What are the most effective home remedies for diarrhea. How can you prevent dehydration during a bout of diarrhea. What dietary changes can help alleviate diarrhea symptoms. When should you seek medical attention for diarrhea. What are the common causes of acute and chronic diarrhea. How can you distinguish between viral and bacterial diarrhea. What are the potential complications of untreated diarrhea.

Understanding Diarrhea: Causes, Symptoms, and Risk Factors

Diarrhea is a common gastrointestinal condition characterized by frequent, loose, and watery stools. While often a symptom of an underlying issue, diarrhea can range from a mild inconvenience to a severe health concern. Understanding its causes, symptoms, and risk factors is crucial for effective management and prevention.

Common Causes of Diarrhea

Diarrhea can be triggered by various factors, including:

• Bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections
• Food intolerances or allergies
• Medications, including antibiotics
• Artificial sweeteners (e.g., sorbitol and mannitol)
• Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
• Traveler’s diarrhea from consuming contaminated food or water

Is viral diarrhea different from bacterial diarrhea? While both can cause similar symptoms, viral diarrhea tends to be self-limiting and resolves within a few days. Bacterial diarrhea, on the other hand, may be more severe and prolonged, often requiring medical intervention.

Recognizing Diarrhea Symptoms

The primary symptoms of diarrhea include:

• Frequent, loose, and watery stools
• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Fever and chills
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dehydration (indicated by excessive thirst, dry mouth, and decreased urine output)
• Unintended weight loss in chronic cases

Can diarrhea symptoms vary in severity? Indeed, the intensity of symptoms can range from mild discomfort to severe and debilitating, depending on the underlying cause and individual factors.

Home Remedies and Natural Treatments for Diarrhea

While diarrhea often resolves on its own, several home remedies can provide relief and support recovery. These natural treatments focus on rehydration, soothing the digestive system, and promoting overall gut health.

Hydration: The Cornerstone of Diarrhea Treatment

Maintaining proper hydration is crucial when dealing with diarrhea. Oral rehydration solutions (ORS) are particularly effective in replenishing lost fluids and electrolytes. You can prepare a homemade ORS by mixing:

• 1 liter of clean water
• 6 teaspoons of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

How often should you drink rehydration solutions? Aim to consume small amounts frequently, especially after each loose stool, to maintain hydration levels.

Dietary Adjustments to Alleviate Symptoms

The BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast) has long been recommended for managing diarrhea. These foods are easy to digest and can help firm up stools. Additionally, consider incorporating:

• Probiotic-rich foods like yogurt and kefir
• Clear broths and soups
• Boiled potatoes
• Lean meats (once appetite returns)

Should you avoid dairy products during a bout of diarrhea? It’s generally advisable to limit dairy intake, as lactose intolerance can temporarily increase during gastrointestinal distress.

Herbal Remedies and Natural Supplements for Diarrhea Relief

Several herbs and natural supplements have shown promise in alleviating diarrhea symptoms. However, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare professional before using any herbal remedies, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing, or taking other medications.

Effective Herbal Treatments

• Chamomile tea: Known for its anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties
• Peppermint: Can help reduce abdominal pain and bloating
• Ginger: Aids in digestion and may reduce nausea
• Psyllium husk: A natural fiber that can help firm up stools

How should you prepare herbal remedies for maximum effectiveness? Steep herbs in hot water for 5-10 minutes to create a tea, or follow the instructions on supplement packaging for proper dosage.

Probiotics and Their Role in Gut Health

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that support digestive health. They can be particularly helpful in preventing and treating diarrhea, especially when caused by antibiotics. Common probiotic strains include:

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
• Saccharomyces boulardii
• Bifidobacterium lactis

Can probiotics be taken during acute diarrhea? Yes, probiotics are generally safe and may help reduce the duration and severity of diarrhea episodes.

Over-the-Counter Medications for Diarrhea Management

While allowing diarrhea to run its course is often the best approach, over-the-counter (OTC) medications can provide relief in certain situations. These medications should be used judiciously and in accordance with package instructions or medical advice.

Antidiarrheal Medications

Common OTC antidiarrheal medications include:

• Loperamide (Imodium): Slows down intestinal motility
• Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol): Reduces inflammation and has antimicrobial properties
• Attapulgite (Kaopectate): Absorbs excess fluid in the intestines

When should you avoid using antidiarrheal medications? These medications should not be used if you have bloody stools, high fever, or suspect a bacterial infection, as they can interfere with the body’s natural process of eliminating harmful pathogens.

Electrolyte Replacement Products

Commercially available oral rehydration solutions like Pedialyte or Gatorade can be effective in replenishing lost electrolytes. These products are particularly useful for:

• Children with diarrhea
• Elderly individuals at risk of dehydration
• Athletes or those engaged in strenuous activities

Are sports drinks as effective as medical oral rehydration solutions? While sports drinks can help, they often contain high levels of sugar and may not have the optimal balance of electrolytes for treating diarrhea-induced dehydration.

Preventive Measures and Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Diarrhea Risk

Preventing diarrhea often involves adopting healthy habits and making informed choices about food and hygiene. By implementing these preventive measures, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing diarrhea.

