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Diarrhea (flux)

Diarrhea, or flux is an abnormally frequent badly formed or shapeless stool. In most cases the intensification of peristalsis happens. Diarrhea is the most often symptom of intestinal disease.

Diarrhea is most evident when the dog's faeces become too watery or the dog defecated more plentifully and more often than usual. This is also to be the symptom of flux.

A healthy dog goes to toilet 1-4 times a day. The consistence and amount of faeces depend on the range of factors but first of all on the dog's diet. A healthy dog that is fed with a high-quality and well-balanced food has faeces that are well formed, solid and don't run.

Causes

Any sudden change in diet may cause diarrhea. Dogs get used to a certain kind of water and food. Drinking from an unknown spring may also result in flux. Some foodstuffs are allergens to some dogs: milk, horse-flesh, eggs or fast food. Diarrhea may happen because of over-nervousness and emotional disorder, for example at the show. Toxic substances that may cause diarrhea are gasoline, kerosene, petroleum, coal and tar derivatives, cleansers, bleachers, wild and window plants, poisonous mushrooms, building materials, concrete, lime, paints, firework materials containing phosphorus.

Symptoms

The symptoms displayed depend on the causes and the degree of disease and are as follows:

1. Faeces are weak and much softer than usually
2. Big amounts of watery faeces of a very dark color and strong smell or even containing blood
3. Multicolored faeces - from brown and green to light yellow and even white
4. Jelly-like faeces
5. Painful defecation
6. Small portions of faeces produced very frequently. The ill dog often wants to go to a toilet and even may do it at home
7. Boiling up inside intestines
8. Loss of weight

Investigate the Causes

Color

Yellow or greenish stool points onto fast going through (small intestine).

Black tarry stool shows the upper section of digestive tract bleeds.

Bloody stool (presence of blood or signs of blood) indicate bleeding in the large intestine.

Dough-like light colored stool points onto the absence of bile (liver diseases).

Abundant, gray stool with a rancid smell points onto digestion and absorption problems.

Consistence

Watery stool indicates irritation of small intestine walls (this may be caused by toxins or serios infection).

Foamy stool supposes bacterial infection.

Greasy stool points onto disorders of absorption (affection of pancreas).

Slimy stool (shining and jelly-like) suggests affected large intestine.

Smell

The more watery is the stool the stronger and more stinking is the smell.

The smell of sour milk or of soar food is the result of too rapid passing through and under-absorption, for example if the pup is overfed.

Putrid smell supposes the intestinal infection.

Frequence

Several times an hour, in small portions, with effort - suppose colitis (inflammation of large intestine).

Three or four times a day in big portions - suppose disorders of absorption in small intestine.

Dog's state

Loss of weight and appetite - small intestine disorders.

Normal appetite, minimal loss of weight - large intestine disorders.

Treatment

Diarrhea is a symptom rather than a disease. One should in first turn find the reason and eliminate it. Flux entailed by overfeeding is expressed as a single plentiful badly formed stool is cured by reduction of the portions of food and three times a day regime of feeding with small food portions.

An alimentary allergy, that is intolerance of foodstuffs, is eliminated by exclusion of these food out of the dog's diet. In most cases one is able to cure the flux at home.

The main task is to make the dog's digestive system unload and relax. In order to do this take any food away for 24-48 hours.

Recompense lost water. Give the dog more water if the dog is thirsty. Give Phthalazole or Sulfaguine on the basis of the ratio of the dog's weight to the weight of an adult man. You may give Lomotile on the basis of 1 pill on each 11.4 kg of body weigh daily.

As the improvement begins feed the dog with small portions of an easily digestible food that is low in fats (boiled rice, macaroni, eggs, chicken or turkey)

Irina Barykina
Bullmastiff in Russia