I see this posted all of the time in Frenchie Facebook groups, ” What should I do when my Frenchie has diarrhea? This is a great question as your little French Fry will likely experience this at least once in their life. It can be frustrating and worrisome as to much fluids enters their GI tract for whatever reasons, interfering with the GI tract, and even causing malabsorption issues and dehydration. I understand. Last month we had a round of diarrhea going through the Frenchie clan. They had squirts on the walls, floor, and covered their blankets in it as well. My full time job at that time was cleaner and detective. This will likely be your role as well until you get it cleared up.
Let’s go over some common reasons why your French Bulldog has diarrhea. Some are acute (sudden) and some are chronic (persists).
- A sudden change in diet. I had switched their food so I thought maybe this could be it.
- Getting into the garbage.
- Parasites. This is often the culprit especially in pups as they are unfortunately often a part of puppyhood. Giardia and coccidia are often offenders. Your vet will need to run a fecal test to determine if there are parasites. If so, prescribe the proper medication which your number one job is to give your pup every single dose whether he likes it or not.
- Eating a foreign object such as a sock or toy. If this happened, other signs may include vomiting, abdominal tenderness, or lack of appetite. This is something your vet will need to help you diagnose and may even need surgical removal. If you see your Frenchie swallow something he shouldn’t, act immediately. Check out this blog article: What to do when your Frenchie eats a sock or something like it.
- Eating toxic foods for dogs like chocolate or poisonous plants like poinsettias. In small amounts, it may pass. If your Frenchies acts odd or just to be safe you can contact a vet or poison control: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) is your best resource for any animal poison-related emergency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you think your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, call (888) 426-4435. A consultation fee may apply.
- Allergic reactions. If your Frenchie has allergies, his body can be trying to flush it out of his system. If you notice your Frenchie is constantly licking/chewing his paws, scratching, and/or moist/scabbed skin this may be the culprit and will likely require an elimination diet to find the source .
- Medication side effect. Did your Frenchie just start a new medication? If so, check out if this is a common side effect via your vet or pharmacy.
- Irritable bowel disease. If your Frenchie is also experiencing weight loss, this could be the case. Your little Frenchie will need to see the vet to be diagnosed.
- Kidney or liver disease. If your little one has diarrhea with a hunched over position, weight loss, not wanting to move, vomiting, blood in urine, increase/decrease in urine, or lack of appetite this could be a sign of kidney or liver issues and you need to see the vet.
What to do when your Frenchie has diarrhea.
Ask yourself these questions,
- Is he playing and acting normal? If not, it’s definitley a sign to call the vet. Do take your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible if at any time your dog shows any of these symptoms: bloat, lethargy, fever, large amount of blood in the stool, frequent liquid diarrhea, vomiting, can’t keep food or water down, at risk of dehydration, or showing any other unusual symptoms that worry youDid he recently have a change in dogfood?
- Did he eat something such as toxic food or plant?
- Did he swallow something he shouldn’t have?
- Is it accompanied with weight loss?
- Does he have allergy symptoms like licking/chewing his paws, scratching, and/or moist/scabbed skin?
Call your vet or join Pawp.com to access vet 24/7. I love Pawp.com and use them myself. You can have up to 6 pets on an account and receive up to $3000 one time coverage for a true emergency that is approved by them. Only $19/month. I love them and consult with them often. They can tell you what your next step should be and are an amazing source when you cannot get ahold of your vet.
Here’s what I did to get tootise roll poops coming out of the booties of all my Frenchies.
- Fasted for 12 hours. Gave a bland diet for 24-48hours. Some sources say to fast them for 12 hours some do not. Puppies should not be fasted. Basically they fasted overnight and then began the bland diet in the morning.
- Made sure they had plenty of water to prevent dehydration. After fasting, gave a few licks of water at first and slowly introduced water back into the system.
- Gave probiotics and digestive enzymes twice daily. I love these digestive enzymes that have probiotics in them.
- Made a 1:1:1 mixture of L-glutamine, FOS (fructo-oligosaccharide), and Slippery Elm. 1 tsp twice daily sprinkled in food to help ease the intestinal lining. You can order these on Amazon (affiliate links). L-glutamine, Slippery Elm, FOS.
- Fecal exam by vet: Positive for coccidia. Gave albon as prescribed by vet.
- Switched to homemade raw dog food fed twice daily.
Please remember your Frenchie’s diarrhea treatment plan may differ depending on the situation. You are the detective to help guide yourself to a solution. You can use Pawp.com or your own vet to help you.
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