What could be causing my Sheltie to have diarrhea? she is eating and drinking normally
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Unfortunately a lot of things can cause diarrhea in an older pet; including: dietary indiscretion (change in diet), malabsorption problems, intestinal parasites, internal organ malfunction (i.e. gallbladder disease, liver problems), intestinal masses, etc. In order to narrow things down Dakota will most likely need to be seen by your veterinarian for an in depth exam and history in order to come up with a reasonable plan. I would at the very least try some medications first such as oral antibiotics and perhaps a probiotic supplement (i.e. pet formulated or even culturelle over the counter can be effective) daily, to see if this is an antibiotic responsive diarrhea. If it is then things should clear up within 7-10 days.
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Poor Dakota! Diarrhea can be caused by parasites, a GI illness, change in diet, or eating something rotten. If she isn't up to date on her worming treatments, you will need to get one for your vet. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If the diarrhea continues on the bland diet, she starts vomiting food, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away.
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She may have an upset stomach for some reason, or an intestinal infection. If it's been going on for a while, it could also be something like inflammatory bowel disease or a food allergy. You can try withholding food for the next 12-24 hours to give her stomach a chance to settle, then feed a bland diet of plain boiled chicken and rice for the next few days. If this doesn't help, or if she develops any other symptoms such as vomiting, acting lethargic, or not wanting to eat, I would recommend having her examined by a vet as something more serious may be wrong.
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