canine DIARRHEA
Diarrhea is the passage of loose, unformed digestive material or feces. Diarrhea may be associated with an increased amount of stool or an increased frequency or urgency of defecation. There are hundreds of causes of diarrhea, ranging from simple dietary causes to very serious diseases. Your veterinarian can best determine the cause of your pet's diarrhea by asking a series of questions regarding the amount, frequency, color and smell of the stools, as well as when the problem first started.
Clinical Signs
Diarrhea is a clinical sign in and of itself. It is often associated with other clinical signs associated with the gastrointestinal tract including lack of appetite, vomiting, flatulence, scooting or licking at hindquarters, or signs of abdominal pain.
Diagnosis
In order to find the cause of diarrhea, veterinarians may pursue a number of different diagnostic strategies. In most cases, your veterinarian will suggest that owners not give food for 24 hours or give a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice. If diarrhea is persistent, bloody or accompanied by vomiting, you should have your pet examined immediately. Young dogs under one year of age should also always be examined, as they can become very quickly dehydrated due to water loss associated with diarrhea.
treatment
The treatment your veterinarian recommends will, or course, depend on the diagnosis. A short course of medication usually does the trick for intestinal parasites.
If tests show an abnormal proliferation of bacteria in the gut, antibiotics may be the treatment of choice. If your pet has ingested something poisonous, the vet may administer medication to either purge the poison from the dog's system or counteract the toxic effects. And some problems, such as tumors and foreign-body blockages, are best treated surgically.
AT GÜNBIL GERMAN SHEPHERD WE MONITOR THE STOOLS DAILY. IF THE DIARRHEA IS STILL PRESENT AFER TWO DAYS WE RUN A STOOL SAMPLE TO OUR VET'S OFFICE FOR FECAL EVALUATION.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND SHOULD BE A PRIORITY IN YOUR DOGS OVER-ALL health, GOOD SOLID, FORMED STOOL IS SIGN OF GOOD HEALTH IN YOUR DOG.
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