Occasionally, it is possible to observe diarrhea in dogs after deworming. The causes can be varied and can involve both the parasites themselves that cause the infection and the antiparasitic drug prescribed to prevent or treat the infectious disease. In any case, it is important to pay attention to the presence of this clinical sign and notify the veterinary professional who prescribed the treatment, especially if it worsens or lasts over time.
If you want to find out how long diarrhea lasts after deworming a dog, don't miss the next article on our site.
Reason why you dewormed your dog
In order to understand the reasons for diarrhea in dogs due to deworming, it is essential to be clear about why the drug has been administered, since it will partly depend on it. So, before addressing this question, it is important to note that deworming drugs can be administered for two different purposes:
- Preventing a parasitic disease
- Treatment of a parasitic disease
Next, we will explain when a dog should be dewormed based on each of these two objectives.
Prevention
Parasitic diseases must be prevented using two strategies:
- Control measures: for example, not feeding raw food to dogs, providing clean drinking water, preventing access to rodents, game, dead animals, etc.
- Routine deworming: consists of the administration of antiparasitic drugs on a regular basis, in order to prevent the establishment of a parasitic disease.
The frequency with which preventive deworming should be carried out may varybased on multiple factors, the most important being:
- The epidemiological characteristics of the area: dogs will be exposed to a different level of risk depending on the prevalence of the different diseases parasitic in the geographical area in which they live.
- The individual risks of each dog: the activity they carry out (hunting dogs, herding dogs, etc.) and your diet (consumption of raw meat or offal).
Depending on the different factors that determine the risk of each animal, an adequate deworming program must be established, which must always be designed and prescribed by a veterinary professional. In this sense:
- Dogs that live indoors or have limited access to outdoors, do not have direct contact with other dogs or have access to other risk factors (playgrounds, sandboxes, rodents, prey, carcasses or offal, snails or slugs, or raw meat) are considered low risk animals, so that it is enough to deworm 1-2 times a year, or carry out routine stool tests and only deworm if positive results are obtained.
- Dogs with access to the outdoors, to parks and sandboxes, and with direct contact with other dogs, but do not have access to other risk factors (rodents, prey, carcasses or offal, snails or slugs, or raw meat) are considered medium risk animals that should bedeworm 4 times a year , or carry out routine stool tests and only deworm when positive results are found.
- Dogs with access to the outdoors, to parks and sandboxes, with direct contact with other dogs and other risk factors (rodents, prey, carcasses or viscera, snails or slugs or raw meat) are considered high-risk animals, so they must be dewormed 4 to 12 times a year
There are few parasitic diseases that are solely related to the age of the animal. The risk of infection is present from birth, so preventive deworming must be carried out throughout life. Specifically, must begin at 2 weeks of age and be repeated fortnightly up to 8 weeks. From then on, deworming should be maintained as often as established based on risk, as explained above. You will find more details about this in this other article: "How often to deworm a dog?".
Treatment of a parasitic disease
When preventive measures fail and the animal becomes parasitized, it is necessary to establish specific antiparasitic treatment against the causal agent of the disease.
The specific antiparasitic treatment must be started at the moment in which the parasitic species responsible for the infection is determined, and it must be repeated depending on the prepatent periodof said parasitic species.
Causes of diarrhea in dogs due to deworming
It is relatively common that, after deworming, caregivers ask themselves: "Why have I dewormed my dog and he has diarrhoea?". Well, there are several causes that can explain the presence of diarrhea after deworming and they are the following:
- The parasitic disease itself: many of the intestinal parasites cause diarrhea due to the cytotoxic effects and the mechanical action exerted by the parasites on the intestinal mucosa. Despite initiating antiparasitic treatment, diarrhea may continue for the first few days, until all the parasites die and the intestinal mucosa regenerates.
- Side effects after deworming a dog: Some deworming drugs, such as bunamidine, can cause diarrhea as a side effect.
- Dosing error: overdosing an antiparasitic drug can exacerbate its side effects and produce, among other things, diarrhea.
As you can see, if the reason for deworming was to treat a parasitic disease, it is most likely that this is the reason for the diarrhea and this will also determine its duration, as we will see in the next section.
How long should diarrhea last after deworming a dog?
The duration of diarrhea in dogs due to deworming will depend on the reason for which the antiparasitic drug has been administered.
In the event that the diarrhea is due to the pathogenic effect of the parasitic agent itself, it is possible thatis prolonged during the first days of antiparasitic treatment However, in the case of very profuse diarrhea or if it continues for more than 7- 10 days , it is important to go to the vet , since in these cases the animal could become dehydrated and need a fluid therapy treatment.
In case we suspect a drug side effect, it is important inform the veterinarianwho prescribed the treatment. In case of mild diarrhoea, you will probably decide to keep the same drug until treatment is complete, even if the animal has less formed stools than normal during this time. In case of profuse diarrhoea, it will be necessary to withdraw the treatment and use another active principle.
What to do if my dog has diarrhea after deworming?
If the diarrhea is due to a pathogen, you will have to wait for the treatment to do its job so that the diarrhea subsides. As we have mentioned, if it lasts more than 7 days, then you should consult with the veterinarian to tell you what to do.
If this is a side effect of the drug, the diarrhea should subside on its own within 24-48 hours. However, if it persists after this time, it will also be necessary to go to the veterinary center.
On the other hand, you can establish a soft diet or offer an easily digestible food to promote intestinal transit and not worsen the condition Of the dog.
