Know the Cause Diarrhea In Dogs

Diarrhea is one gastrointestinal disorders are the most common pet owners. Diarrhea itself is not a disease but a symptom that accompanies the presence of a disease or disorder in the body. Normally, adult dogs defecate once a day when fed one to two times a day. my dog has diarrhea. Changes in the form of increased frequency of defecation, stool volume and consistency ranging from soft to liquid and can be accompanied by the presence or absence of fecal discoloration is a common symptom of diarrhea. Although diarrhea is easily recognizable, but to find the cause and treatment is quite complex because of the many factors that affect the existence of the function of the digestive tract.
diarrhea in dogs
Factors that can cause diarrhea in dogs include:

1. Diet
Diarrhea caused by dietary factors may include sudden replacement of food, overeating (the portion feeding too much), food intolerance, foreign bodies that can not be digested as grass or food sources that do not clean example of waste.

Replacement food abruptly can cause disruption of the normal flora balance in the gastrointestinal tract so that food replacement should be done gradually by mixing the old food with the food part of the new quite a period of 1 week to the normal intestinal flora can adapt.
dogs diarrhea
Dogs can also suffer from intolerance to a particular substance or element content of food is also affected by differences in individual sensitivity. One thing that often occur, especially in children where the dogs are lactose intolerance lactose milk can not be digested by the enzyme lactase deficiency. The result is a buildup of lactose in the gut and triggers excessive microbial fermentation affecting the osmotic diarrhea. Handling can do is give milk with low lactose content. Besides dogs can also suffer from intolerance to spicy foods (lots of flavor) and are usually found in oily foods home.

Dogs who eat less clean as from trash but can also lead to diarrhea sometimes accompanied by vomiting. This is because the possibility of spoilage bacteria and toxins in the food waste that can irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa.

The dog biting hard objects textured and fibrous food is not included due to their behavior that is “liked” it. Even dogs have been affected in the stomach and feel uncomfortable generally encouraged to eat something fibrous like no other grass is one way of allocating stress incurred by such discomfort. But the grass is irritating and can not be digested, so the impact dogs can vomit and further irritate the gastrointestinal effects that can cause diarrhea.

2. Intestinal Parasites
Intestinal parasites such as worms in dogs whipworms (flatworms), hookworms (hookworm), roundworms (gilig worms). Diarrhea is caused by mechanical obstruction and injury by infestation of worms in the intestinal epithelial mucosa and sometimes accompanied by blood. In severe infestations of worms in the long term can also cause anemia, decrease in body weight gain, dull hair, decreased immune system, and even perforation (hole) the intestinal wall. For it should be given de-worming the dog on a regular basis every 3 months for prevention.

3. Bacterial and protozoan
Protozoa cause damage to intestinal epithelial cells proliferate intracellularly and as such are often attacked, especially in young dogs are giardia and coccidia. While the cause of bacterial diarrhea such as E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter. Privileged bacteria in addition to causing damage to intestinal epithelial cells resulting in malabsorption, can also cause septicemia (circulation of pathogenic bacteria in the blood vessels) and can produce enterotoxin as a waste product of metabolism. In general, bacterial or protozoan infections can occur through contaminated food and also it is zoonotic (can be transmitted to humans).

4. Viral infections
The most frequently encountered and is usually fatal in unvaccinated puppies are parvovirus and coronavirus. Infection with this virus causes acute bloody diarrhea accompanied by vomiting and severe dehydration. Unlike other infections, the virus is contagious (highly infectious) morbidity rate (virulence) and mortality (death) is high, especially in young dogs. Prevention is by vaccination can begin when the puppy enters the age of 6-8 weeks.

5. Drugs and toxins
Certain drugs can cause side effects of diarrhea, such as NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory agent) such as aspirin, anthelmentik (de-worming), anticancer drugs and some types of antibiotics depending on individual sensitivity. For toxin is generally not only cause diarrhea but also vomiting, even for toxin group organophospate (insecticides) may be accompanied by neurological symptoms (seizures).

6. Pancreatitis
Inflammation of the pancreas that can cause the production of digestive enzymes, so the ingesta in the intestine can not be digested properly. This condition affects not only the movement of ingesta normal motility but also the development of gastrointestinal microflora. Consequently overgrowth can occur (excessive growth of microflora) that trigger diarrhea. Symptoms include abdominal area pain, steatorrhea (fatty stools), weight loss and diarrhea are usually chronic and accompanied by blood or mucus (phlegm).

7. Gastrointestinal Obstruction
Gastrointestinal Obstruction can be caused by a foreign object or narrowing of the digestive tract itself is caused by various factors such as torsion (rotation) gastrointestinal, intussuceptio (folded part of the intestine into another part of the intestine), abcess, intestinal tumors, as well as the attachment of the channel due to trauma. Symptoms may also be accompanied by diarrhea than vomiting, anorexia (loss of appetite), depression and pain abdominal area.
For intestinal tumors usually occurred in the terminal colon and rectum and are generally found in older dogs. The tumor itself has a variety of types, but the most violent of which adenocarcinoma and lymphosarcoma. Symptoms due to tumor progression, ie chronic diarrhea, weight loss, low appetite, vomiting, and black stools (due to blood mixed with hcl stomach in the digestive tract).

8. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
The occurrence of IBD or better known as inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract is suspected by the role of various factors such as nutrients, bacteria, genetic and immune system that causes the reaction hypersensitif resulting permeability disorders and lesions (sores) mucosal tissue and ultimately have an impact on the occurrence of chronic diarrhea.

In addition to the cause, you also need to recognize the duration of diarrhea in dogs can be divided into two categories, namely diarrhea are acute and chronic. Acute diarrhea usually occur suddenly and lasted a short duration up to 1-2 weeks. Meanwhile, when diarrhea occurs persistently (over 3 weeks) or a history of recurrent, it can be categorized as chronic diarrhea.

When your dog has diarrhea mild acute but his condition is still agile with a good appetite and without clinical symptoms other then the possibility of diarrhea are more likely caused by dietary factors. Nevertheless both acute diarrhea or chronic still require special attention when accompanied by the other symptoms such as decreased appetite, vomiting, fever, weakness, pale mucous, diarrhea accompanied by blood or mucus, abdominal pain and so forth. In this condition, you should immediately consult your veterinary clinic animal or a local veterinarian for immediate handling and examination of the possibility of serious illness.

5 Things Every Dog and Cat Owner Should Know

No matter how careful we are as pet owners, dogs and cats sometimes still manage to cut themselves, get overheated and eat things they really shouldn’t. In honor of National Pet First Aid Awareness month, we at Paw Nation want to help you be prepared should trouble strike.We asked Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro, Director of Emergency Services at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Colorado, and the official veterinarian of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl VI what she recommends you do in these five common situations:

1. Treating A Cut or Scratched Paw
“One of the most important things clients can do if injury is on the animal’s paw is to put pressure on it with a clean towel and bring the pet into the nearest veterinary hospital,” Dr. Mazzaferro tells Paw Nation. Don’t apply a tourniquet because it can decrease blood supply to the injured limb and be dangerous. And you should probably avoid rinsing a wounded paw in water. “Sometimes that will release a blood clot that’s formed.” says Dr. Mazzaferro.

2. Evaluating Vomiting and Diarrhea
“If your pet’s vomiting or diarrhea occurs more than just a couple of times, or if there is blood in it, or any suspicion of the dog or cat having gotten into a toxin, the pet needs to be seen by a veterinarian right away,” says Dr. Mazzaferro. Otherwise, if vomiting occurs just a couple of times, withhold food and water for at least six hours and see if the condition subsides. “If they continue to vomit or become lethargic, or if they’re a puppy or a very small, toy breed dog, I would bring them into a vet because they can dehydrate quickly,” says Dr. Mazzaferro

3. Dealing With Heatstroke
Heatstroke is especially a risk during summer months. Signs include panting, increased respiratory sounds, collapse, seizure, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. “Get the animal away from the heat immediately,” says Dr. Mazzaferro. “Soak towels in room temperature or tepid water — not cold water or ice – and place the wet towels over the dog and put a fan in the room to allow ambient cooling.” Put the towels over the dog’s torso, over their back, chest and abdomen. “The mistake people make is dousing the animal in ice-cold water, and that can actually cause the blood vessels in the skin to constrict and it could cause the animal’s core temperature to rise and make the temperature worse,” says Dr. Mazzaferro. “The most important thing is to get the animal to the vet. They may need intravenous fluids if they’re severely dehydrated.”

4. Handling Household Toxins
“Chocolates, onions, raisins, grapes, various plants, as well as household chemicals are commonly ingested by animals, or people give their pets over the counter medications, such as Tylenol or Advil or Aleve, and all of these can be very, very toxic or fatal to pets,” says Dr. Mazzaferro. If you suspect your pet may have ingested something toxic, the best thing to do is to call the ASPCA National Poison Control Center, a 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435 and take your pet immediately to a veterinary hospital. (FYI, a $ 65 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card for the ASPCA Poison Control service.) Don’t try to induce vomiting without professional advice, it can be dangerous.

5. Responding If Your Pet Is Hit By a Car
Quick thinking and knowing what to do can help save your pet after an accident. “If the injured animal is not able to move,” says Dr. Mazzaferro, “put them on an immobile surface, like a flat board or big, giant piece of plywood and strap them down so that if they have a spine injury or neck injury, they won’t further injure themselves.” Then get the pet to the nearest veterinary facility. “Even the nicest pet can lash out when they are injured and in pain,” says Dr. Mazzaferro. “People can use a towel over the animal’s head or use a pair of nylons to put around the animal’s muzzle and tie it shut, so that the person helping the pet keeps from getting bitten.”

In general, one of the best things you can do, says Dr. Mazzaferro, is to take a basic pet first-aid course. “I think every pet owner should know the Heimlech maneuver and that’s something you would learn in a first aid class,” she says. The American Red Cross offers Pet First Aid classes at their locations across the country.

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