Hygiene Practices for Diarrhea Prevention

• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water, especially before eating and after using the bathroom
• Avoid consuming untreated water, particularly when traveling
• Ensure proper food handling and storage to prevent contamination
• Use separate cutting boards for raw meats and vegetables

How effective is hand sanitizer in preventing diarrhea-causing infections? While alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be helpful, they are not as effective as proper handwashing in removing certain pathogens like norovirus.

Dietary Considerations for a Healthy Gut

Maintaining a balanced diet rich in fiber and probiotics can promote gut health and reduce the risk of diarrhea. Consider incorporating:

• Prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, and asparagus
• Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha
• Whole grains and legumes for fiber
• Adequate hydration with clean water

Can a high-fiber diet help prevent diarrhea? While fiber is generally beneficial for digestive health, it’s important to increase fiber intake gradually to avoid digestive discomfort.

When to Seek Medical Attention for Diarrhea

While most cases of diarrhea resolve on their own, certain symptoms warrant immediate medical attention. Recognizing these signs can help prevent complications and ensure timely treatment.

Red Flags Requiring Medical Evaluation

Seek medical care if you experience:

• Bloody or black stools
• Severe abdominal pain
• High fever (above 39°C or 102°F)
• Signs of severe dehydration (e.g., extreme thirst, dizziness, minimal urine output)
• Diarrhea lasting more than 3 days

Is chronic diarrhea always a sign of a serious condition? While chronic diarrhea (lasting more than 4 weeks) can indicate underlying health issues like inflammatory bowel disease, it’s not always severe. However, it should be evaluated by a healthcare professional to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.

Special Considerations for Children and Elderly

Children and older adults are more susceptible to complications from diarrhea, particularly dehydration. Pay close attention to:

• Decreased urine output or dry diapers
• Lack of tears when crying (in infants)
• Sunken eyes or fontanelle (soft spot on an infant’s head)
• Irritability or lethargy
• Rapid breathing or heart rate

How quickly can dehydration become dangerous in children? Dehydration can progress rapidly in young children, potentially becoming life-threatening within a day if not addressed promptly.

Understanding and Managing Chronic Diarrhea

Chronic diarrhea, defined as loose stools lasting for more than four weeks, requires a different approach compared to acute diarrhea. It often indicates an underlying health condition that needs comprehensive evaluation and management.

Common Causes of Chronic Diarrhea

Chronic diarrhea can be attributed to various factors, including:

• Inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Celiac disease
• Microscopic colitis
• Chronic infections (e.g., giardiasis)
• Medication side effects
• Endocrine disorders (e.g., hyperthyroidism)

Can stress cause chronic diarrhea? While stress itself doesn’t directly cause chronic diarrhea, it can exacerbate symptoms in conditions like IBS and contribute to digestive disturbances.

Diagnostic Approaches for Chronic Diarrhea

Diagnosing the underlying cause of chronic diarrhea often involves a combination of:

• Detailed medical history and physical examination
• Stool tests for parasites, bacteria, and inflammatory markers
• Blood tests to check for celiac disease, thyroid function, and other disorders
• Endoscopic procedures (colonoscopy, upper endoscopy) with biopsies
• Imaging studies (CT scan, MRI) to evaluate the intestines

How long does it typically take to diagnose the cause of chronic diarrhea? The diagnostic process can vary widely, from a few days to several weeks, depending on the complexity of the case and the tests required.

Managing chronic diarrhea often involves treating the underlying condition, dietary modifications, and sometimes long-term medication. Working closely with a gastroenterologist is crucial for developing an effective treatment plan tailored to the individual’s specific needs.

The Impact of Diarrhea on Global Health

Diarrheal diseases remain a significant global health challenge, particularly in developing countries with limited access to clean water and sanitation. Understanding the broader implications of diarrhea can shed light on its importance as a public health issue.

Diarrhea in Developing Countries

In many parts of the world, diarrhea is more than just a temporary inconvenience; it’s a life-threatening condition, especially for children. Key factors contributing to high diarrhea rates in developing countries include:

• Lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities
• Limited healthcare resources and infrastructure
• Malnutrition, which can weaken the immune system
• Overcrowding and poor hygiene practices
• Limited education about disease prevention

How many deaths are attributed to diarrheal diseases globally each year? According to the World Health Organization, diarrheal diseases account for approximately 1.5 million deaths annually, with a significant proportion occurring in children under five years of age.

Global Initiatives to Combat Diarrheal Diseases

Numerous international organizations and governments are working to reduce the burden of diarrheal diseases worldwide. Key initiatives include:

• Improving access to clean water and sanitation (WASH programs)
• Promoting breastfeeding and proper nutrition
• Implementing vaccination programs against rotavirus and other diarrhea-causing pathogens
• Distributing oral rehydration solutions and zinc supplements
• Educating communities about hygiene and disease prevention

Have global efforts to combat diarrheal diseases been effective? While challenges remain, concerted global efforts have led to a significant reduction in diarrhea-related deaths over the past few decades, particularly among children.

As we continue to address the global impact of diarrheal diseases, it’s crucial to recognize the interconnectedness of health, sanitation, and socioeconomic factors. By focusing on prevention, education, and access to basic healthcare, we can work towards reducing the burden of diarrhea on a global scale.

