7 Most Common Dog Digestive Disorders

Today, you’ll learn about:

• 7 Most Common Signs of Dog Digestive Issues 

• Possible Reasons Why Your Dog Has Digestive Problems 

• 7 Most Common Digestive Issues:

• 1. Vomiting

• 2. Diarrhoea

• 3. Chocolate

• 4. Worms

• 5. Inflammatory Bowel Disease

• 6. Gastritis

• 7. Pancreatitis 

• Answers to Your Burning Questions About Common Dog Digestive Concerns

• Natural Solution for Digestive Issues

A dog’s diet should be nourishing and balanced – just like yours. This also seems to be a secret of dogs that live long and healthy lives. 

Coincidence? We think not.

Just the right combo of vitamins, minerals, protein, and complex carbohydrates boosts the immunity of your pooch, glows up coat to a shinier one, energises it and contributes to overall health.

Many people treat dogs as if they’re nothing more than fluffy trash disposals – offering them all kinds of threats and food scraps. However, that’s a recipe for a disaster cooking in a dog’s gut and leading to different serious digestive issues.

The road to a dog’s upset gut is often paved with the owner’s good intentions. They often might not even realise how the food they give to their pup is the reason for their dog’s digestive issues – let alone symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or any other alarming problems.

For some dogs, digestive issues that cause pain and discomfort affects their appetite. And refusing food worsens their conditions even further.

Diagnosis and treatment of digestive problems require great care, but they should also be on the top of your to-do list. When a dog’s gut issues go undiagnosed for a long time, they can get progressively worse and prolong the suffering of your pooch.

Here are some of the most common signs of dog digestive problems you should know about:

• Gassy dog (stomach makes noises, burping, etc.)

• Nausea

• Throwing up

• Diarrhoea

• Weight loss (usually linked to excessive vomiting and loose stool)

• Obstipation

• Loss of appetite

The bad news is – the symptoms listed above could mean both that your pet is not in immediate danger and that it could be suffering from a digestive issue that requires an urgent visit to a vet clinic. Therefore, your best course of action is to get in touch with a vet when you notice something out of the ordinary. 

However, if your pooch has one of these life-threatening symptoms, IMMEDIATELY rush down to the vet clinic:

• Excessive shaking and panting

• Chronic dehydration

• Attempts at throwing up (AKA dry heaving or retching)

• Throwing up fluids

Here are a couple of digestive problems that are common for dogs:

• Pathogenic bacteria

• Viruses

• Parasites

• Worms

• Sudden changes in your dog’s diet

• Overeating the grass (while not life-threatening, it’s concerning)

• Eating chocolate (possibly life-threatening)

• Bloating (take it seriously, could require immediate intervention)

There is a lot that can go wrong with your dog’s digestive system. From loose stool to poisoning, knowing your dog’s health profile and normal behaviours inside out is the key to making sure your four-legged friend lives a long and happy life.

We have selected seven must-know digestive issues that could torment your pooch as well as the signs of trouble to look out for.

Not much is certain in life, but if you have a dog, you can count on that you’ll see it projectile vomit at least once in a lifetime. 

This is one of the most common digestive problems for dogs and the main cause is usually benign. For example, your dog could run around, throw up all of a sudden and continue chasing the ball as if nothing happened.

Regardless, vomiting can at times be a sign of something serious. Your dog will be fine if the vomiting is a one-time thing, but if that keeps happening combined with any of the symptoms listed below, it’s time to grab a phone and call the vet. Pay attention if you notice:

• Recurring vomiting

• Intensive vomiting

• Vomiting blood

• Diarrhoea that contains blood

• Seizures

Vomiting can point to a wide spectrum of conditions and disorders – from heatwave to liver failure. Most of the conditions can be cured, but early intervention when you notice that something is not right and getting in touch with a vet is essential.

That is what healthy stool looks like. Notice anything different? It could be that your dog has stomach issues. Diarrhoea, a loose and watery stool, is one of them. Although it’s not unusual for many dogs, it’s important that you know how to help your pooch and when it indicates a serious condition.

If your pup seems business as usual and receives regular treatment for the prevention of parasites, you can help at home. Most cases of diarrhoea pass in two to four days – a bit longer in some cases. If you notice other signs of a sick dog such as vomiting, loss of appetite, depression or pain, getting to the vet is your next course of action.

Prior to taking their dog to the vet, many dog pawrents opt for home remedies. Similar to humans – water, rest, a light diet and walks can be soothing for the stomach.

In some cases, the diet can be completed with quality probiotics to improve a dog’s digestion. However, if the symptoms last over a couple of days and they’re accompanied by other atypical behaviours, it’s time to visit a vet.

