If you’re dealing with dog diarrhea after daycare, you’re probably wondering if you should be concerned and what you should do about it. The Dog Ownership Guide family has a lot of experience with dog diarrhea, so keep reading to find out what to do next.
Reasons for Dog Diarrhea After Daycare
The first step in knowing if you should be concerned and what you should do is to identify what is causing the soft stool. The following are some of the most common causes of dog diarrhea.
Kennel Cough
Kennel cough is an illness that gets passed from canine to canine. Most doggie daycares require the kennel cough vaccine. If your dog has had the vaccine, the chances are low that he/she is suffering from diarrhea because of kennel cough. However, there is still a chance that kennel cough may have been contracted. Look for these additional signs of kennel cough:
- Loud cough
- Runny eyes and nose
- Swollen tonsils
- Wheezing
- Lack of appetite
- Depressed behavior
If you notice any of the above signs in addition to the loose stools, contact your veterinarian immediately for an appointment. Your vet will be able to give you advice on how to best treat this illness.
You should also contact the doggie daycare to ensure they can let other dog owners know there is kennel cough going around.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Canine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is another reason for loose poop. IBD is a chronic disease in the intestinal tract. Other signs of IBD in addition to diarrhea are:
- Vomiting
- Reduced appetite
- Weight loss
- Flatulence
- Rumbly tummy
- Abdominal discomfort
If you suspect your dog has IBD, contact the vet for treatment. This can include prescription medication such as antibiotics and steroids and/or a change in diet.
Stomach Bug
With so many dogs around each other, there are many viruses roaming around. Your pup could be suffering from a stomach bug.
Keep an eye on your dog’s stool and any other symptoms. If you believe your pup is getting worse, it’s always better to be safe than sorry – contact your vet.
Keep in mind that a dog’s immune system often becomes compromised when they go to doggie daycare or any type of dog boarding place. New situations are stressful and that stress can be too much for the immune system. When the immune system is bogged down by elevated stress levels, it has a harder time fighting off viruses.
Intestinal Parasites
If you see something in your dog’s poop that looks like spaghetti or tiny pieces of thread with one end larger, your pup is likely suffering from an intestinal parasite.
Intestinal parasites are another possible cause of your dog’s diarrhea. Parasites are usually transmitted by accidentally consuming soil, water, feces, or food that has the parasite eggs or spores. This is common in places like daycares and dog parks because there are many different dogs around that can pick them up and drop them off in many places.
The good news is that treatment for intestinal parasites isn’t difficult. The vet can prescribe medication that will kill the parasites within 2 weeks.
Dietary Changes
A change in diet can cause a dog to have loose stool until the body gets used to the new food. This is often the case when switching to a new food like fresh raw dog food unless it is switched over slowly.
The good news is that if gastrointestinal issues are due to dietary changes, they will resolve on their own in a day or two.
If diarrhea doesn’t stop after 24 hours, contact the vet for advice. The serious part about loose stool is the possibility of dehydration, which can be life-threatening.
Stress from New Environment
If your dog is just starting with dog daycare, it could be the stress of the new people and new dogs that is causing the upset stomach. Just like humans, dogs can get a nervous stomach that makes them have a runny stool.
Send your pup to dog daycare with a blanket or pillow you’ve slept on or something else that smells like you. It may help with separation anxiety.
You can also use CBD for dogs. CBD has a calming effect and is known to reduce anxiety in dogs. You can learn more about how CBD can help lower a dog’s stress by reading: Best CBD Dog Treats for Anxiety
Stress Colitis
Stress colitis is also due to stressful experiences. This is an acute condition in the large intestines, which causes inflammation in the colon. The inflammation reduces water absorption and that makes it harder to store feces in the colon.
It’s important to contact the vet for treatment if you believe your dog is suffering from stress colitis.
When to Contact the Veterinarian for Help with Dog Diarrhea After Daycare
It’s hard to know if you should reach out to your bet for dog diarrhea after daycare. Usually, if it’s been longer than 24 hours, it’s a good idea to check in with the vet’s office. Depending on the severity of it, you may or may not need to come in for an exam and treatment.
The issue with diarrhea in dogs is that there are so many causes for it. It could be a simple upset stomach or a serious underlying medical condition. The only way to really know is to discuss any other symptoms with the vet and possibly have a scan of the digestive system performed.
Learn More: When Is Dog Diarrhea an Emergency?
When to Keep Your Dog Home from Daycare
It’s a good idea to keep your dog home if diarrhea has become uncontrollable. An example of uncontrollable diarrhea is your pup can’t make it outside in time.
You should also keep your dog home for a couple of days in case what is causing your pup to be ill is contagious. While there’s a good chance your dog contracted the virus from another dog at the daycare facility, it’s not fair to other dog parents to keep the virus going.
After a couple of days, the loose stools should be better. If not, your vet can provide advice on when is the right time for your pup to return to daycare or other places where there are a lot of dogs, such as dog parks.
Please note if you take your dog to daycare with diarrhea and the staff finds out you were aware of it, your dog may get kicked out of the daycare facility.
Other Places Where Dog Diarrhea May Occur
In addition to doggy daycare, your dog may have diarrhea following stays at boarding kennels. Anywhere dogs are kept together for a significant amount of time, viruses can become airborne and that can lead to illnesses.
The high risk of contracting viruses such as kennel cough, dog flu, and many other ailments in a boarding facility is why they often require vaccinations. You can learn more about the most common vaccinations that a boarding facility requests by reading: Pros and Cons of the Kennel Cough Vaccine or Pros and Cons of Dog Flu Vaccine
Unfortunately, without the required vaccinations, you will not be able to use boarding kennels when needed. Even if your dog is perfectly healthy, your dog will not be accepted for a boarding stay without being protected against the most common dog viruses.
Just keep the above in mind if you’re struggling with dog diarrhea after daycare. That way you’ll know what to expect with a boarding stay or kennel visit, too.
Comment below if you’re dealing with dog diarrhea after daycare. We welcome all dog parents to share their questions, concerns, and knowledge to help others.
If you notice other symptoms like lower energy levels or your dog is just acting different after daycare, consider reading: Dog Acting Different After Daycare
Can Putting Water In Dog Food Cause Diarrhea?
