How to Treat Diarrhea in a Silky Terrier

If you’re like me and the hundreds of other people lucky enough to have a silky terrier as a pet, you’ll no doubt have times when your canine friend comes down with bouts of diarrhea. You know it’s a mess and you’re sorry for your pet, but if you’re like most of us, you just want her to get over it so you don’t have to constantly clean her up. How nice would it be if you both could speed up the process?

Diarrhea in silky terriers is usually just a natural response to something they’ve eaten that has upset their intestines and usually goes away after 24 hours. Recurring or ongoing diarrhea may be a sign of a more serious condition. As you read this article, you’ll learn what to look for, what to do to give your pet some comfort, and when to make the trip to the vet if necessary.

If your dog’s stool is liquid but clear, with no mucus or blood, the best thing to do is to take it off food for 24 hours and let it get rid of the harmful substance naturally. Put out his food dish but make sure he has plenty of water available. The biggest health problem with regular diarrhea is dehydration. If you’re concerned you’re not drinking enough, add unflavored Pedialyte Kids to your drinking water to help restore electrolyte levels. In essence, you’ve just turned her into a dog version of GatorAid.

After 24 hours, you can start again on a bland diet. Cooked chicken and boiled rice are good options, but don’t be surprised when he gets hooked on this diet. If your stools are still runny, you can firm them up using a teaspoon of Immodium for children, or a more natural cure, half a tablespoon of canned pumpkin. Make sure it’s 100% pumpkin and not just the pumpkin pie filling.

Pretty easy stuff so far, right?

Are you starting to love your dog again?

I thought you could.

If the diarrhea continues after 24 hours, there may be other issues at hand. If there is blood or mucus in the stool, your friend may have colitis, or inflammation of the large intestine. When this occurs, water is not absorbed in the intestine, which causes liquid stools. Blood is the result of inflammation.

Usually this condition comes from eating something you shouldn’t and the solution is the same as regular diarrhea, although they may need to be on the bland diet longer.

However, there are other possible causes that can pose a significantly higher risk to your silky’s health. Including parasites like giardia, coccidia, intestinal worms, and even salmonella. If the diarrhea continues for more than 4 days, you should take a stool sample and see a veterinarian for analysis. If your friend becomes less alert or lethargic, or stops barking at everything like all silkies do, then take him to the vet immediately as something other than diarrhea is bothering him.

This is how you treat the little long-haired creature for racing. I’m sure you know this by now, but being able to identify and care for your silky’s health issues only strengthens the bond between the two of you, and that’s a pretty good thing. Good?