Understanding DIARRHEA

[feinwerkbau]

Hi, while I was in surgery recently (Scaling Starfish's teeth and doing other stuff to her while she was under) I overheard a few consults going on in the next room and I realised that a lot of well-informed dog owners may not be aware of the different symptoms (and indications) that diarrhea exhibits, and the actual descriptions of different types of diarrhea.

Did a search here and found no list, so I typed this out for your reference. Hope it helps.

Please note that these are NOT my clinical observations, nor opinions. Please also note that I am NOT a vet, nor have I portrayed myself to be one, or implied such in the past, here or elsewhere.

It is just a reference. What is does tell me is to examine and note theses points: COLOUR, CONSISTENCY, FREQUENCY of poo and the CONDITION of the DOG.

The following text is from the Dog's Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, All new 3rd Edition, by James M. Griffin, MD and Liisa D. Carlson, DVM. There are other more detailed references around, but they may be a little too technical.

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In trying to figure out the cause of a diarrhea (D.), it is important to decide whether the D. originates in the small bowel or the large bowel. The characteristics of the D., as well as the condition of the dog, will help to make this determination. The chart below details what to look for.

CHARACTERISTICS OF DIARRHEA

Colour
Yellowish or greenish

Likely Cause
Rapid Transit

Likely Location
Small bowel



Colour
Black, tarry

Likely Cause
Upper GI Bleeding

Likely Location
Stomach or small bowel



Colour
Red blood or clots

Likely Cause
Lower GI bleeding

Likely Location
Colon clots



Colour
Pasty, light

Likely Cause
Lack of bile

Likely Location
Liver



Consistency
Watery

Likely Cause
Rapid transit

Likely Location
Small bowel



Consistency
Foamy

Likely Cause
Bacterial infection

Like Location
Small bowel



Consistency
Greasy, often with oily hair around the anus

Likely Cause
Malabsorption

Likely Location
Small bowel, pancrease



Consistency
Glistening or jellylike

Likely Cause
Contains mucus

Likely Location
Small bowel, pancrease



Odour
Foodlike, or smelling like sour milk

Likely Cause
Rapid transit and inadequate digestion or absorption (suggests overfeeding, especially in puppies)

Likely Location
Small bowel



Frequency
Several small stools in an hour, with straining

Likely Cause
Colitis

Likely Location
Colon



Frequency
Three or four large stools a day

Likely Cause
Inadequate digestion or absorption

Likely Location
Small bowel, pancrease



Condition of the dog
Weight loss

Likely Cause
Inadequate digestion or absorption

Likely Location
Small bowel, pancrease



Condition of the dog
No weight loss, normal appetite

Likely Cause
Large Bowel Disorder

Likely Location
Colon



Condition of the dog
Vomiting

Likely Cause
Enteritis

Likely Location
Small bowel, rarely colon


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Additional Notes:

The small and large bowel

Problems in the small and large bowels are associated with three common symptoms: diarrhea, constipation and passing blood. Diarrhea is by far the most common.

CAUSES OF DIARRHEA (D.)

D. is the passage of loose, unformed stools. In most cases, there is a large volume of stool and an increased number of bowel movements. The two most common causes of D. in dogs are dietary indiscretion and intestinal parasites. Many canine infectious diseases are also associated with acute D.

Food takes about 8 hours to pass through the small intestine. During passage, the bulk of the food and 80% of the water is absorbed. The colon concentrates the remainder. At the end, a well-formed stool is evacuated. A normal stool contains no mucus, blood or undigested food.

With rapid transit through the bowel, food arrives at the rectum in a liquid state, resulting in a loose, unformed bowel movement. This type of rapid transit accounts for the majority of temporary D. in dogs.

Dietary Indiscretion is a common cause of rapid transit. Dogs are natural scavengers, and tend to eat many indisgestible substances, including garbage and decayed food, dead animals, grass, wild and ornamental plants, and pieces of plastic, wood, paper and other foreign materials. Many of these are irritating to the stomach as well as the bowel, and are partially eliminated trough vomiting.

Food Intolerance can also cause rapid Transit. Foods that some dogs seem unable to tolerate can include beef, pork, chicken, horsemeat, fish, eggs, spices, corn, wheat, soy, gravies, salts, fats and some commercial dog foods. Note that food intolerance is not the same as food allergies, which causes dermatitis but raqrely causes D.

Some adult dogs are unable to digest milk and milk by-products because of lactase deficiency. Lactase is an intestinal enzyme that breaks down the lactose in milk into small-chain sugars. Undigested lactose cannot be absorbed and remains in the bowel and holds water with it. This increases motility and causes large-volume D.


Intestinal Parasites are a common cause of acute and chronic D in puppies and adults. The greatest problems are caused by roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, threadworms and giardia.

D. is also a common side effect of many drugs and medications, particularly the NSAIDs*, which include Aspirin. Heart preparations, some dewormers and most anti-biotics also can cause D.

Dogs experience D. when they're excited or upset - for example, when they're going to the veterinary hospital or a dog show. In fact, any sudden change in a dog's diet or living circumstances may cause emotional D.

*Non-Steroidial Anti-Inflammatory pain killers

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When in doubt, do not hesitate to consult your vet.

[crazy_puppy]

Wow thanks for putting that together. It was very interesting --> a good read indeed!

[Carrie]

Thanks Fein. That is good stuff. I put off reading that on account of the title (lol)for a few days and finally braved it, only to find, it was very good information. Thanks.

[Spiritus]

That's a good post. I think I may have experienced almost all of those here at one time or another...

[flyndog]

Er...thanks for sharing!

[feinwerkbau]

Er...you're welcome?

[shandoggy1]

Thanks for sharing, good info, really *goes to the bathroom to VOMIT*