Dog’s Diarrhea 1/4

Diarrhea 「下痢 げり Geri」

I will talk about diarrhea from a little to severe.Don't underestimate the possibility of death from a little diarrhea.

Two types of diarrhea

Diarrhea is classified as either acute or chronic.Acute diarrhea occurs within a few days (up to two weeks at most) and continues.Chronic diarrhea is diarrhea that lasts longer than 14 days, usually months.Rather than diarrhea all the time, it may be more common that the diarrhea keeps getting better and worse and then you realize that it has been going on for a month or so.
In dogs, most acute diarrhea is probably caused by poor diet.
The organ that causes diarrhea is the intestine.But diarrhea can also occur with diseases other than intestinal diseases.Diarrhea is a clinical manifestation of a variety of illnesses.Diarrhea associated with minor illnesses can be quickly resolved with simple treatment.But diarrhea can also be the result of serious life-threatening illnesses, such as various organ failures and tumors.And any diarrhea can become serious if treatment is not started early enough.Diarrhea should not be left untreated.

Poop Morphology

The stool scoring scale is used to standardize the evaluation of stool in dogs and cats.This tool is used to check each other to see if the poop image of "diarrhea" captured by the owner and the image of "diarrhea" captured by the hospital staff are at the same level.Several of these fecal scores are presented as "poop charts," but we use the one created by Purina.

Poop charts by Purina

Scores range from 1 to 7, with 1 being very hard, dry stool that looks like it has been outside for a day or so, which is too hard.Generally 2 to 3 is considered normal.The other three are 5, which diameter is about the size of a toothpaste tube, 6, which is melted soft-serve ice cream, and 7, which is almost watery and splashes around during defecation. 4 and 5 may be rated as soft stools, but 6 and 7 are completely diarrhea.

Diarrhea Occurs

If the intestines are moving too fast, the intestines cannot absorb nutrients, electrolytes, and water from food properly.The result is excretion with excess water in the stool.Diarrhea is a formless to soft stool, usually in larger quantities than normal, and usually with frequent defecation.Sometimes results in uncontrolled excretion.

Home Nursing

If the patient appears to be healthy and active, and nothing out of the ordinary except for diarrhea (and no other signs such as vomiting), a "wait-and-see" approach can be taken to give the digestive system a rest.
There are five key points.
First, let the dog rest.Rest is important.Provide a quiet, comfortable place for the dog to recover.
In very cold or hot weather, it is also essential to improve the environment.
Cover the floor with a pet sheet in case of pooping accidents.
No food for 24 hours.Don't give treats, either.The same goes for yogurt and toothpaste gum.
Give a little water every few hours to prevent dehydration.
After 24 hours, when the diarrhea has stopped (no fecal discharge), try feeding a small amount of low-fat, blanched dry food.When resuming food, start with a smaller-than-normal amount of food (50% of the usual daily amount, 75% the next day, and so on), and gradually return to the usual amount.Also, the frequency of feeding may normally be twice a day, but should be divided into several portions.
Use a "small, frequent meal" diet, with smaller amounts per dose and more frequent doses.

Do not fall under the "let's just take a look at them" plan

• Older dogs, puppies
  → May need treatment for underlying condition or disease.A medical examination is required.

• Dogs with medications
  → Aggravation of a pre-existing condition or reaction to medication may be a possibility.Call for a consultation.

• May have eaten something poisonous (moldy/rotten food, etc.)
  → Come quickly.

• Continued diarrhea, black color of stools, large amounts of blood
  → Come to us.

• Small spots of blood on stools
  → Not necessarily an emergency.

• Dog is vomiting
  → Please bring a picture or the actual vomit.

• Lack of energy or appetite, looks like stomach ache
  → Come as fast as possible.

• Constantly straining to poop (appears to be peeing or not pooping)
  → Come!

• Abdomen looks distended
  → You should not wait.Please come to see us.

*Please do not give over-the-counter or human medications, even if you decide to wait and see.Lastly, we have a "No Over-the-Counter Medicines" column.There are some breeds that are especially bad.Please be careful.

