Everyone who has owned a dog will, almost certainly, have had to cope with this problem and many owners will have coped with a pet with a poorly tum over Christmas. Most cases are acute and the dog will usually be looking bright and well. Most are caused (as in us!) by a sudden change in diet or by eating something unsuitable; rotting carcases (this is why we often see a lot of cases in warm wet weather), stolen rich food, etc. In most cases, simple measures will put things right:
1. Stop feeding for 24 hours
2. Give only cooled boiled water
3. Never give milk!
4. When you resume feeding, use bland foods, eg white rice or boiled potato.
If you wish, a little boiled chicken may be added to give flavour. This food can be given little and often for a day or two, after which time the dog can be gradually changed back to the normal food. Several things should make you concerned and, therefore, contact your vet: • Blood. A little fresh red blood is not a problem, especially if it is combined with mucus or jelly (colitis symptoms).
However, lots of blood, or the presence of black tarry blood (indicating bleeding from stomach or small intestine) is a concern.
• If the dog is unwell – in particular if the dog becomes weak and/or wobbly, indicating problems with electrolyte balance (these are often lost via the gut).
• If the dog becomes dehydrated – check this by picking up a fold of skin. If it falls straight back into place, fine. If it takes a while (or stands in folds) then worry!
• Vomiting. Diarrhoea is often combined with vomiting. However, if it is more than the occasional vomit or if the dog is vomiting when not eating or drinking, then call the vet
• If the diarrhoea does not resolve after 24 hours without food.
Most cases are simple and get better quickly. However, diarrhoea can be a sign of other, nastier diseases, so any unwell dog with diarrhoea or diarrhoea that does not go away, or that recurs after clearing up, should be investigated. If you do bring your dog to be checked, please bring a faecal sample – these can be very useful not only to detect some important infections, but also to check for parasites. If possible, please collect and pool faeces from a couple of days – it really helps detect some of these infections. Please note, too, that some cases may be due to Salmonella, Giardia, E coli, or Campylobacter so hygiene is very important in these cases, especially if children or older people are in the house too.
by John Chitty BVetMed MRCVS, Consulting at Anton Vets, Andover