Diarrhea | Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Signs and Symptoms

Diarrhea is a symptom of another health issue, such as an infection or a virus. Chronic diarrhea, lasting longer than 4 weeks, can be a sign of a serious illness, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Symptoms may include:

• Frequent and loose stools
• Abdominal pain, cramping
• Fever, chills, general sick feeling
• Thirst
• Weight loss

If your child has diarrhea, call your pediatrician if it lasts more than 24 hours, or if your child seems dehydrated. For an infant, this could mean having a dry diaper for several hours or crying without tears.

What Causes It?

Most diarrhea is caused by bacteria, parasites, or viruses, often from food or water. Eating local food and drinking local water during travel can result in “traveler’s diarrhea.” Diarrhea can also be caused by:

• Reactions to medications (including some vitamins, minerals, and herbs)
• Reactions to artificial sweeteners (such as sorbitol and mannitol)
• Consuming milk or dairy products if you are lactose-intolerant

Diarrhea that results in blood in the stool, accompanied by fever or abdominal pain, could be caused by intestinal disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or Crohn disease, and requires a doctor’s care.

What to Expect at Your Doctor’s Office

Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms. Your doctor will also check to see if you are dehydrated, and may feel your abdomen to see if it is tender, and listen to your abdomen with a stethoscope. In some cases, you may need a blood test or you may need to provide a stool sample to check for an infection.

Treatment Options

Drug Therapies

In many cases, diarrhea will go away on its own. However, in severe cases your doctor may prescribe diphenoxylate and atropine (Lomotil). Your doctor also may prescribe antibiotics if the diarrhea is due to a bacterial infection.

Over-the-Counter

Since diarrhea is your body’s way of getting rid of toxins, it is best to let it run its course. However, you may use over-the-counter antidiarrheal remedies for convenience, including:

• Attapulgite (Kaopectate)
• Loperamide (Imodium)
• Bismuth sub-salicylate (Pepto-Bismol)

DO NOT take bismuth sub-salicylate with the herbs
meadowsweet
(
Spirea ulmaria
),
white willow
(
Salix alba
), or
wintergreen
(
Gaultheria procumbens
).

Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Work with your doctor to find remedies that are right for you. If you are pregnant, or thinking of becoming pregnant, DO NOT use any complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) therapies unless directed to do so by your doctor.

Nutrition and Supplements

• Electrolytes.
  Correcting dehydration is critical, especially among children. Oral rehydration solutions containing sugar and electrolytes are important in managing children with dehydration from diarrheal illness.
• Rice or barley water, fresh vegetable juices (especially carrot and celery), miso broth, or other clear broths help restore proper fluid and electrolyte balance. Make rice and barley water using 1 cup of raw grain to 1 quart of boiling water. Steep for 20 minutes. Strain and drink throughout the day.
• Probiotics.
  Lactobacillus GG, acidophilus
  , or
  bifidobacteria
  , taken as powder or in capsules. Help maintain the “good” bacteria in your intestines. They may help alleviate diarrhea, although scientific evidence is mixed. Active culture yogurt containing these probiotics may help prevent diarrhea. People who are severely immunocompromised, or on immune-suppressive drugs, should speak with their doctor before taking probiotics.
• A live yeast,
  Saccharomyces boulardii
  , is often used in Europe to prevent diarrhea associated with taking antibiotics. May be taken with other probiotics. Rare but serious cases of infection in seriously ill patients have been reported, so do not take
  Saccraromyces boulardii
  without a doctor’s supervision.
• Bovine colostrum, the pre-milk fluid secreted by a cow’s mammary glands just after giving birth, may help treat some kinds of infectious diarrhea. Only use reliable colostrum products.
• Glutamine
  may help treat diarrhea caused by irritation of the intestinal lining. High doses of glutamine can potentially cause mania in susceptible individuals. Glutamine can interfere with certain medications, including some antiseizure medications and some chemotherapy agents. People with liver disease, or a history of manic episodes, should use glutamine only under the supervision of their physician.
• If you are lactose intolerant, take over-the-counter lactase enzyme supplements before consuming dairy products.
• Zinc
  may help improve immune and mucosal barrier functions.
• Stir-fried white pepper. In one study, treating children and infants under 2.5 years with stir-fried white pepper decreased the frequency of acute and persistent diarrhea.

Herbs

DO NOT use herbs to treat diarrhea without talking to your doctor first. Always talk to your doctor before treating diarrhea in an infant. If your diarrhea is caused by certain types of infections, herbal treatments could make it worse. The most common herbal remedies for diarrhea are described below. They can be used as teas unless otherwise noted. Make teas with 1 tsp. herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 to 10 minutes for leaf or flowers, and 10 to 20 minutes for roots. Drink 2 to 4 cups per day. Always tell your doctor about any herbs you may be taking.

Astringent herbs:

• Astringent herbs, such as
  blackberry leaf
  (
  Rubus fruticosus
  ) or
  raspberry leaf
  (
  Rubus idaeus
  ), help “dry up” the mucous membranes in the intestine. Make a tea with one heaping tsp. per cup. Drink 1/2 cup per hour. There is some controversy around using these teas during pregnancy.
• Carob powder
  (
  Ceratonia siliqua
  ), which is rich in fiber, may be dissolved into a commercial hydrating electrolyte replenishing drink. DO NOT give carob to a child unless directed to do so by your physician.
• Extract of bilberry
  (
  Vaccinum myrtillus
  ) also has astringent properties. DO NOT take bilberry if you take anticoagulants (blood thinners). Bilberry can also potentially interact with diabetes medications.
• Agrimony
  (
  Agrimonia eupatorium
  ) is a traditional remedy for diarrhea. Agrimony can have a blood-thinning effect and can lower blood pressure. Speak with your doctor before taking agrimony if you are dealing with these health issues.

