Why does my dog have constant diarrhea?

Question:
Why does my dog have constant diarrhea?

A: I would recommend that you schedule an appointment with your veterinarian.  There are many things that can cause chronic diarrhea.  How old is your dog?

A few of the most common causes of chronic diarrhea in a young dog are intestinal parasites, bacterial flora upset in the GI tract, maldigestion, or malabsorption.  Intestinal parasites can be detected by a veterinarian with only a few simple tests.  A deworming medication will then be prescribed and should clear up the infection.  Roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms, and coccidia are the most common parasites seen.  A bacterial flora upset can also be detected with a simple test.  Clostridium, Giardia, and other Protozoal cysts can cause chronic diarrhea.  A course of antibiotics should take care of these. 

Maldigestion and Malabsorption are potentially more serious problems.  Maldigestion is caused by a decrease in pancreas function.  If the pancreas is not secreting the enzymes needed to digest fats properly, these will not be digested and can cause a chronic diarrhea.  Your veterinarian can test for this and will treat with an enzyme replacement.  Malabsorption can be tested by a simple corn oil test by your veterinarian.  Again, this is a manageable condition.

In an older dog, IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease), or intestinal cancer are added to the list of possibilities.  An intestinal biopsy will diagnose either of these problems.  Steroids can be used to lessen the clinical signs.  I would recommend speaking to your veterinarian to ensure there isn't a risk for either of these conditions.

I would recommend a visit to your veterinarian to determine the cause of the diarrhea.  It is not normal to have chronic diarrhea problems.

~Dr. Page Wages

Oberlin Animal Hospital