diarrhea is a relatively common disorder in dogs and can be due to multiple causes that, of course, will require different treatments and care that usually go through a visit to a veterinary clinic.
And, although diarrhea can appear in both mild and very serious disorders, when our dog is pregnant any change in her he alth is a considerable concern, because the fear for the he alth of the puppies also comes into play, both due to the disease itself and due to the restrictions of the medication during pregnancy. For all these reasons, in this article on our site we are going to explain what to do if a dog is pregnant and has bloody diarrhea
Causes of bloody diarrhea
Diarrhea, consisting of the frequent evacuation of liquid stools, is a non-specific symptom, which means it may be due to different causes, so we have to pay attention to other signs and perform various tests to reach a diagnosis. The presence of blood, and whether it is fresh (it will look red in the stool) or digested (dark brown) can help determine the cause.
Among the most frequent causes we can mention the following:
- Parasites: Internal parasites, due to the damage they cause to the digestive system, can cause slight bleeding and diarrhea, usually without any other symptoms. On many occasions they will be able to be seen under a microscope or even with the naked eye. There are specific products to combat them and they can be administered several times a year as a preventive.
- Enteritis: these are intestinal inflammations that can also have various causes, such as the ingestion of a foreign body or a food that the dog feels bad. A day of diarrhoea, even with blood, without major symptoms, does not have to be serious and the disorder will go away on its own, but in the case of pregnant dogs, puppies or animals with some other previous illness, it is necessary to go to the veterinary.
- Viral or bacterial infections: diseases as serious as parvovirusor leptospirosis can cause bloody diarrhoea. They are distinguished because they will be accompanied by other symptoms such as vomiting, apathy or fever. They require rapid veterinary intervention and the administration of fluid therapy and antibiotics.
- Food intolerances or allergies: the reaction to some food component, for example a protein, as if it were an agent pathogenic, it causes different symptoms, including diarrhoea, although dermatological pathologies are more common.
- Poisoning or drugs: Ingesting a poisonous product or even certain medications can cause bloody diarrhoea. We must go to our veterinarian to decide on the treatment, which will depend on the substance ingested and the degree of intoxication. If we can, we should inform you or take a sample of the substance in question to the vet.
Diarrhea can be acute (sudden) or chronic (continued over time). Having seen the most common causes of diarrhea, what to do if my dog is pregnant and has bloody diarrhea? We will see it in the next section.
Diarrhea in pregnancy
First we must make sure that what our pregnant dog has expelled is diarrhea and not liquid, flow or mucus from her uterus, which could indicate a problem or imminent delivery. If we are sure that our pregnant dog has bloody diarrhea and it is a punctual emission, we should not worry, but if the bloody stools repeat during that dayor the following and on top of that we observe other symptoms such as vomiting, apathy, fever or dehydration we must go to the vet so that he can determine the cause and establish the proper treatment.
This can be done by observing a stool sample under a microscope, blood tests, X-rays or even an endoscopy, depending on the symptoms. The main problem that we are going to find when treating a pregnant dog is going to be the side effects that the medications can have on the puppies in training.
That is why the veterinarian must carefully assess the advantages and disadvantages that possible medications will have for her and the babies, taking into account the diagnosis reached and the age of the children. puppies, as not all stages of pregnancy carry the same risks. As we can see, it is a complex issue that the veterinarian must solve Never, in any case, even if we know the cause of diarrhea, we should medicate a pregnant dog, because drugs can cause miscarriages or malformations in fetuses.
How to prevent diarrhea in pregnant dogs
Better than treating a pregnant dog with bloody diarrhea is prevention. For this we can take note of the following recommendations:
- Deworming: we must follow a deworming schedule as indicated by our veterinarian. Before allowing our bitch to get pregnant, we have to deworm her, repeat this deworming two weeks before giving birth and continue it, also every two weeks, for the duration of lactation, in order to keep the parasite load as low as possible. If we pick up our already pregnant dog, we should consult our veterinarian about the possibility of deworming her.
- Food: do not forget that the diet of a pregnant dog is specific, therefore, it is recommended that pregnant females be fed with a feed for puppies, since it is a stage in which their nutritional requirements will vary. Let's avoid giving him other foods that can make him sick.
- Security: It is very important to maintain a safe environment so that our dog does not have access to any toxins. We must also take these precautions during walks, preventing her from ingesting any poison
- Vacunaciones: it is very important to respect the vaccination schedule since there are some diseases, such as the much feared parvovirus, that have no cure but they can be prevented by administering the vaccine. Before letting a bitch get pregnant we must make sure that she is properly immunized
- Medications: we should never give drugs to a pregnant dog, even if they are drugs that we know or have already taken because, during pregnancy, these same medications can have serious consequences.
