You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Diarrhoea is likely if your pet has eaten food that does not form part of it's usual ration - particularly if it was high in fat content

Loose stools or bulky stools frequently follow the excessive intake of tit bits or scraps. In part this is because your pets digestive system may not be geared up to deal with the sudden intake of a lot of fat or carbohydrate, or the food may have contained spices or other ingredients that your pet can not easily tolerate, or (in the case of rubbish eaters) the food may be spoiled.

Diarrhoea causes increased frequency of defaecation and also a sense of urgency - which can result in your properly house-trained pet soiling in the house or in unusual places.

Often, but not always, diarrhoea is accompanied by vomiting. Both can be serious if they continue for any length of time, because your pet loses fluids and other vital substances (eg electrolytes). It is therefore important to try to encourage your pet to drink small volumes of water throughout it's illness to avoid dehydration. 

The transient diarrhoea that occurs with  mild gastroenteritis is not serious, but it does require careful treatment otherwise complications can occur. Ask your veterinarian for his/her opinion. Most veterinarians will advise no food by mouth for 12-24 hours, and water by mouth in small amounts. Some may recommend supplementing the water with something eg glucose. In any event the diarrhoea should get better within 24-48 hours. A change in diet may be recommended for a short period until the gastrointestinal tract has recovered fully.

DO NOT give human anti-diarrhoeal products to your pet unless your veterinarian advises you to do so. Some human preparations can be dangerous to pets - especially cats.

If the history of your pet's illness is not typical for food-related diarrhoea your veterinarian may wish to perform some tests to identify the underlying cause. If your pet is passing blood, or is particularly ill he/she may require more intensive treatment, including fluids by intravenous drip.

Some causes of acute onset diarrhoea such as Parvovirus infection in dogs and Infectious Enteritis (Panleukopenia) Virus in cats can be life-threatening but fortunately these can be prevented by vaccination.

If you would like more information about diarrhoea CLICK HERE (Warning - this link contains graphic pictures of diarrhoea that some members of the public may find unpleasant)

Updated October 2013