Inflammation reducers:

• Quercetin
  , a plant-based flavonoid, may help to reduce inflammation.
• Chamomile
  (
  Matricaria recutita
  ) is usually taken as a tea. Chamomile can interfere with hormonal medications and can cause reactions in people allergic to ragweed.
• Marshmallow root
  (
  Althea officinalis
  ) can be taken as cold-water tea. Soak 2 tbs. root in 1 quart of water overnight. Strain. Drink throughout the day. Marshmallow can interfere with some medications taken by mouth, including lithium.
• Slippery elm powder
  (
  Ulmus fulva
  ) or
  marshmallow root powder
  (
  Althaea officinalis
  ) can be soothing to the intestines. Make a paste with the powder and a small amount of water. Gradually add in the rest of the water and then simmer down to 1 pint. Slippery elm has a folk reputation of promoting miscarriage. It can also interfere with some medications.

Infection fighters:

• Plants containing berberine may help treat infectious diarrhea. These include
  barberry
  (
  Berberis vulgaris
  ),
  goldenseal
  (
  Hydrastis canadensis
  ), and
  Oregon grape
  (
  Berberis aquifolium
  ). DO NOT take berberine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Check with your doctor first if you are taking any prescription medicines.

Bulk forming agent:

• Psyllium
  , a soluble fiber that comes from the husks of the seeds of a plant called
  Plantago ovata
  , may help treat diarrhea. It is a bulk-forming agent that soaks up water in the colon, helping to firm stool. Take psyllium with a large amount of water. People with inflammatory bowel disease should speak to their doctors before taking psyllium. Be aware that although doctors fiber agents like psyllium may help with diarrhea, they are more commonly used as a laxative to treat constipation. Speak to your doctor before using psyllium to treat diarrhea.

Homeopathy

Some evidence suggests that homeopathic treatment may help diarrhea. In one study, children with acute diarrhea who received an individualized homeopathic treatment for 5 days had diarrhea for significantly less time than children who had placebo. Before prescribing a remedy, homeopaths take into account a person’s constitutional type, includes your physical, emotional, and intellectual makeup. An experienced homeopath assesses all of these factors when determining the most appropriate remedy for a particular individual. Some of the most effective homeopathic remedies include:

• Arsenicum album
  . For foul-smelling diarrhea from food poisoning or traveler’s diarrhea with burning sensation in the abdomen and around the anus. This remedy is most appropriate for individuals who feel exhausted yet restless and whose symptoms tend to worsen in the cold and improve with warmth. Vomiting may also occur. You may also use arsenicum to prevent diarrhea when traveling.
• Chamomilla
  . For greenish, frothy stool that smells like rotten eggs. Used primarily for children, especially those who are irritable, argumentative, and difficult to console. Practitioners commonly recommend chamomile for colicky or teething infants.
• Calcarea carbonica
  . For children who fear being in the dark or alone, and who perspire heavily while sleeping. Stools may have a sour odor.
• Mercurius
  . For foul-smelling diarrhea that may have streaks of blood accompanied by a sensation of incomplete emptying. This remedy is most appropriate for people who tend to feel exhausted following bowel movements, experience extreme changes in body temperature, perspire heavily, and have a thirst for cold fluids.
• Podophyllum
  . For explosive, gushing, painless diarrhea that becomes worse after eating or drinking. Exhaustion often follows bowel movements. The individual for whom this remedy is appropriate may experience painful cramps in lower extremities. Practitioners may use podophyllum in infants for diarrhea experienced from teething.
• Sulphur
  . For irritable and weepy children. They may have a red ring around the anus and diarrhea with the odor of rotten eggs.
• Veratrum album
  . For profuse, watery diarrhea accompanied by stomach cramps, bloated abdomen, vomiting, exhaustion, and chills. The diarrhea is worsened by fruit, and the individual craves cold liquids.

Acupuncture

Although several studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine journals have reported success in treating childhood diarrhea, acupuncturists in the United States do not generally treat this condition in children. However, acupuncture may be used when conventional treatment has failed. In this case, acupuncturists look at both the nutritional value and the “energetic” qualities of food that might be affecting digestion.

Acupuncture is also combined with conventional medicine in treating diarrhea in adults.

Acupuncturists treat people with diarrhea based on an individualized assessment of the excesses and deficiencies of qi located in various meridians. In the case of diarrhea, a qi deficiency is usually detected in the spleen meridian. As a result, acupuncture treatments often focus on strengthening this meridian. Acupuncturists often use moxibustion (a technique in which the herb mugwort is burned over specific acupuncture points) because they believe it reaches deeper into the body than needling alone.

Following Up

If your diarrhea does not stop in 3 to 5 days, or if you become dehydrated, call your doctor.

Special Considerations

If you are pregnant, tell your doctor. Dehydration can trigger early labor. Also, diarrhea-related spasms may cause you to have contractions. DO NOT take goldenseal (
Hydrastis canadensis
), barberry (
Berberis vulgaris
), or high doses of vitamin A if you are pregnant.

