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Dog has diarrhea, won't eat, normal bloodwork. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My dog was vomiting...took to vet all bloodwork normal...now he has had diarrhea for 3 days and won't eat

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Laura E. McRae

Veterinary Technician

Published on January 25th, 2015

I recommend that your contact your vet's office to schedule a follow-up appointment. Your dog may need further diagnostics to determine the cause of the vomiting and diarrhea. While blood work is an excellent and worthwhile diagnostic tool (and I commend you on having it done), it does have limitations. Blood tests are extremely useful for looking at the overall health of your pet. From the tests, a vet can learn if your pet's vomiting is caused by an underlying medical condtion like diabetes, kidney or liver disease, or an infection. Blood work can also reveal if your pet is dehydrated from the vomiting. Many of these problems may not be obvious on a simple physical exam, but if caught early can be successfully treated or controlled, giving your pet a longer and better quality of life. Sometimes blood work can lead to a definitive diagnosis, but oftentimes blood work results guide us as to what the next diagnostic steps should be (radiographs, ultrasound or more specific blood testing).

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10Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Paula Simons

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It may be time to take your dog back to the vet for a follow up examination. I would highly suggest doing additional diagnostics like X-rays and an ultrasound.

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    2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Debi Matlack

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on

    Despite the normal bloodwork, your pet could still have pancreatitis or some other condition. At this point, if labwork continues to be normal, your pet will be treated symptomatically, with fluids and fasting to support him and let his gut rest while he gets over this episode. Unfortunately we can't always get definitive answers and we have to treat what we can. Follow your vet's advice and ask lots of questions, anything you don't understand. That's part of their job, too.

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    6Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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