| Dog Diarrhea |
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Topics related to Dog Diarrhea.
When should you be concerned about a dog that has diarrhea? With any
blood or mucous, there should be concern. If there is a lot of straining and
there is liquid shooting out, this can dehydrate a pet quite quickly.
Diarrhea cases range from very minor to deadly, and from easily cured to
terminal. The diseases associated with diarrhea and the resulting
dehydration are easily the largest cause of death in humans and other
mammals on this planet. So once it's obvious that the diarrhea isn't just a 1
or 2 day affair associated with eating something inappropriate, we take
things seriously
Viral: Our most common cause of deadly diarrhea in puppies, with parvo and
distemper virus' being the biggest culprits. I can't emphasize too much how
important it is to have your young puppies vaccinated with high quality
vaccines. While viral diarrhea is most common in poorly vaccinated puppies,
it's also an occasional problem in kittens, cats, and dogs too. Also keep in
mind that vaccination programs only protect your pet from the most common
viral diseases and the most common strains of the virus; vaccines greatly
reduce the chance of succumbing to viral diseases...but not by 100% by any
means. And not all brands of vaccines are created equal. It's important to
use the newer and better vaccines. Your vet will be using these. Your mail
order company may not. For more about vaccine quality go to our page on
vaccine recommendations. Just for the record, Feline leukemia, Aids, and
Infectious Peritonitis are cat viral diseases that are sometimes associated
with diarrhea. The lab tests and treatment options we have for the different
types of diarrhea are discussed a little further on.
When should you be concerned about a dog that has diarrhea? With any
blood or mucous, there should be concern. If there is a lot of straining and
there is liquid shooting out, this can dehydrate a pet quite quickly.
Diarrhea cases range from very minor to deadly, and from easily cured to
terminal. The diseases associated with diarrhea and the resulting
dehydration are easily the largest cause of death in humans and other
mammals on this planet. So once it's obvious that the diarrhea isn't just a 1
or 2 day affair associated with eating something inappropriate, we take
things seriously
Viral: Our most common cause of deadly diarrhea in puppies, with parvo and
distemper virus' being the biggest culprits. I can't emphasize too much how
important it is to have your young puppies vaccinated with high quality
vaccines. While viral diarrhea is most common in poorly vaccinated puppies,
it's also an occasional problem in kittens, cats, and dogs too. Also keep in
mind that vaccination programs only protect your pet from the most common
viral diseases and the most common strains of the virus; vaccines greatly
reduce the chance of succumbing to viral diseases...but not by 100% by any
means. And not all brands of vaccines are created equal. It's important to
use the newer and better vaccines. Your vet will be using these. Your mail
order company may not. For more about vaccine quality go to our page on
vaccine recommendations. Just for the record, Feline leukemia, Aids, and
Infectious Peritonitis are cat viral diseases that are sometimes associated
with diarrhea. The lab tests and treatment options we have for the different
types of diarrhea are discussed a little further on.
Bacterial: Pets frequently take in large amounts of bacteria into their mouth, what with licking everything, eating rancid garbage or
"road kill", drinking out of puddles, and grooming with their tongue. But if your pet is in otherwise good health, free of parasites, on a
good diet, and hasn't recently undergone an event stressful to the immune system such as pregnancy or surgery, it's unlikely that
much of this bacteria will be able to get past the acidic stomach, the immune system defenses, or the competitive "good" bacteria of
the gut in numbers large enough to cause much trouble for long.
Bacterial infections of the gut are sometimes a problem in addition to some other primary problem. For example, bacterial infections
are a common problem in dogs whose intestinal tracts are all irritated from parasites or viruses. As always, your vet won't assume your
pet has a single problem. Like most things in life; "Trouble Likes Company".
Diet Related: A large number of diarrhea cases are solved by switching to special diets that are easy to digest. Or are non-allergenic
to your pet.
Or more consistent or of higher quality. Once your vet rules out other causes of frequent or chronic diarrhea, he or she may very well
recommend a feeding trial of a special diet. It's important to understand, here, that just switching from one brand to the next is unlikely
to work...most brands of pet foods contain similar ingredients, any one of which might be causing the problem in your pet.