Diarrhea can be serious, even fatal, for infants and elderly people because of dehydration and the loss of electrolytes.

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Cancer: Home Treatment for Diarrhea

Things you can do

Home treatment may be all that is needed to treat diarrhea caused by cancer or the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Be sure to follow any instructions and take any medicines your doctor has given you to treat diarrhea. Check with your doctor before using any nonprescription medicines for your diarrhea.

• Take frequent, small sips of water or a rehydration drink and small bites of salty crackers.
• Try to increase your fluid intake to at least 1 qt (1 L) each hour for 1 to 2 hours or until diarrhea symptoms disappear.
• Begin eating mild foods the next day or sooner, depending on how you feel.
  • Avoid spicy foods, fruits, alcohol, and caffeine until 48 hours after all symptoms are gone.
  • Avoid chewing gum that contains sorbitol.
  • Avoid milk, cheese, or ice cream for 3 days after symptoms go away. When you have diarrhea, some milk products may be harder for your body to digest.
• Try foods like white bread or white rice, bananas, applesauce, yogurt, gelatin (such as Jell-O), or eggs.

Symptoms to watch for during home treatment

If one or more of the following symptoms occur during home treatment, contact your doctor:

• Signs of dehydration develop.
• You develop severe diarrhea (large, loose bowel movements every 1 to 2 hours).
• You have any diarrhea for longer than 1 week.
• You have severe pain in your belly.
• You develop black or bloody stools.
• You develop a fever.
• Your symptoms become more severe or more frequent.

When you have diarrhea, make sure to wipe gently after using the bathroom. Using moist wipes or water squirted from a spray bottle may also help. Talk to your doctor if you have soreness, bleeding, or hemorrhoids.

Cleaning up diarrhea

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you wear disposable gloves when cleaning up diarrhea or other body fluids. You may wear reusable rubber gloves if you wash them after each use. If you don’t have gloves, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water when you are finished.

For steps on how to clean up diarrhea from skin, soiled linens, or hard surfaces, see Cleaning Up Diarrhea.

Credits

Current as of:
December 17, 2020

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson MD – Internal Medicine
Kathleen Romito MD – Family Medicine
Kenneth Bark MD – General Surgery, Colon and Rectal Surgery

Current as of: December 17, 2020

Author:
Healthwise Staff

Medical Review:E. Gregory Thompson MD – Internal Medicine & Kathleen Romito MD – Family Medicine & Kenneth Bark MD – General Surgery, Colon and Rectal Surgery

Diarrhea in Cats: Causes, Treatment, and Home Remedies

Many pet lovers have experienced caring for a cat with diarrhea. So don’t worry, you’re not alone! Diarrhea is characterized by frequent passing of stools, often watery or containing mucus. Although unpleasant for all involved it’s often nothing serious. Schedule a visit to see your vet and keep reading to learn what you can do at home until your cat’s appointment.

Just like people, most instances of mild diarrhea resolve if given a little time. If your cat has frequent, profuse, or bloody diarrhea, or other symptoms such as vomiting, painful belly, and/or abnormal behavior, it’s time to call a vet right away.

Common Causes of Diarrhea in Cats

1. Sudden Change of Diet

A new diet should be introduced gradually. A sudden switch can cause diarrhea by upsetting the gut microbiome (healthy bacteria that live in the digestive system and aid digestion). This is particularly important when you bring a new kitten or cat home for the first time. The combination of a little stress and an abrupt change in diet will easily trigger diarrhea.

When rehoming a cat or kitten, always ensure you feed them what they’re already eating and if you wish to change over their food, wait a few weeks, then make the transition slowly over 5-7 days. Introduce tiny amounts of new food on day 1 and increase this amount while decreasing the other food over the remaining days. You can reduce stress levels by using a pheromone diffuser.

2. Dietary Indiscretion

Dietary indiscretion refers to your cat eating things he shouldn’t. Some cats may go through the trash or even come across a dead carcass of interest. Some cats will have the sense to leave them alone, but unfortunately, not all. The ingested waste can cause diarrhea in a variety of ways:

Toxins – These range from mild to serious toxins and therefore cause a range of different symptoms, but diarrhea is a common one. If there are more serious signs of toxicity such as vomiting, lethargy, incoordination, or lack of responsiveness, help should be sought immediately.

Mechanical effect of indigestible food – This can act like sandpaper on the lining of the bowels, causing irritation. In some cases, this can cause blood in the stool (See our articleon bloody diarrhea). Typically, we think of dogs eating things they shouldn’t but it should be noted that some cats do too. This is important because though uncommon, indigestible material can become lodged, obstructing the intestines. A partial obstruction can cause diarrhea but is a very serious condition that may need to be treated surgically. Keep an eye on your kitty to make sure they aren’t inclined to eat things they shouldn’t and always let your vet know if you suspect they have.

Ingestion of harmful bacteria (E.coli, Salmonella, etc.) – These are true cases of “food poisoning” and some of these nasty bugs could be transmitted to humans. It should be noted that it’s preferable to practice good hygiene, including wearing gloves and extensive handwashing if you need to clean up your pet’s diarrhea.

