Does your dog often have diarrhea at night and makes a mess all over the place? If so, you are not alone.
There are many reasons as to why your dog may have frequent night time diarrhea. By understanding these reasons, it will help you to work on the right solutions.
If your dog has diarrhea at night, it could be due to stress that disrupts his GI tract, side effects of medications, Intestinal Parasites disorder, the result of food intolerance, drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food, over exercising as well as being sensitive to your new cleaning solution.
Some of the most common causes include:
Stress Disrupt His GI Tract
When your dog gets stressed, his body will release more hormones and this will disrupt his gastrointestinal (GI) tract. As a result, he will have diarrhea.
You would probably see other signs of stress such as pacing, barking, drooling as well as excessive licking.
To treat his stress disorder, you would need to find out what’s causing his anxiety? Does he exhibit this behavior only when you place him in his crate during the night?
If that is the case, he could be suffering from separation anxiety, and you would need to work on that.
Starting out with something like a 10-minute separation each day and working up to longer periods of time as he adjusts well without your presence.
You should also work on crate training him so that he will start treating his crate like a safe haven, thinking of it as his “den”.
That way, he will start to associate his crate with being a happy and secure place to be in.
Place some of his favorite toys in the crate as well, so that he can play with them if he ever feels stressed or anxious.
In other words, start to create a “den-like” environment for him in the crate.
If all else fails, you could consider medication, but, I would only recommend that after you have exhausted all other options.
Remember, if you do end up using medication, it’s important to work with your veterinarian to make sure you are using the right drug for the right reason.
Intestinal Parasites Disorder
Your dog could be suffering from an intestinal parasite disorder. These microscopic creatures live in your dog’s stomach and intestines.
Apart from diarrhea symptoms, your dog could also keep feeling hungry and start to lose weight.
The most common intestinal parasites in dogs are coccidia and giardia.
These two protozoa (single-celled organisms) are usually found in the feces of infected animals and humans.
They are the cause of “dog diarrhea”.
To address this symptom, you would usually administer an anti-parasitic medication such as ponazuril or sulfadimethoxine to your dog by mouth for a period of up to a week.
These drugs have proven effective in eliminating the parasites.
You should also clean up your dog’s environment so that he will no longer be exposed to the parasites.
This can be done by making sure he does not have access to feces directly or sand and soil (that is stained with feces) from playgrounds or areas where your dog has been digging.
In severe cases, your veterinarian may recommend a surgery to remove the parasites from your dog’s intestine. This is a very serious option that should be considered only as a last resort.
It is much less likely to be required if your pet is treated early in the infection process.
Thus, it is very important for you to understand the signs your dog may be exhibiting as a result of the parasite invasion, such as weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting and lethargy.
If your dog is showing any of these symptoms, do not delay in seeking the help of a qualified veterinarian.
Food Intolerance
We will experience diarrhea from eating foods that our body is not used to.
Your dog will also likely experience the same discomfort when he eats foods that are “not suitable” for him.
Some common foods that can cause diarrhea in dogs are the consumption of raw meat such as beef and chicken, dairy products such as eggs and cheese as well as processed foods.
Raw meat may contain parasites and bacteria which can cause irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in some dogs.
Eggs are high in protein and many people believe that protein is good for their dog. However, dogs need proteins that are properly broken down and absorbed by their intestines, so they can use it for energy.
When a protein is not properly digested, it is often passed out in the form of “loose” stool.
So, if your dog has IBS, it is very important to identify the foods that are causing the problem and avoid them.
Scavenging Habit (Eating Contaminated Food)
Does your dog have the habit of scavenging such as eating food from the trash.
If so, you need to break this habit right now! If he continues to do this, he could end up with a really serious health problem.
This could also likely be the reason why he is suffering from diarrhea.
You see, he could be eating some toxic waste or decomposed foods from the trash, which can cause intestinal problems, kidney failure and even death!
To break this habit, ensure that you keep the trash away from your dog.
You may need to make some changes to your house or put up some extra barriers (such as a baby gate) to keep him away from the trash.
Make sure that he is well-fed so that he doesn’t feel hungry during the night and start hunting for food everywhere in the home!
Give him less processed foods and more cooked meat and high-quality proteins.
Remember, by keeping his stomach full, he won’t be eating something that he shouldn’t be and that should keep him safe from any health issue.
Drinking Contaminated Water
If your dog is drinking water that is contaminated with parasites or bacteria, he could become very ill (vomiting, fever and diarrhea) or even die.
Make sure that you replace the water in his water bowl daily and keep it clean and fresh.
Mold, yeast, algae, and fungus can grow in water bowls if they are not cleaned daily.
So, make it a point to clean his water bowls, including the ones in his crate each morning.
You can wash his bowls with a solution of warm water and a bit of baking soda. Use a soft sponge or a brush to scrub the inside of the bowls.
These are all the common problems that pet owners often overlook.
By making sure that his water bowl is clean and filled with fresh water daily, your dog is going to be free from infection.
Over Exercising
Playing or exercising can make your dog very excited. This will shorten the transition time of the food through his large and small intestines and result in intestinal water not being absorbed.
This will lead to him experiencing diarrhea.
When this happens, his body will flush out the excess water and waste as a loose bowel that would otherwise be eliminated through normal defecation.
So avoid playing or exercising with your dog excessively right before he sleeps.
This will give his body adequate rest to process the food in his intestines and eliminate the water and waste in an orderly manner.
Side Effect Of Medication
If your dog only starts having diarrhea after taking some medication, it could be the side effect of these medicines.
The first thing you should do is stop giving him any more medicine and call your vet right away and tell him or her about the diarrhea.
Give the vet as much information as you can on what your dog was being treated for and when he started having diarrhea.
Chances are, your vet will have records that can help figure out what may have caused the problem.
Some common medications that are known to cause diarrhea include heart medications, antibiotics, and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
Licking Surface Wiped With Solution
If you have used a new cleaning solution for your floor and find that your dog starts having diarrhea thereafter, it could likely be the case of him licking the floor and getting sick.
He may find the cleaning solution tastes good, and start to lick everything that he comes in contact with.
In this case, you would need to change to another cleaner that is gentle on his stomach and can remove the dirt from your floor as well.
Some common commercial pet-safe floor cleaners include “Eco-Me Natural Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner”, “Better Life Floor Cleaner” and “Puracy Natural All Purpose Cleaner”.
Or you can prepare some DIY cleaning solution, such as mixing water with baking soda or vinegar. If you like the smell of lemon, you can mix some lemon juice with water as well.