Diarrhea Caused by Stress in Bulldog Puppies

It can be scary when your puppy is sick. That's why knowing what could be causing that illness is important. For bulldog puppies, as well as other dogs and puppies, stress can cause diarrhea. If you know what to do, you can help your dog get over his problems with both stress and diarrhea.

  1. Function

    • Stress is an emotion that can cause mental and physical effects. For some bulldog puppies, as well as other breeds of dogs and puppies, a symptom of stress can be diarrhea. When the puppy goes through a stressful event, her intestinal tract will contract more than normal, which causes more bowel movements. Because her food may not be processed normally, that can result in loose stools.

    Stressors

    • Your bulldog puppy could have stress induced diarrhea for a variety of reasons. A major stressor for puppies is change. For example, if you've recently purchased or adopted her, leaving her mother, brothers and sisters or normal environment can be stressful. It's also stressful to a dog if you board him or leave him in the care of someone new. Moving to a new home, even if you move with him, can cause stress induced diarrhea in your puppy.

    Treatment

    • Once the stressful event is over, your dog should improve within a day or so. If stress has caused the diarrhea, rather than an illness, no medical treatment is necessary. A short fast, about 12 hours for puppies, can help her recover. If your dog doesn't get well within a day or if her diarrhea worsens, stress may not be the only cause. In that case, see your veterinarian.

    Other Causes

    • Diarrhea can be caused by a variety of other factors, including stress. Eating food intended for people, parasites, viruses or worms also can give your bulldog puppy diarrhea. It's important to see your veterinarian and find out what is causing the diarrhea if it continues.

    Prevention

    • You can help your puppy deal with stressful events better through a few simple remedies. If you're going to leave your dog with a friend while you go on a trip, for example, visit the friend a few times beforehand if you can. That way, your dog will become more used to the new surroundings. If possible, leave him with the friend a few times for only a couple hours. Your dog will learn that you're coming back. In severe cases, your veterinarian can prescribe medication to help your puppy handle stress.