Changing the dog’s food can cause diarrhea

One of the most common health issues of dogs is diarrhea, something that will occur to your canine friend from time to time from different reasons. In this article we will tell you a bit about the dietary reasons for diarrhea and give you some suggestions on how to best handle it.

Dogs have a different digestive system than humans

Lots of dog owners have the tendency to associate the human dietary habits with their dog’s needs, which is not really the best thing to do. As dogs descend from wolves and are designed to hunt their food and it eat raw, their jaws, salivary enzymes and stomach acids are designed for breaking down chunks of food or partly rotten food. Adapting to the lifestyle of being human companions of course that they adapted to eating the food that we provide, in the form of kibbles or cooked food.

So dogs have an inbuilt need to chew their food or other things around so you need to consider that as part of their lifestyle. If your Caucasian Shepherd spends time in the yard, for sure it will find things to chew and sometimes swallow small parts of what he or she chews, which might cause diarrhea to happen. You needn’t worry about that, as their digestive system works well. Only if the diarrhea persists for more days then you should go check at the vet’s office.

Also, feeding your dog from your cooked food can cause diarrhea, as they are not accustomed to spices or sauces and some of the ingredients might be toxic for them. Be sure to get informed about how to feed your Caucasian shepherd dog and what ingredients can be harmful for your pup.

The puppy has different needs than an adult dog

One thing to consider also is that the diet of your dog changes when the puppy grows up and turns into an adult dog. If you decide to go for kibbles all the way, the formulas for puppies are different from the ones for adults, as the pup needs different intake of vitamins and minerals as it grows.

At Titans Family we use a premium brand of kibbles for our pups, up to 6 months of age and then we gradually switch them to a raw meat diet. When we sell a pup we tell the future owners exactly what we fed them so that they can make a gradual shift to the food they prefer.

It is advised to introduce a new diet gradually over the course of a week, so as to avoid the possibility of diarrhea at dogs. You can add every day a larger portion of the new food to and lessen the portion ofits previous food. It is also advisable to check with your local vet for advice for the appropriate moment to switch from puppy food to adult food.

The diet should be consistent

Once your canine friend reaches adulthood it is good to keep a constant diet as much as possible. Whenever you add something new or make sudden changes there is risk of diarrhea. Feeding the dog’s meals at approximately the same time every day and having the same number of meals is also a good and healthy habit for your dog.

In addition, keeping a dog hydrated and always providing fresh water next to your dog’s food is also very important for a healthy digestion.

During the cold season you can add some warm cooked food like rice and chicken to the dog’s kibbles, also with moderation.

To conclude, you should know that causes of diarrhea in dogs can be many. The sudden change of diet is one of the most common ones and one that shouldn’t cause too much worry and trouble. If you pay attention, follow a regular meal schedule and have consistency in the food you provide, you and you four-legged partner should be out of trouble.

We also recommend you check out our video episode on the diet of the Caucasian Shepherd down below.