Information for September 2012

Diarrhea: passage of loose, unformed stools

Common causes: 1) dietary indiscretion (eating something he/she shouldn’t eat) 2) intestinal parasites 3) Many canine infectious diseases

Digestive process: Food takes about eight hours to pass through the small intestines The bulk of the food and 80% of the water is absorbed. The colon concentrates the remainder. A well-formed stool is evacuated. A normal stool contains no mucus, blood, or undigested food.

Things to Know: Dogs are natural scavengers who eat many indigestible substances including garbage and decayed food, dead animals, grass, wild and ornamental plants, and pieces of plastic, wood, paper, and other foreign materials.

Food intolerance: beef, pork, chicken, horsemeat, fish, eggs, spices, corn, wheat, soy, gravies, salts, spices, , and some commercial dog foods. (Not the same as food allergies)

Food allergies rarely cause . Intestinal parasites that can cause diarrhea: round worms, hookworms, whipworms, threadworms, giardia

Diarrhea can be: 1) a side effect of medications; check with your vet 2) caused by stress, excitement 3) caused by a change in diet or living circumstances

Treatment: 1) No food for 24 hours; encourage to drink as much water as wants 2) With persistent diarrhea, provide supplemental electrolyte solution, Pedialyte (non-flavor mixed 50/50 with water); K9Thirst Quencher, a low-salt bouillon cube dissolved in water. 3) After 24 hours, start dog on low digestible diet: rice, potato, cottage cheese, yogurt, macaroni, oatmeal, soft-boiled egg, 1 part boiled drained meat (hamburger or chicken) with 2 parts of rice 4) 3-4 small meals/day first 2 days; then slowly back to own food

Obtain immediate veterinary care if: o The diarrhea continues for more than 24 hours o The stool contains blood or is black and tarry o The diarrhea is accompanied by o The dog appears weak or depressed or has a fever

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/diarrhea-causes-treatment-dogs?page=2