3. Hairballs

Hairballs in cats are very common. They normally cause constipation; however, this occasionally looks like diarrhea as they strain to pass very small amounts of liquid. Cats that are prone to hairballs are often, but not always, long-haired. There are special diets or supplements that are made for cats that suffer from them.

For more information, check out our article on hairballs in cats!

4. Dietary Intolerance/Food Allergy

Most food allergies are intolerances that can be caused by any part of the diet. For example, the protein or carbohydrate source. Some pet foods are rich in additives, flavorings, and preservatives, and some foods can have inconsistent manufacturing processes. These make certain foods more likely to cause a reaction.

The best foods for a cat with suspected dietary sensitivities should be discussed with your vet, as they are often only available by prescription. Beware that the term “hypoallergenic” when referring to pet food is not regulated and therefore the food may not be as helpful as hoped.

5. Parasites

Many parasites can cause diarrhea, especially in kittens. Examples include giardia, coccidia, and roundworms. Most vets recommend regular deworming and a yearly fecal exam as part of an annual checkup. These intestinal parasites are usually passed from cat-to-cat or picked up from the environment. Some cats can re-infect themselves even after treatment, which is why it’s important to keep litter boxes very clean.

6. Viral Infections

Usually passed from cat-to-cat, these include serious infections such as feline panleukopaenia virus that can occur in unvaccinated kittens. Less serious viruses such as rotavirus also cause milder versions of diarrhea in kittens.

Keep reading here to learn about preventative vaccination in kittens!

7. Prescribed Medications

Prescription drugs such as anti-inflammatories or antibiotics can cause diarrhea in cats. A vet must be consulted before deciding to continue or discard the medication.

8. Other Causes of Diarrhea in Cats

Diarrhea may be caused by certain types of metabolic disease and liver disease. Certain cats can be prone to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). These diseases are likely to produce ongoing signs and not respond to the usual therapies, so diarrhea that doesn’t resolve within a reasonable timeframe should always be investigated further by your vet.

Why is it important to treat my cat for diarrhea?

Diarrhea can lead to dehydration so your cat must continue to drink plenty of water. Offer a bland diet that is easily absorbed and digested in the intestinal tract. Diarrhea that doesn’t resolve must be investigated. For everyone involved, a swift recovery from diarrhea is preferred! Consulting a vet ensures the most effective treatment plan is made for your cat.

What about giving my cat over-the-counter medication for diarrhea?

Do not give any over the counter (OTC) medications to your cat without talking to your vet first. Not only can OTC medications be dangerous for pets, but they can also hide an underlying problem.

Home Remedies for Your Cat’s Diarrhea

If your vet suspects that your cat’s diarrhea isn’t any more serious than a case of dietary indiscretion or isolated food intolerance then they may suggest remedies available at home, particularly if you’re unable to schedule an appointment or visit the clinic that day.

1. Withhold Food for 24 Hours

Home remedies for diarrhea often start with a food fast – skipping one meal is recommended, with a maximum of 12 hours between meals. This gives the digestive system a break and time to heal. But you should always provide easy access to fresh water. Your pet will likely need to drink more than usual. Please note, this recommendation is NOT appropriate for small kittens. Do not withhold food from your kitten if she has diarrhea.

2. Offer Bland Food

After the fast, reintroduce bland food in small quantities. Homemade examples of bland food are boiled white rice mixed with equal amounts of white meat such as chicken or fish. The meat should be baked, steamed, or microwaved, with no added fat. Offer each meal in small quantities (ie. one tablespoon). This can be offered every 3-4 hours.

Proprietary brands of hypoallergenic food for digestive upsets exist for this purpose and are superior to homemade food due to a precise and tailored mix of nutrients. Some of these foods also include a pre/probiotic. The author always keeps a few cans of this in the pantry in case diarrhea strikes!

Feed the bland diet for at least 48 hours after a normal stool has formed. This may take several days so it’s ideal to purchase one of these formulated diets to ensure that your cat receives appropriate vitamins and minerals. Properly formulated diets become very important if your cat has diarrhea for a longer period.

For more feeding instructions and recipes, follow this link!

3. Probiotics

Probiotics have been proven to speed diarrhea recovery times. The studies looking at this used a proprietary blend of probiotics for cats. However, if you can’t get your hands on that right away you can try some natural yogurt. A teaspoon is plenty for cats.

4. Electrolyte Solutions

Electrolyte solutions are not essential for mild bouts of diarrhea and they aren’t easy to make at home. Generally, if the diarrhea is severe enough to cause electrolyte imbalances then it’s time to see the vet. However, adding a very small amount of salt-free meat broth to your cat’s water may encourage him to drink.

If the diarrhea persists for more than 24 hours, or more serious signs develop at any stage (such as vomiting, lethargy, or weakness) then veterinary care should be sought immediately.

What to Do if Your Kitten Has Diarrhea

It’s important to speak to a vet as soon as possible if your kitten has diarrhea. Your vet will likely run a test on a fresh stool sample to screen for parasites. Parasites such as giardia and coccidia are very common causes of diarrhea in young kittens. In certain pedigree breeds such as Bengals, a parasite called Tritrichomonas Foetus can be involved.

Your vet will request further information about the health of your kitten, specifically whether she is vaccinated for diseases such as panleukopenia. Although this is uncommon, it causes a high mortality rate. The diarrhea is usually profuse, and the kitten may have other signs of disease.

