My senior dog shakes and has diarrhea after storms. Is it stress?

Shaking can be a sign of anxiety (as with thunderstorms) or could indicate pain and discomfort. I would recommend taking Molly in to be examined by your veterinarian. She likely has some degree of arthritis and this could be causing her discomfort. She may need to be started on a joint supplement and an anti inflammatory drug to help with pain. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Miss. Trembling can indicate pain in a dog. This could be belly pain especially if she has had any vomiting or diarrhea. It can be from muscle or joint pain or perhaps she is experiencing anxiety. Thunderstorms and fireworks are big causes for anxiety this time of year. If her symptoms continue, she will need to see her veterinarian to determine the cause. I hope this information helps!

If she’s eating/drinking, pooping normally and does not seem to be limping or painful when touched around her legs or belly….it is most likely stress. Possibly there was a super loud noise/siren/crash etc. that scared her. Vetriscience composure chews (available without a prescription on Chewy.com) can help with stress, including separation anxiety stress/firework stress, etc. Hope she feels better soon!

Ruling out an underlying health issue such as pain or illness is always a good first step when your pet experiences a sudden behavior change. As seven is the start of the senior years, it is possible there is some pain from laying in the bed, or arthritis causing problems. if Milou checks out health, trying to find if there is a pattern to the "attacks" may be helpful- does it happen the same time every night? Same spot? Same triggers? Is the neighbor arriving home in a noisy car at that time, etc? This may help you figure out what is triggering it so you can make some adjustments- IE moving the bed somewhere quieter, making sure your dog is fast asleep prior to that time, getting out excess energy before bed, feeding a treat to keep the stomach from becoming too empty and causing growling/discomfort, etc. If you can't seem to find any pattern at all, taking a video of the even to bring to your vet or a local trainer may be helpful in better identifying what is going on, and finding a solution.

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.

I am sorry to hear about Chewie. The storms and fireworks can definitely cause extreme anxiety in some pets. I would recommend discussing with your vet if there is a prescription medication they feel is appropriate for him knowing his medical history to see if this helps if the storms are still ongoing. You can also try an Adaptil collar (a calming pheremone product), a Thundershirt (compression vest for anxiety) and a calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure, all available online or sometimes at pet stores or vet offices. If the strange behavior continues then an exam is recommended.

Continue the treatment and feed him boiled chicken and rice for a few days, this should resolve the problem. if it doesn't you will need to take him back to the vet in order to get it checked and treated.