By: Bimol Bee
Submitted: 2011-10-16 04:19:10 | Word Count: 500
Pet owners often deal with health problems of their pets, especially with dogs' diarrhea. Generally, dogs' diarrhea is not an illness or a sign of some serious health condition but a symptom of another problem. But unfortunately, some circumstances of canine diarrhea may mean the presence of some dangerous illness.
What is Diarrhea?
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Usually, healthy adult dogs defecate once a day if fed once a day or twice a day if fed twice a day. Puppies defecate more often. Normal stools are firm; but when a dog has diarrhea, its stools become loose because of excess water. Diarrhea usually increases the frequency of defecation and may be accompanied by such symptoms as abdominal pain, flatulence, a bad odor, and matted hair beneath the pet's tail.
Causes
The causes of diarrhea depend on different factors and conditions. Canine diarrhea can be caused by problems of the digestive tract or another system of the dog's body. Such problems may include cancer, ulcers, foreign bodies, food allergies, toxins, etc. diarrhea may be also triggered by kidney disease, liver disease, Addison's disease, and anxiety.
Puppies Versus Adult Dogs
The major causes of canine diarrhea may vary between puppies and adult dogs. Thus, puppies have diarrhea more frequently than adult dogs do. A major reason for this is that puppies may swallow foreign objects, eat garbage, and suffer from intussusceptions (the bowel folding). As for adult dogs they experience diarrhea caused by such reasons as liver or kidney disease. This is the reason why adult dogs suffer from diarrhea more seldom than puppies.
Chronic Versus Acute
In general, there're two types of diarrhea - acute and chronic. Acute diarrhea starts suddenly and resolves rather quickly while chronic dogs' diarrhea is a constant problem lasting for weeks or even months. Fortunately, canine diarrhea is usually acute and not serious; nevertheless, some cases may require veterinary's help. If your dog has an acute diarrhea, immediately consult a veterinarian in case if the stools contain blood or are accompanied by such symptoms as vomiting, fever, or abdominal pain. With chronic dogs' diarrhea always consult a veterinary.
Diagnosis
There're more than a hundred causes of dogs' diarrhea, so singling out the one may be not easy. Still, there's a number of specially created diagnostic tests that can be used in order to identify the real reason. Such tests include x-rays, blood tests, fecal analysis, and abdominal ultrasounds. Fecal and blood tests usually show the presence of infections, parasites, or allergic reactions, while x-rays and ultrasound can reveal the presence of foreign bodies or of physical abnormalities of the suggestive system.
Treatment And Prevention
First of all determine the cause. A serious canine diarrhea may require hospitalization and intravenous fluids. Mild cases of dogs' diarrhea can be treated at home involving dietary changes, reducing food intake or keeping to a moderate diet for a few days. Prevent dehydration with plenty of fresh water. In order to prevent diarrhea provide your dog with a clean living environment, clean water and food.