Other things to consider include a recent change in diet, environment, or addition of treats to encourage good behaviors. These are much more common causes of diarrhea in kittens. The symptoms are mild and usually, your kitten will appear well and happy if these are the cause.

Your vet will be able to determine whether your kitten needs further diagnostics or if some simple remedies can be tried at home.

Home Remedies for Kitten Diarrhea

Home remedy options need to be modified for kittens. Generally, young kittens are fed 3-4 times per day and/or graze on kibble throughout the day. You could skip one meal or withdraw the kibble for a maximum of 5 hours to rest the digestive system. A 24-hour fast is too long for a kitten and should never be attempted. Reintroducing bland food is a good idea: 1 tablespoon of chicken/rice mixture (see above) can be offered approximately every 2-3 hours.

Kittens recover quickly but can also deteriorate quickly. Keep a close eye on their energy levels and appetite. Never hesitate to contact your vet again if you have concerns about your pet’s recovery.

Tips for Cleaning Up Diarrhea

Wear gloves and use a good disinfectant to clean the litterbox or any other areas.

• Try to wash your cat’s bottom if it has become soiled. Using an antibacterial soap such as Dial is okay if you don’t have an antibacterial dog/cat shampoo.
• If you can, collect a sample of stool. It’s likely your vet will want to test it for common parasites.
• Be cautious if you have other cats or children. Occasionally diarrhea will be caused by an infection that can be passed on to others. Practice strict hygiene and keep them separated if possible.

My cat’s diarrhea isn’t getting better. When should I take him to the vet?

If your cat is experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s time to schedule a vet appointment:

• The diarrhea is bloody or very dark/black
• Your cat is becoming lethargic or weak
• Your cat won’t eat food for more than 24 hours or your kitten misses more than one meal.
• Your cat is dehydrated (check for dry sticky gums or skin tent time)
• You are aware of an object that may have been swallowed that could block the stomach or intestines
• Your kitten has stomach pain or a swollen abdomen
• There has been no response to home care for 3 days or for young kittens, 1 day
• Your cat has multiple episodes of vomiting and/or diarrhea in a short period of time

How will the vet treat my cat’s diarrhea?

If your cat is very sick or dehydrated, he may need to stay in the hospital.

• Your cat may be given IV fluids to correct dehydration and replace lost electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride).
• Blood work may be done to check red and white blood cell counts, as well as evaluate internal organ function (liver, kidneys, pancreas).
• Other diagnostics might be recommended to determine the cause of your cat’s diarrhea. These include x-rays or ultrasound of the abdomen, fecal exam, and tests for diseases like pancreatitis or panleukopenia.

Treatments for diarrhea and any underlying issues will likely continue once your cat is discharged to go home:

• A bland diet that requires minimal digestion will likely be prescribed.
• Your cat may go home with prescriptions for anti-nausea medication, antacids, pain relief, and probiotics to replace normal gut bacteria.

Read more:

Your Complete Guide to Vomiting in Cats

Food Allergies in Dogs and Cats

Need to speak with a veterinarian regarding your cat’s diarrhea or another condition?

Click here to schedule a video consult to speak to one of our vets. You can also download the FirstVet app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Stores.

Causes, Treatment & Home Remedies

Diarrhea occurs when fluid you take in by mouth, or fluid produced in your gastrointestinal tract, is not properly absorbed. Normally, the intestines absorb excessive water from food during the digestive process. When food moves too fast, the intestines cannot absorb water, resulting in loose stools. Diarrhea can also occur when excessive water moves into the bowel from the body.

Conditions that can cause diarrhea include infection, malignancy, inflammation, abdominal trauma, obstruction, and the use of certain medications, such as antibiotics, stool softeners, and laxatives.

Diarrhea can result from a wide variety of gastrointestinal or digestive conditions. The most common cause of diarrhea is a viral infection of the intestines, called viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu or intestinal flu). Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) and irritable bowel syndrome are other common causes of diarrhea.

Gastrointestinal causes of diarrhea

Diarrhea may arise from problems in the digestive tract including:

• Bacterial or parasitic infection of the gastrointestinal tract

• Food intolerances or allergies (lactose, fructose or gluten intolerance)

• Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)

• Tumors of the small or large intestine (benign or malignant)

• Viral gastroenteritis (stomach or intestinal flu)

Medications causes of diarrhea

Drug-induced diarrhea is a common side effect of several medications including:

• Alzheimer’s cholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Razadyne), and rivastigmine (Exelon)

• Antibiotics, which are one of the most common causes of drug-induced diarrhea

• Heartburn drugs, including magnesium-containing antacids, h3 blockers, and PPIs (proton pump inhibitors)

• Laxatives, including osmotics, such as milk of magnesia, and stimulants, such as bisacodyl (Dulcolax)

Many other drugs can cause diarrhea, such as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), antidepressants, and immune system suppressants. Check the warnings section of prescription patient information or over-the-counter labeling for more information.

