There are many causes attributed to acute or sudden diarrhea in dogs, such as illness, a diet change, stress from travel, other environmental changes, or more specific dietary offenses, such as eating garbage.
As a French Bulldog owner, there are several courses of action that you can take at home to treat or comfort your dog or puppy during a short bout of diarrhea. These actions can be coupled with preventative measures to reduce instances of diarrhea in your French Bulldog.
While some forms of acute diarrhea in your French Bulldog or French Bulldog puppy will resolve themselves within a day or two, diarrhea that persists for more than three days or becomes a chronic condition may be an indicator of some other underlying health issue and will require a veterinary visit.
One of the more immediate concerns for your French Bulldog during a bout of diarrhea lasting more than a few days will be dehydration. A vet will have many tools and medicines at their disposal to treat your dog and diagnose any matters of greater concern.
What is causing my French Bulldog Puppy to have diarrhea?
| Diet Change | Rotten Food |
| Overeating | Motion Sickness |
One of the most common culprits for diarrhea in your French Bulldog, especially in a puppy or younger dog, will be a diet change or dietary indiscretion, such as eating garbage or another item not meant for consumption by canines.
Puppies and young dogs are not unlike human babies and have a penchant for exploring the world through their mouths.
While this is relatively normal behavior, it can lead to the occasional consumption of rotten food or items that cause stomach upset in your French Bulldog.
Ingestion of non-edible foods or items can often lead to bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections in your French Bulldog’s digestive system or intestinal tract, which may require antibiotics or other medicines to treat
Changing your French Bulldog’s diet may also cause stomach upset, as a dog’s stomach is more sensitive to change than a human stomach.
Dogs usually require several days for their digestive tracts and systems to adjust to a new diet.
French Bulldog owners should also be mindful of the amount of food their puppy or dog is consuming, as overeating can also cause acute diarrhea in dogs.
Some dogs suffer from motion sickness, the result of which may be episodes of diarrhea, vomiting, or nausea during or after travel.
Dogs that are not well adapted to travel, and only travel for instances such as veterinary visits, may find that the increased stimuli and stressful experiences that follow traveling severely impact their digestive systems.
Dogs with medical issues, such as inner ear infections may also suffer from motion sickness, leading to diarrhea.
On some occasions, some medications that your French Bulldog may be taking can also harm your dog’s digestive system.
Increased stimuli or anxiety in your dog’s life, whether from travel, moving, or introducing a new element, may also disturb your dog’s gastrointestinal workings.
How to recognize symptoms or diagnose diarrhea in my French Bulldog:
The most common signs of diarrhea in your French Bulldog will be soft or liquid stools and more frequent defecation.
Loose stools are generally the first sign or symptom of diarrhea in your dog. They may vary in size, shape, and texture depending on the severity or cause of your dog’s form of diarrhea.
Diarrhea stools may be soft, like mush, completely liquid, or in some state.
If you notice a change in your dog’s defecation patterns, such as an increase in excretion, it would be important to note such changes and examine their feces’ color, shape, and texture during this time.
Suppose there is blood or other inexplicable discoloration in your French Bulldog’s feces during an episode of diarrhea. In that case, retrieving a sample to bring to a veterinarian for testing may be necessary.
Dehydration is a primary concern for your French Bulldog if it has an episode of diarrhea.
One way to check your French Bulldog’s hydration level is to feel their gums with your finger; if your dog’s gums are wet and your finger slides across them easily, your dog is hydrated. Still, if their gums are tacky or sticky, your dog is dehydrated and needs to be seen by a vet immediately.
Several other symptoms to look out for requiring veterinary attention in a more severe case of diarrhea, such as lethargy, vomiting, or bleeding.
How to prevent diarrhea in your French Bulldog or French Bulldog puppy:
Preventative measures can be taken to avoid or decrease the number of times your French Bulldog or French Bulldog puppy has diarrhea. The most common causes of diarrhea in dogs are dietary, so closely monitoring your dog’s diet is key to preventing diarrhea.
This means being particularly vigilant about watching what your dog eats and has access to for puppies and young dogs.
Making sure garbage and trash bins or containers have secure lids or are not easily tipped over is crucial. Strictly enforcing rules against feeding human food to your French Bulldog or puppy is also important.
