Can Dandelions Give Dogs Diarrhea?

Can dandelions give dogs diarrhea? That’s a good question that many people ask, but it requires some explanation.

Dandelions are weeds and as such they grow everywhere. Besides being annoying and hard to get rid of because of their tenacity, they aren’t very harmful to humans or other mammals. The problem is that there may be something toxic in them, specifically in the green parts we generally don’t eat (leaves). So staying away from them is a good idea unless you know for sure what you’re doing (i.e., someone has told you dandelions are fine).

But what about your dog? If he decides he wants to munch on those bright yellow flowers or those prickly leaves, would he end up with gastric issues?

The answer is probably not. Or, better said, it’s unlikely. Dandelions are usually more dangerous to humans than they are to dogs because of their effect on blood pressure (they contain something that acts like ACE inhibitors). But there might be another reason why dandelions may agitate our canine friends.

Dandelions grow everywhere and dogs eat them sometimes simply because they’re curious . And yet, diarrhea isn’t very common after ingesting this invasive weed. It seems there are several reasons for that:

1. Even if you have a dog who eats flowers or leaves, he would have to consume quite a bit of them in order to get sick. You’ll probably see him vomiting before that happens.

2. They are full of water, so your dog may be getting diarrhea simply because he’s ingesting too much fluid at once (similar to when you drink a ton of water in one go).

3. We know dogs don’t have the enzyme necessary for breaking down starches, but they can handle small quantities of certain carbs without any problem because the good bacteria in their gut produces it for them. Large amounts could cause an upset stomach though. This is probably what would happen if you gave your dog dandelions on a regular basis: his body would develop a tolerance and he wouldn’t get sick anymore. Therefore, even if we didn’t answer “can dandelions give dogs diarrhea?” directly, we’ve learned that it’s not likely to happen.

Besides, there are lots of other tasty weeds your dog could eat instead. Don’t let him munch on grass though, because some types can be dangerous for his health (like rye). Also, if he finds dandelions in your garden or something near your house and you don’t want him to eat them, just put them behind a fence where he can’t get at them.

So now you know: if Fido finds himself with an upset stomach after eating dandelions, the most likely explanation would be that they didn’t agree with him rather than something more serious like poisoning . And even so, it wouldn’t have caused severe diarrhea by itself… unless he ate too many flowers.

If you want to learn more about caring for your dog, check out this article explaining the basics of dog care . It’ll give you some really good tips on how to keep your furry friend healthy.