Diarrhea in Dogs and Cats

What is Diarrhea?

Diarrhea medical terms: Large bowel, Large intestine, or Large colon, Small bowel, Small intestine, or Small colon, Anal glands, Intussusception, Colitis, Flora

Normal pet stool is firm and formed. Diarrhea is loose stool caused by excess water in the feces. Loose stool may be accompanied by increased frequency or increased urgency.

Normally, adult pets defecate once a day if they are fed once a day, and twice a day if they are fed twice a day. Puppies and kittens defecate more often because they are fed more often. In dogs and cats, normal stool is large enough, and firm enough, to push against and empty the 2 glands situated in the rectum. These glands, also called anal sacs, discharge a malodorous material onto the stool that provides special signals for other pets.

Causes of Diarrhea in Dogs and Cats

Diarrhea can be caused by problems from within the digestive system itself, or by problems from outside the digestive system. Problems from within the digestive system include ulcers, food allergies, infections, poisons, worms, foreign bodies, and cancer. Problems originating outside the digestive system that cause diarrhea include anxiety, Addison’s disease, liver disease, kidney disease, and a pancreatic disease called Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI).

Acute or Chronic Diarrhea in Dogs and Cats

Diarrhea can occur suddenly and resolve quickly (acute) or it can be chronic and last for months. Most cases of diarrhea are acute, isolated incidents that resolve easily.

Pets with acute diarrhea need medical attention if the diarrhea is bloody, or if it is accompanied by general signs of illness: fever, dehydration, abdominal pain, or weakness. All pets with chronic diarrhea need medical attention.

Two Types of Diarrhea in Dogs and Cats: Large Intestine and Small Intestine

The intestines, which are also called bowels, have 2 distinct sections, small and large. It’s useful to distinguish between large and small intestine diarrhea because different medical problems cause diarrhea in different sections of the intestines. For example, whipworms cause large intestine diarrhea and roundworms cause small intestine diarrhea.

Generally, we can look at diarrhea and tell whether it came from the small or large intestine. With small intestine diarrhea, the stool is larger than normal and malodorous. The pet defecates frequently and may lose weight. With large intestine diarrhea, the pet often strains to defecate, and produces a stool covered with mucus.

The small intestine and large intestine have different functions. The stomach empties into the small intestine, delivering nutrients that are moved across the intestinal wall into the blood vessels lying just outside. The small intestine has 3 sections, the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The stomach and the first section of the small intestine, the duodenum, can develop bleeding ulcers. This blood is partially digested causes the feces to be black and tarry. Black, tarry feces can also be caused by bleeding secondary to parvo virus infection.

Bacteria within the Intestines

Bacteria and microorganisms (also called flora) within the intestines can be friendly, good microorganisms or pathogenic, disease-causing organisms. Friendly bacteria help make vitamins and fatty acids, and they help produce mucus that lines the digestive system and protects it from infection and physical damage.

Supplements that supply good microorganisms to colonize the intestines are called probiotics. Probiotics protect against inflammation, infection, diarrhea, and cancer. NaturVet Enzymes & Probiotics and Probiotics is an excellent source of gut-friendly probiotic microorganisms, such as Aspergillus Oryzae, Trichoderma Longibrachiatum, Aspergillus Niger, and Lactobacillus Acidophilus.

Not all bacteria and microorganisms in the digestive system are good. Pseudomonas, salmonella, and coccidia are disease-causing inhabitants of the intestines. In healthy pets, good microorganisms predominate and prevent pathogenic microorganisms from causing disease and diarrhea.

To maintain good gut bacteria, it’s helpful to feed prebiotics. Pre (before)-biotics, such as chicory and FOS (fermentable oligofructose fiber), are the nutrients that good microorganisms use to stay healthy. In pets fed FOS, intestinal cells are larger and healthier, have a thicker protective mucus layer, and are almost 100% more efficient at absorbing nutrients from food. Apple pomace and inulin, which are contained some dog food brands, are also excellent nutrient sources for good gut bacteria.

Constipation

Constipation is the opposite of diarrhea—it is a hard, firm, infrequent stool passed with straining. Constipation is common in dehydrated pets, dogs with enlarged prostates, and senior pets, especially senior cats. Providing extra fluids and providing fiber helps prevent constipation.

Among the best sources of fiber is Be Well, which can be fed at double the normal dose to help prevent constipation. For example, a senior 20-lb poodle with constipation would benefit from 2 teaspoons of Be Well sprinkled on its food daily. A senior cat would benefit from 1 ½ teaspoon of Be Well sprinkled on its food daily.

Who Gets Diarrhea?

Diarrhea is one of the most common illnesses of dogs and cats, and is especially common in puppies and kittens. Diarrhea frequently occurs in pets kept in kennels and exposed to salmonella or parvo infections. Diarrhea is also common in pets eating garbage, poor quality food, or food to which they are allergic. Diarrhea occurs in pets drinking water contaminated with wild animal feces, which often contains giardia.

Puppies and Kittens Versus Adults

Puppies and kittens have diarrhea much more often than adult pets do, and the causes of puppy and kitten diarrhea are different from the causes of adult diarrhea.

Puppies and kittens have diarrhea from eating garbage, swallowing foreign bodies, infections, and from the bowel folding back on itself (intussusception). On the other hand, adult dogs and cats are more prone to diarrhea caused by disease: liver disease, kidney disease, Addison’s disease, and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).

The articles here were answered by a variety of pharmacists and veterinarians   Date Category Topic 04/26/06  Other  COUGHING 04/25/06  Other  DIAHRHEA 04/20/06  Pain/Inflammation  SUDDEN CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR 04/20/06  Other  LOOSE BOWELS 04/13/06  Digestive Care  VOMITING, DIAHAREA 04/06/06  Digestive Care  3-MONTH MALTIPOO 04/04/06  Other  MEDICATION 03/29/06  Digestive Care  TREATING DIARRHEA 03/19/06  Urinary Tract/Kidneys  URINATION 03/17/06  Seizure Disorder  DO PERMANENT TWITCHES AFTER CANINE DISTEMPER CAUSE A PAIN? 03/14/06  Seizure Disorder  SEIZURES, BLOODY STOOL, AND VOMITING 03/07/06  Cough  DRY COUGH 03/05/06  Digestive Care  GREEN BOWEL MOVEMENTS 03/05/06  Antibiotics/Anti-Infectives  RIMADYL SIDE EFFECTS 03/03/06  Digestive Care  POST SURGERY DIARRHEA 1 2 3 4 5 »»

 

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