I debated long and hard about writing a blogpost on diarrhea the day before Thanksgiving. It seems like I should write about gratitude, but the diarrhea topic won out. Why? Because I suspect many of my readers will find themselves in the veterinarian’s office during the Thanksgiving season because their pet has the “turkey trots.”

Diarrhea is one of the most common medical issues in dogs. In fact, one in twelve visits to the veterinarian is diarrhea-related, based on data from primary care veterinary practices in the United Kingdom (UK). Resolving diarrhea requires some diagnostic sleuthing because the list of disease’s causing diarrhea is as long as an Irish Wolfhound tail.

Fortunately, two recent studies offer new insights into diagnosing and managing both acute and chronic diarrhea in dogs. I will summarize the important findings of the studies in this blogpost.

Acute Diarrhea in Dogs: What New Research Shows

Veterinarians in the UK studied nearly 2,000 dogs with acute diarrhea diagnosed in primary care veterinary clinics. Here’s what they found:

• Most cases of acute diarrhea resolved on their own within a couple of days.
• In addition to diarrhea, the most common clinical abnormality reported in the study was vomiting.
• Dog breeds with the highest risk of developing acute diarrhea were the Cavapoo, Maltese and Miniature Poodle.

The good news from this study, for both dogs and dog owners, is that only 8% of the dogs required hospitalization to manage the diarrhea. Outpatient care included treatment with probiotics, a diet change and antinausea medication.

The Takeaway: If your dog develops diarrhea from sneaking turkey or table scraps during Thanksgiving, chances are good that the problem will be short-lived and unlikely to require an emergency veterinary stay.

Chronic Diarrhea: Diet Change Makes a Big Difference

Chronic diarrhea is frustrating for pet families and veterinarians alike because there are multiple possible causes, requiring stepwise testing and treatment to sort out the underlying problem.

A recent study looked at the response of dogs with chronic diarrhea to a diet change—and the results were striking. If the dogs had not received any prior treatments, 88% responded to a diet change. But this was not an ordinary diet change to something bland like chicken and rice– it was a strict diet containing only hydrolyzed protein. In a hydrolyzed diet, the proteins are broken down into their component amino acids to facilitate digestion and absorption of nutrients.

If the dogs had received prior treatment with a hydrolyzed diet, the new diet prescribed varied based on the dog’s prior diet. Still, a substantial number of dogs responded: 70%.

The Takeaway: Follow your veterinarian’s guidance on changing your dog’s diet, as strict adherence to a special diet might fix the diarrhea problem.

Prevent the “Turkey Trots” This Thanksgiving

To avoid a case of the turkey trots in your pet after Thanksgiving, follow these recommendations for a pet-safe Thanksgiving feast.