Diarrhea in Rottweiler dog

by lisa
(auburn, ny)

I have a 3.5 year old rottie, he has had diarrhea for a while. i have brought him to the vet. they prescribed him meds. they did not work.

I switched back to the food that the original owners fed him and that didn't help. i switched to a more natural food and that didn't help.

I have been feeding him rice also. nothing is working what can i do?






Hi Lisa
You need to take your dogback to the veterinarian and have them run some tests to find out what is causing this chronic diarrhea.

Dietary changes can cause loose stools, and the 3 different foods in a short space of time, is likely to be making the problem worse rather than better. I'd recommend that you pick a quality dog food, and stick with it for at least 2 to 3 months so that your pups' digestive system has a chance to adapt.

I don't know what medications your vet prescribed first time around, but as they didn't work they either didn't target the problem, or he didn't take them for long enough. There are all sorts of reasons for diarrhea, from diet to illness/disease. As this is 'chronic' and your dog doesn't seem to be sick (that you mention) otherwise, chances are it isn't Parvovirus - see my Parvo Symptoms page for more on this - which is good. But it could be an infection, or a parasitic illness. Your vet should be able to get to the root of the problem with some fecal tests.

Dog diarrhea that is severe, or ongoing, can cause inflammation and irritation in the colon and this can set up a 'vicious circle' or inflammation and diarrhea, turning it into a chronic or long-term issue. Your vet can prescribe anti-inflammatory medications that should help if he thinks this is what's happening.

All in all, your dog shouldn't have to put up with this (and neither should you!), get him back to your vet and he/she should be able to find out what's wrong.

Best of luck, hope your dog is doing much better soon.