Dear Dr. John, We have a Retriever and a Terrier and I awoke this morning to find diarrhea next to my kitchen. The same thing happened last month and, as a simple treatment without diagnostics, my vet gave me metronidazole that seemed to work. Why does this keep happening? Could it be the brand of dog food, a virus, or something else? We are very careful not to give the dogs any people food or anything that might upset their stomachs. Also, with Thanksgiving around the corner, can we safely give turkey to the dogs without it making them sleepy or causing diarrhea again? W. W. Dear W. W., There are many possible causes to the diarrhea that your dogs have been having. The medication given last time is very effective but is often used in conjunction with dietary changes such as a bland diet for a few days. Metronidazole has both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects on the bowels as well as it being used as an antiprotozoal drug. I cannot say why the problem has happened again, but I doubt that the food you are using caused the problem otherwise it would cause diarrhea all the time. A viral cause is always possible but the scenario you provide does not support that. I do believe that having a fecal examination done might prove helpful. Your dogs might have giardia or other intestinal parasites that need to be treated. Are the dogs getting into anything outdoors? Typically, I treat dogs with diarrhea with metronidazole and a bland diet. If that does not resolve the issue, then more diagnostics might be warranted as well as fully understanding environmental impacts that might be affecting the dog. As for turkey at Thanksgiving, it is safe to give to dogs and is healthy. It does contain tryptophan, which makes humans sleepy but, in moderate amounts, should not make a dog sleepy and may calm them ever so slightly. You would be better off using white meat and don’t give them turkey skin as it is very fatty. Happy Thanksgiving! Dr. John de Jong is President of the World Veterinary Association. He owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and can be reached at 781-899-9994.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/11/23/finding-cause-of-dogs-tummy-woes/
Finding cause of dogs’ tummy woes