Emergency stocking of food in case of diarrhea

There are veterinary-specific prescription diets that are effective for your pet's stomach.It is helpful to keep a few cans or packets at home on a regular basis.We have Hills I/D, Royal Canin Digestive Support (low fat), Purina EN, etc.If your pet recovers from diarrhea and you have some dry digestive disease food left over, place it in a zipper bag and keep it in the freezer for emergency use the next time you need it.You can also purchase meals to start after "watching them at home" in advance and store them in case of emergency.

Duration of diet continuation

Typically, the dog will continue to be fed a non-stimulant diet for one week.During this time, continue to feed small portions every 4-6 hours, and when the diarrhea subsides, slowly return the dog to its regular dog food diet over an additional 2 weeks.Mix the special therapy diet with the regular diet, gradually increasing the proportion of the regular food.Do not give treats or any food other than regular dog food during this period; once the dog is completely back on regular dog food over a week, slowly begin giving treats and other special foods.
If the dog is returned to its normal diet too soon (not allowing enough time for healing and reduction of intestinal inflammation), it may revert back to its original condition.

Other Things That May Help with Home Nursing

In addition to rest, fasting and hydration, and a prescription diet for the digestive system, other helpful things to address diarrhea at home are Probiotics.
Keeping the digestive tract healthy is very important because the digestive tract makes up about 70% of a dog's immune system.Probiotics support a healthy immune system by maintaining a good balance of intestinal bacteria and aiding digestion.Many companies make effective probiotics, including Purina's FortiFlora.
Unfortunately, it has also been found that live bacteria from supplements such as yogurt and lactobacillus do not stay in the intestines, which is why it is important to inoculate probiotics daily.
Certain insurance companies offer their own intestinal flora tests for your dog, which will test the diversity of bacteria and how well they are reproducing (more or less), which is good for the body.It is desirable to have as many diverse members of the intestinal bacteria as possible, but the bacteria that can settle in the intestines are determined at an early age by the living environment, eating habits, and immune response (so the intestinal flora of each individual dog is different).There is an attempt to make good use of the results of this test by inoculating the food with individual probiotics added.This also allows you to choose a dog food that has supplements added specifically for "our dog".This will help improve your dog's immune system.
In recent years, it has become clear that the substances (metabolites) produced by these probiotics in the intestines themselves have an effect on the body as active ingredients.The metabolites are known as postbiotics, and are attracting particular attention among health foods.

Column

Do not give over-the-counter medications!

Loperamide (generic name) is an over-the-counter medication that is effective for diarrhea in human medicine.Its trade names, such as “Pishatto”, “Pitalitto”, and “Stoppa”, make it difficult to identify its ingredients.
This drug is a synthetic opioid and all opioids cause constipation.It decreases intestinal motility and prolongs stagnation time, which increases fluid and electrolyte reabsorption.
Loperamide, even when given in safe dosages, will not help with tummy aches.It stops the diarrhea but does not relieve the dog's stomach discomfort.I am sure it will stop diarrhea, but there is no denying that it can cause potentially serious side effects.

Dogs that should never be given over-the-counter drugs

• Sheltie, Australian Shepherd, Rough Collie, Border Collie, and other Collie breed sheepdogs
  → They have a mutated form of a gene that limits their ability to break down certain drugs.
  

• Suspected infection
  → Diarrhea has the effect of flushing out the intestinal tract.(there is a bacterial poison known as O-157)
  

• May have been inoculated with a toxin
  → The body is better protected by allowing the toxin to be expelled through diarrhea.
  

• Dogs with liver disease, kidney disease, hypothyroidism, Addison's disease
  → They are susceptible to side effects of drugs.
  

• Weak, puppy or elderly dogs with vomiting or other debilitating symptoms
  → Do not use over-the-counter drugs to monitor them.

The story of diarrhea is a long one.I will continue in the next article.
If you have tried home remedies but still have diarrhea, you have no choice but to come to us!
Diarrhea also lowers the quality of life of the owner who cleans up it and causes the energy barometer to plummet.Let's get them well soon and return to peaceful life!