Whenever I take my dog (an 11-month-old Dalmatian) out for a cycle or a run, he gets diarrhoea.
Typical example:
He eats half of his daily ration in the morning around 8 or 9 am and then just potters about in the garden.
Around 2 pm, I get my bike out and we go for an hour’s ride (a mix of steady paces, breaks, some faster stretches, and always a little sprint at the end before heading home).
Anyway, after about 10 minutes of jogging, he stops to one side, does his business, and carries on as if nothing happened.
It’s really liquid, as if he were actually ill.
On the other hand, when he’s at home, his poos are completely normal and have a solid consistency.
It seems like when he’s excited (he gets so happy when he realises it’s time to go out) or in the middle of physical exertion, it just speeds up his transit.
Apart from that one break, he’s always full of beans and has way more stamina than I do!
Any advice on this?
I’ll take the opportunity to ask another question while I'm at it so I don't have to start a new thread.
We give him old duvets to sleep on.
He bunches them up between his paws and... well, he has his way with them, if you know what I mean.
Is this just him discovering his sexuality and something that will settle down, or should I be worried about it?
Thanks everyone and have a lovely day!
Translated from French
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Right, I’ve got some news from this evening, and it’s not great...
I’ve just got back from the out-of-hours vet...
After I messaged you while we were out, he had diarrhoea a few more times and it was just like water.
After a bit, I noticed that every time he cocked his leg to mark, there was blood in his urine!
Straight away I called the emergency vet who thought it might be some kind of urinary infection and said if he didn't get any worse, it could wait until Monday.
So we headed back home.
But around 8:30 pm, I walked past him while he was sleeping in his bed and he was shaking like anything. He had a fever.
So I rushed him straight to the vet because I was worried the blood might be a sign of a blockage, especially as this little one will eat anything he finds.
The results:
A temperature of 40°C.
The dipstick test showed blood in his urine.
No more diarrhoea since 6 pm.
After feeling his tummy to check for a blockage and doing a clotting test to rule out rat poisoning, the vet reckons it’s some kind of bug that’s really wiped him out.
To be fair, he does drink from puddles, the river and that sort of thing...
So he’s on some stomach meds and antibiotics for the week.
The poor thing is spark out after his injection. He looks completely exhausted.
Anyway, I think I did the right thing taking him to the vet.
He’s just been for a wee and the colour is back to yellow again.
He’s also managed to eat a bit, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed! :-)
Hi everyone,
I’m writing this live while we’re out for a bit. We’re about to go for an hour’s cycle along the canal.
He was so excited when we set off in the car. As soon as we arrived at the canal, he immediately had a bout of diarrhoea and gas.
He went a second time a few yards later, but there wasn't much to it—it was almost like water, but only a tiny amount.
The reason I think it’s just down to excitement is that while he’s in position, he’s actually got an erection... My little Dalmatian is so weird. Lol.
Anyway, when we were getting out of the car, before I’d even opened the boot, it looked like he just couldn't hold it in any longer. He went twice in the first 50 yards, but nothing since.
He’s waiting here next to me and getting impatient because I’m not typing fast enough.
I also saw him munching on the grass this morning. Is he just clearing his system out?
Have a good afternoon, everyone!
When your dog is being active, their body prioritises motor functions over digestion. This is essentially a survival instinct; a dog needs to be able to run away from danger before their body can focus on digesting a meal. Because of this, exercise will naturally have an impact on their bowel movements.
That being said, do make sure your dog isn't scavenging anything while you're out on a walk that could cause diarrhoea, as dogs can be very sensitive to any sudden dietary changes.
Regarding the first issue, I’m with you on that and I’ve noticed it too—whenever a dog is really excited or after they've exerted themselves, their stools are always very soft or even runny. It happens after a swim, too. I reckon it’s just the result of stress, whether positive or negative, a bit like "nerves" in humans... I mean, how many of us haven't felt exactly like that before an exam, for example?!!!!