A puppy or young dog requires constant and careful watch to ensure they do not ingest anything that could make them sick.
When transitioning your French Bulldog or puppy to a new diet, it is important to do so gradually. Introduce new foods a little bit at a time, usually over one or two weeks.
Also, ensure that the amount of food being given to your French Bulldog is appropriate for its age and size.
To prevent diarrhea in your Frenchie while traveling, it is best to introduce your French Bulldog or puppy to travel at a young age. Attempting to make travel both frequent and pleasant for your dog will reduce the anxiety that your dog may feel during car rides and other travel experiences.
Committing to the comfort of your French Bulldog or puppy through its environmental experiences will significantly reduce potential unexpected and unpleasant instances of diarrhea.
Are there any natural or at-home treatments for my French Bulldogs diarrhea?
Suppose your French Bulldog or puppy is afflicted by an acute or non-serious bout of diarrhea. In that case, it is important to keep them hydrated and to drink small amounts of fluids throughout the day. What can I give my french bulldog for diarrhea: Most cases of acute diarrhea can be handled at home and without veterinary care.
Home remedies for Frenchie with diarrhea: Allowing your dog to fast or go without food for 12 to 24 hours is a popular method to treat diarrhea in dogs at home; however, French Bulldogs are a smaller breed that requires nutrients during illness and would not benefit from this method.
Smaller dogs, puppies, and older dogs cannot handle a fast of this nature and should be given other forms of at-home treatment.
Treating your French Bulldog or puppy for diarrhea at home can be achieved by doing something as simple as boiling some rice.
Boiling rice, then removing the grain and feeding the creamy rice broth to your dog will keep your French Bulldog hydrated while also providing some nutrients.
A bland food diet of plain rice, plain chicken without skin, or plain eggs may also be suitable for providing your French Bulldog with essential nutrients while recovering from diarrhea.
Other methods that may be helpful with your Frenchies’ at-home recovery from diarrhea may be introducing some probiotics or feeding them an approved list of natural herbs or supplements to re-institute gut health.
When should I take my French Bulldog to the vet for diarrhea?
Some instances of diarrhea are more severe than others and require veterinarian attention.
Suppose your French Bulldog or puppy is presenting signs of dehydration. In that case, you should see a veterinarian immediately as this can lead to several system imbalances and cause severe illness.
Take your French Bulldog or puppy to the veterinarian immediately if it is vomiting, presenting pain, weakness, or fever.
Suppose your dog continues to have worsening diarrhea for more than a couple of days, or the issue becomes chronic. In that case, you should take your dog in for examination by a vet.
How will the vet treat my French Bulldog Puppy with diarrhea?
A veterinarian will treat your Frenchie following the seriousness of its symptoms.
The first step in a case of diarrhea that leads to a veterinary visit will be a physical examination of your dog, a procedural overview of your dog’s health and history, and a general diagnosis of the severity of your dog’s case.
Some cases are easily diagnosed with certain bacteria or parasites and do not require further testing, resulting in a simple prescription of medication and dietary care instructions at home as diarrhea passes.
For cases of diarrhea that have become severe, a veterinarian will run a series of tests first to determine the cause of diarrhea and how ill it has made your dog.
These tests may be as minimal as fecal examination, X-rays, fecal DNA tests, or as invasive as an intestinal biopsy, endoscopy, or even exploratory abdomen surgery.
Once the veterinarian has determined a diagnosis for your dog’s diarrhea, they will proceed with appropriate medical prescriptions and instructions to best treat your dog.
In Conclusion:
Diarrhea is a very common ailment in dogs and can largely be attributed to dietary woes. Such cases of diarrhea are considered acute or sudden and are often treatable at home.
Natural and home remedies can be effective but will also vary depending on the age and breed of your dog. French Bulldogs require slightly different care than larger breeds.
New French Bulldog owners must be wary of their pet’s environment, as many cases of diarrhea are avoidable.
Though rare, severe cases of diarrhea in your dog can occur, a veterinarian should be contacted immediately in such cases.
The question of why your French Bulldog has diarrhea may have many answers. Still, the question of when your French Bulldog will get diarrhea is only a matter of time.
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