All chocolate should be out of reach from your food-loving pooch. People can’t live without it, but their dogs have to. Since cocoa  contains the bitter alkaloid theobromine, it can be deadly for your pup.

The combination of alkaloids and caffeine in chocolate is incredibly toxic for dogs. The higher amount of chocolate a dog gets its paws on and the darker the chocolate is, the worse the symptoms of poisoning will be. That’s because dark chocolate that contains more cacao is much more toxic for your pup compared to milk chocolate.

If your dog eats chocolate, consult a vet right away.

The first symptoms of chocolate poisoning appear six to twelve hours following consumption and they can last up to 72 hours. Sign that your dog ate chocolate are different, but you might notice:

• Increased thirst

• Excessive urination

• Throwing up

• Diarrhoea

• Unrest

• Panting

• Heart failure

• Increased heart rate

• Seizures

Worms are some of the most common and frightening sights for any dog parents. If you notice that your dog’s hair lost its shine, a dog’s belly is bloated or they don’t have a lot of energy or started losing weight – it could be worms.

There are four kinds of dog worms you should know about:

Roundworms – their larvae start their journey in the digestive tract where they absorb a pup’s nutrients, but can spread to other organs too. They’re long, white and spaghetti-looking.  Many puppies get them in the womb. Make sure that you get them examined for worms right away.

Hookworms–- they’re the life-threatening kind and often lead to the death of puppies. Like vampires, they have “teeth” for sucking blood and are usually short.

Whipworms – for the most part, they’re benign. Usually found in the large intestine, they could be there without the dog showing any symptoms. 

Tapeworms – these parasites inhabit the small intestine and hold onto its wall with the help of six rows of small teeth that absorb the nutrient while the food is being digested.  They look like something straight out of a horror film but don’t present immediate danger for your dog. 

Suspect that your dog has worms? Head out to the vet for the diagnosis. Every type of worm requires a different treatment – a vet figuring out which kind is torturing your pooch is the first step in the recovery.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) that affects dogs is nowhere near its human counterpart (known as irritable bowel syndrome). It refers to a wide condition with many different symptoms which indicate the start of the basic damage of the digestive tract and advanced inflammation of the digestive tract.

IBD could be classified as a syndrome instead of a disease. It’s triggered by a specific reaction to the acute irritation of the intestinal tract. Most dogs that suffer from it display repeated or chronic vomiting or diarrhoea or lack of appetite. During the period of loose stool and throwing up your dog might lose some weight, but otherwise, behave like a normal and healthy tail-wagging pup. 

Not much is known as to what exactly causes IBD, but we do know that the combination of a healthy diet, medicine, and vitamins can soothe a dog’s distressed tummy. 

If left untreated, gastritis can be fatal for pups. This is certainly not a digestive issue that should be ignored.

To finish the list, we present one of the most dangerous digestive problems that your dog could have – pancreatitis.

The pancreas is an essential organ for the digestive process. It releases the enzymes that aid with food digestion and other crucial functions that occur when the “digestives” encounter the small intestine.

What happens during pancreatitis is that the pancreas releases enzymes that are getting active upon their release and destroy the pancreas in the process. As a result, this condition can be incredibly painful and dangerous for dogs.

So,  you noticed that your dog is not feeling well, but aren’t sure if it’s pancreatitis? Watch out for these signs:

• Frequent vomiting

• Fatigue

• Loss of interest in food

• Stomach pain

• Walking with the round back

• Lying in the corner and refusing to move

The treatment varies from the application of intravenous fluids to hospitation and even surgical procedures. The most important thing you can do is to watch out for any of the symptoms listed above and act as soon as possible if you suspect pancreatitis. Although it’s one of the major dog digestive disorders, it can be cured if you react on time.

There you have it. Now you’re familiar with the seven most common digestive disorders for dogs and their symptoms. All it is left is to watch out for signs of trouble.

If you do that, you help your pup live a long and healthy life.

For even more information about the digestive problems of dogs, read the FAQ that follows. 

If you notice the signs of any of the symptoms that we discussed in the post, make sure that you get in touch with your vet as soon as possible.

• Digestive issues in dogs are easy to discern when you know what to pay attention to. The symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting and bloating dead giveaways of the upset dog stomach. 

• In most cases, these signs are not repeated. However, if they’re frequent, it’s important to consult a vet and get to the root of the problem.

• Other symptoms, such as constipation and a distressed stomach are more difficult to discern. Pay attention to how your dog behaves during walks to determine if there is anything different. Extra tip: if your dog cries when you touch its tummy, it’s a sign of discomfort. This also requires getting in touch with your vet.