Diarrhea

The term diarrhea refers to an increase in the frequency of bowel movements, with rather loose, abundant stools. Diarrhea is one of the most common problems in dogs. It is important to note that stools vary greatly depending on the quality and quantity of the food given to the dog. Consequently, feeding the dog the wrong food is a major cause of diarrhea. As with vomiting, diarrhea can be either acute or chronic. The origins and symptoms of diarrhea are different. It can affect the small intestine or the colon.

Acute diarrhea

Acute diarrhea appears suddenly and is short in duration. In general, it has noticeable repercussions on the general health of the dog. There are multiple origins of this type of diarrhea.

Of course, improper food is the most frequent cause (changes in diet without a transition period destroys intestinal microflora, which is very fragile in dogs). Diarrhea can also be an indication of a viral infection such as canine distemper or parvovirus, or a bacterial infection where germs multiply on and in the intestinal lining. Intestinal parasites including worms and fungi often cause diarrhea symptoms as well, as do toxic substances or allergens. Finally, the list is completed by a certain number of metabolic disorders.

The mechanism that triggers acute diarrhea involves a disruption in the water exchange that occurs in the small intestine. Therefore, unsuitable foods require more water for digestion, which of course causes the stool to be more liquid. But water loss can also be attributed to the more or less consistent destruction of the cells in the intestinal lining that are responsible for the absorption of nutrients into the blood. The aforementioned agents are what cause these types of lesions. Finally and more rarely, diarrhea may be the result of changes in the digestive path, as is the case with stress-induced diarrhea.

Acute diarrhea is accompanied by various signs that are visible to the owner. First of all, the animal is run down, sometimes has a fever, refuses to eat and loses weight. There is often pain in the abdomen. Sometimes, diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting. In this case, the animal will quickly become dehydrated given the water loss with the bowel movement. In fact, quick action is required in order to prevent the dog from going into shock, especially with young and older animals.

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