Dog with Diarrhea

Dog with Diarrhea

The causes of loose bowel movements are as many and as varied as those of vomiting. Some overlap, having common sources.

Toxic substances ingested may irritate the full length of the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in loose bowel movements sometimes with blood.

When food enters the intestine it is in a semisolid form with ample fluid secreted by the stomach wall, even if the food was a dry kibble when ingested. As the semisolid material enters the large intestine, called the colon, or the lower bowel, it is still of moist consistency, but as it descends the colon it is dehydrated, resulting in an acceptably formed fecal mass.

Anything that interferes with this dehydration or anything that reverses the process causing fluid to be secreted into the colon results in diarrhea.

Food sensitivity is high on the list of causes. A sudden change of diet apparently will produce a reversal of the dehydration process so that a bowl of milk to a dog that has not had milk in some time acts as a laxative or worse. Pet shops rarely offer puppy milk and instruct new puppy owners to withhold milk for that reason. After giving milk for a few days or making other changes in diet, if you are persistent, the condition is self-corrected.

It is, therefore, obvious that changes in the diet be gradual when possible. A tablespoon of milk to a twenty-pound dog has no ill effect and if the amount is increased gradually over four or five days no problem develops. Incidentally, a cup of skins milk for a dog is a good natural laxative.

One of the more common causes of loose stools is whipworm infestation. These parasites live in a blind pouch called the cecum and on down through the colon to the anus. In a dog with a serious case of whipworms, diarrhea with bright blood and mucus will precede death. The whipworm-infected dog is unhealthy, tires easily, and is not quite as responsive as it was before the infestation. This is a matter of degree, however, since dogs through the ages have adapted to life with a few of many types of parasites. The problem arises when the worm infestation exceeds the dog’s natural resistance.

Hookworms, too, can cause loose bowel movements along with a host of protozoan organisms, a good example of which is coccidial.

Just as “tourists ” disease, a bacterial infection, affects people, there is a small army of bacterial diseases that can affect our dogs. Most of these diseases, perhaps more than 75 percent, fortunately, are easily overcome by dogs, but in the case of some, help is required from you. If you can visualize a bright red rash over the lining of the intestine and then consider a rough stool mass passing over and further irritating it, you will better appreciate that the type of food fed to an infected dog is of great importance.

In the first place, a food that may enhance the undesirable bacterial flora does not make sense. Fighting fire with fire seems to work in this situation in that the introduction of helpful bacteria can theoretically outgrow the disease-producing ones to the advantage of the dog. Yogurt (lactobacillus acidophilus) helps some dogs with bacterial infections. You can prepare a blended diet for your dog, such as well-cooked meat and cooked vegetables well blended into a creamy consistency. Many commercial dog foods have undigestible roughage and bonemeal, which can further irritate the already irritated intestinal mucosa.

If the diarrhea is not too severe, a diet of one-third cooked hamburger, boiled rice, and stewed tomatoes is remarkably effective. The importance of the tomatoes is that they have pectin, a jellylike indigestible material that surrounds each seed and acts as a lubricant. A further advantage is the high percentage of digestibility of this diet, resulting in good nourishment with a small volume of waste. Because it is digestible, the food mass does not distend the irritated intestines, a further advantage.

But when diet alone may not be enough to inhibit bacterial growth, antibiotics are useful. Some of the coating agents, although more effective for stomach-wall coating when given in large amounts, will coat the intestines, which is a plus. Don’t permit diarrhea to become too well-entrenched before asking for veterinary help.

Virus diarrhea may be more common than suspected in the past. The outbreak of virus diarrhea in newborn baby wards in our human hospitals. When such a condition exists all the babies who are well enough are sent home and no new babies are permitted near the infected ward. Eventually, everything is sterilized and the wards are repainted before they can be used again.

Most diarrhea is diagnosed as bacterial. There is more and more evidence that many of the so-called bacterial diarrheas are essentially viral with bacterial secondary invaders. Certain bacteria may work with certain viruses to cause diseases that one alone could not cause. Parvovirus and coronavirus infections cause diarrhea.

When persistent diarrhea without vomiting is present we can assume that only the large intestine is affected. If the cause ascends into the small intestine, vomiting may accompany the problem, and if the gastric area is invaded, vomiting is common.

Dehydration can be a complication of diarrhea with or without vomiting. Dogs have gone without any food for months and survived, so a few days or a week is not as tragic as some pet owners believe. To maintain hydration, however, a clear broth such as chicken broth,  bouillon, or consomme should be given to the dog. If diarrhea is permitted to progress it will contribute to the demise of a dog that could recover if proper hydration were maintained. In extreme cases, a consultation with your veterinarian often results in your dog being hospitalized and given intravenous fluids and your dog surviving.

See more: Enlarged Heart in Dog