Dog And Cat Diarrhea: Cause And Treatment Of ThisIndelicate Subject

When your dog or cat has diarrhea, you want to know why and have theinformation for what to do and how to treat it. Most cases of acute diarrheacan be handled at home if the symptoms respond well to minimal treatment.Testing to determine the origin is unnecessary. Keep children away from sickdogs, clean messes carefully, and wash thoroughly after handling sick dogs.

Dogs commonly have bouts of acute diarrhea.

Acute diarrhea is when the dog has an abnormal stool that is softer thannormal, watery, soft-formed, or soft with abnormal color or very smelly; orwhen the dog strains to defecate and only passes gas.

There are effective natural remedies.

There are effective natural remedies to support healthy firm stools andmaintain “stable stomachs” -- promoting healthydigestionand bowelfunctioning as well as healthy levels of digestive gas in dogs and cats.Natural treatments for cat and dog diarrhea include probiotics, glutamine,and herbs like slippery elm and plantains. Diarrhea can result from sudden changes in the dog or cat diet, or when thepet eats something it cannot absorb. It can result from motion sickness ortravel stress. Other causes include pancreatitis, parasites such as the GiardiaProtozoa and Coccidia (very common invaders of puppies and kittens),Coccidioidomycosis (valley fever), feline distemper virus, bacteria, toxins,and antibiotics. When dogs are unsupervised they are prone to ingest thingsincluding sticks, stones and various scavenged items that do not agree withthem. The result can be a dog with a case of diarrhea. Don't be alarmed if your dog is acting reasonably well; in most cases the dog’s diarrhea is ahealthy reaction to help it heal, and not a disease.It would also not be unusual for a dog (or anyone) with diarrhea to feel “under the weather”, so your dog may appear a bit "off" until the diarrhea isresolved. Acute small intestinal diarrhea can be managed by not feeding for24-48 hours but water must be given, and it is beneficial to add a probioticpowder to the dog's water.If diarrhea stops, feed small amounts of bland low-fat food 3 to 6 times dailyfor a few days – foods such as home-cooked boiled hamburger, cottagecheese, tofu with boiled rice, and 100% pure canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkinpie filling with sugars and spices). Most dogs love the flavor of pumpkin.Pumpkin is a unique fiber that regulates the bowel. Be aware, it will color thestool. Foods designed as intestinal diets usually contain rice which is moredigestible than other grains. Gradually increase the amount fed intransitioning to the pet's normal diet.

If your canine develops a case of diarrhea and otherwise seems active,content and strong, you can assist the recovery to normal by making somedietary adjustments.Dogs that have healthy digestive systems are able to eat a variety of foodsand that includesraw foods, without resulting diarrhea. Dogs that need toeat a special diet to keep from having diarrhea are not healthy. Do not feedhypoallergenic or bland diets to avoid diarrhea. Find out what the problem isand fix it.

Diagnosis of persistent diarrhea is critical.

Chronic diarrhea is less common and more serious requiring more effort tocorrect. Diarrhea can be caused by diseases of the small intestine, largeintestine or diseases of organs other than the intestinal tract.If your puppy or kitten has not had its vaccination series and gets diarrhea,call your veterinarian right away. A young puppy with diarrhea usually needsmedical attention immediately. Diarrhea can be fatal to puppies under 4weeks. Green-tinged diarrhea in puppies may indicate Coccidiosis, a parasiticdisease that consistently produces diarrhea. Symptoms may include refusalto eat, dehydration, weakness and straining to defecate. See your vet. Mucus in diarrhea indicates an irritated bowel. Parasites, raw pork hearts andmedical conditions can cause mucus in the stool. If the stool is voluminousand continues when you believe the dog should be "empty", call your vet forhelp in deciding whether you should wait the diarrhea out or make anappointment to have the problem assessed. It may be a bacterial infection. Diarrhea occurs when an accumulation of dissolved substances in theintestine causes excess water to move into the intestine. This accumulationmay be a result of decreased absorption of food, increased secretion of electrolytes by the intestine, or both.

Diarrhea is the dog’s body purging itself of harmful or unwantedtoxins.

This can be accompanied byvomiting, usually caused by inflammation of thestomach (gastritis), which often happens when dogs eat grass or spoiledfood. In some cases of poisoning, vomiting should be induced to get the toxinout of the system as quickly as possible.If diarrhea is bloody or explosive call your vet. If your dog has a fever orobvious abdominal pain or bloating, this can indicate a serious condition.Contact your vet immediately.