by any number of things; intestinal parasites, a bacterial infection, even being constipated will sometimes manifest as diarrhea because liquid feces is all that will get by the impacted fecal material. It could be as simple as a dietary indiscretion, meaning he might have gotten into the trash and eaten something that didn't agree with him. If he continues to have loose stool, or starts vomiting, loses his appetite, acts lethargic, and/or develops a fever, get him in to be seen by your vet right away as this could indicate a more serious problem.