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My dog has recurring diarrhea, sometimes hard, sometimes watery.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Border Collie | Female | spayed | 7 months and 28 days old | 41 lbs

My dog has had diarrhea for a little over a week. We had brought her to the vet a month ago because she was having the same issue and also throwing up. They said it must be a bug and gave me some medications. Now she's back with having the diarrhea, one day her stool will be hard, then the next day it's like water. Do you have any idea what this could be?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 21st, 2017

There are MANY reasons for a dog to have diarrhea or loose stools. Pretty much anything that can happen to a dog can cause diarrhea. It is really hard for me to say just based on your statements. It could be parasites, stress, inflammatory bowel disease, abnormal bacterial population in the intestinal tract, and so on. Was a fecal test done? A fecal test should be done to find out if there is parasites presents or a bacterial overgrowth. The medication she was treated with may not be the correct one. At her age, having a parasite (like Giardia or Coccidia) is very common and it is often hard to get rid of them. Sometimes multiple courses of medication are needed to clear it. In the meantime, if I were you, I would give her a long course of probiotics (at least 30 days). I recommend Fortiflora. It is the best probiotic to restore the bacterial population in the intestines back to normal. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Purina-Pro-Plan-Veterinary-Diets-FortiFlora-Probiotic-Supplement-30-CT/43284986 I would also recommend you give her a highly digestible diet for the next few weeks and NO treats or "people" food as that may be causing her diarrhea. I hope this helps. Best wishes to you and Bella!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 9th, 2018

    Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There can be many medical reasons behind the causes of diarrhea in dogs. A sudden change in the kind or type of food can cause transient diarrhea or soft stool. Different supplements or medications Bella may be taking may also be a cause. Parasitic infections or bacterial/viral infections are other possibilities as a food allergy as well. I would recommend Bella have an exam with her veterinarian if the diarrhea continues or worsens. Be sure to bring a fecal sample to the veterinarian in case they wish to test her stool. In the mean time, you can give her a few tablespoons of plain canned pumpkin in her stool to help firm it up. Hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

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