Diarrhea

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Diarrhea is the passing of loose or liquid stool, more often than normal. The cause could be related to problems with your dog's small intestine, large intestine, or other organs.

To help your vet determine the cause, be prepared to answer questions about your dog's diet, habits, and environment, as well as specific details about the diarrhea. Once your veterinarian has narrowed the list of possible culprits, she can plan for specific tests to determine the exact cause.

Small intestinal versus large intestinal diarrhea

Small intestinal and large intestinal diarrhea have different causes, require different tests to diagnose, and are treated differently. With small intestinal diarrhea, a larger amount of stool is passed with a mild increase in frequency--about three to five bowel movements per day. The pet doesn't strain or have difficulty passing stool. Animals with small intestinal disease may also vomit and lose weight. Excess gas production is sometimes present and you may hear the rumbling of gas in the belly. If there's blood in the stool it is digested and black in color.

Disease of the large intestine, including the colon and rectum, cause the pet to pass small amounts of loose stool very often, usually more than five times daily. The pet strains to pass stool, and if there's blood in the stool, it will be red and possibly slimy with mucus. The pet doesn't usually vomit or lose weight with large bowel diarrhea.

Small intestinal diarrhea

Causes

• Viruses such as canine distemper, canine parvovirus, and canine coronavirus in young, poorly vaccinated dogs.
• Bacteria such as salmonella, clostridia, or campylobacter--although these same bacteria can be found in the stool of healthy dogs and cats.
• Worms and giardia, mostly in young animals.
• Swallowed objects such as bones and sticks. They may get stuck in the intestine, causing both diarrhea and vomiting; or, they may pass through the intestinal tract but damage its lining on the way, causing diarrhea.
• Dietary indiscretion or a sudden change in diet; diarrhea may or may not be accompanied by vomiting.
• Food allergies. Other symptoms can include vomiting or itchy skin.
• Toxins including lead and insecticides; diarrhea is usually accompanied by vomiting.
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The cause of IBD is not known but is suspected to be an allergic reaction to components of food, bacteria, or parasites. IBD can be congenital in some breeds of dogs, such as the Basenji.
• Tumors of the intestine, usually in older dogs.
• Fungal infections such as histoplasmosis, in certain parts of the country.

Diagnosis

The cause of small intestinal  [Continued]

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