Diarrhea can also be caused by problems in body systems other than the digestive tract including:

• Medication side effects (often antibiotics)

• Nutritional deficiency (zinc)

Life-threatening conditions associated with diarrhea

In some cases, diarrhea may accompany a serious or life-threatening condition including:

• Bleeding esophageal varices

What to Do and NOT Do

Nothing gets a pet owner moving faster than the preemptive sounds of their pet preparing to vomit or have diarrhea. If you own a pet, you will likely have to deal with diarrhea at one time or another. And in some unfortunate cases, it may be a regular situation.

What is Diarrhea?

Diarrhea is the term used when your dog passes non-formed loose or watery stool more often and in larger amounts than they would normally defecate. It is a common condition that is a sign or symptom of other diseases or issues rather than a disease itself.

It can be the result of a minor condition, such as a dietary indiscretion, that only requires simple treatment for its resolution, or it can be the result of a serious illness, such as cancer, that requires more involved treatments.

Diarrhea is one of the most common problems that bring dogs into the vet. Even a mild case can become serious if not treated early enough.

Dogs can become dehydrated and develop electrolyte imbalances. Therefore knowing why your dog may have diarrhea and the possible cause helps you know when it is critical to seek medical care versus treating your dog at home.

How to Know When You Can Treat Diarrhea at Home

1. Your dog is acting normally
   • normal energy
   • normal appetite
2. No vomiting
3. Your dog is up–to–date on their vaccines (such as vaccines for parvovirus or distemper virus)
4. Your dog is a young adult (not very young or old)
5. There are no pre-existing health issues such as Addison’s disease, kidney failure, cancer, etc.

How to Know When Diarrhea is a Medical Emergency

1. You suspect your dog has ingested a toxin or poison 
2. You suspect your dog has ingested a foreign body, such as a toy or clothes
3. Your dog is low energy and may seem weak
4. Loss of appetite
5. Vomiting (typically more than once or any time water and/or food is consumed). Always contact a veterinarian if any blood is noted, even if they vomit only once. 
6. Frequent bouts of diarrhea repeated over a couple-hour window of time
7. The diarrhea has lasted more than 24 to 36 hours despite home remedies
8. There is a lot of blood (red) in the poop – small spots of blood are not necessarily an emergency
9. The stool is black and /or tarry
10. Your dog is continually straining to poop and not much is coming out
11. Your dog’s gums are pale, bluish, whitish, or gray in color
12. Your dog’s stomach is painful (rapid panting, groaning, or avoids being touched) and bloated
13. Your dog is passing worms in their stool or you see worms in their vomit

When in doubt, call your vet or an emergency hospital for advice.

How to Treat Your Dog’s Diarrhea at Home

There are times when your dog may be off, and you can manage their diarrhea without a trip to the veterinarian.

If you have determined that it will likely be ok to try and “ride out” your dog’s diarrhea for 24 to 36 hours, then here are some options to help.

Rest

Just like with us, rest is important. Give your dog a quiet and comfortable place for them to recover. It is likely best to be a place close to a door to go outside and that has an easy-to-clean floor for those unfortunate poop accidents.

Fasting

Ideally, fast your dog for 12 hours to allow their gastrointestinal tract to rest and recover. This means NO treats, regular meals, snacks – food of any kind.

Hydration

It is critical that you maintain your dog’s hydration. During this period of time, you can give your dog rice water. The benefit of rice water over plain water is that it may help improve digestion, help alleviate gas and bloating, provides some beneficial minerals and the carbohydrates provide some energy.

You want to use good quality white rice (not minute rice). Brown rice is not recommended since it has too much fiber.

How to make rice water

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of White Rice
• 4 Cups of Water

Instructions:

Boil 1 cup of white rice in 4 cups of water for 10 to 30 minutes (maybe longer) until the water turns a creamy white color. Remove the liquid and allow it to cool. Save the cooked rice for later use. Once cooled, give it to your dog as often as they will consume it. Discontinue if your dog starts vomiting and contact your veterinarian. For those dogs not interested, you can add a couple of teaspoons of low sodium chicken broth powder or pet-safe bone broth (be sure it does not contain any onions or garlic).

Alternatives to rice water

If you find that rice water isn’t your dog’s thing, you can try clear, unflavored Pedialyte. Personally, I think the stuff tastes terrible and would prefer the rice water! I do not recommend Gatorade because it is high in sugar, and that can cause further intestinal inflammation. There are electrolyte solutions made specifically for pets, as well.

After Fasting

Once you are past the first 12 hours of fasting, you can begin offering your dog small amounts of a bland, low-fat, and easily digestible diet.

Bland Diet Options

1. Plain, boiled, boneless, skinless chicken and rice (the leftover from the rice water).

2. Chicken or turkey baby food (be sure it does not contain onions or garlic – the links we provided are pet safe baby food choices)

Serving Size Example:
A small breed dog can be offered a tablespoon or two every hour for a couple of hours. Then allow them to rest for a couple of hours. If there is no vomiting or worsening symptoms, you can slightly increase the amount. You will end up feeding smaller portions more frequently than what is their usual feeding routine.

3. There are prescription veterinary diets that work well as bland diet alternatives if cooking isn’t your thing! It is always helpful to regularly keep a couple of cans or packets at home. Royal Canin Digestive Low Fat, Hills I/D, Purina EN, or others. 

Note: If your pet recovers and you have left over dry GI food, you can keep it fresh by putting it in a Ziploc® bag and placing it in the freezer for emergency use.

The Under the Weather bland diet does not require a veterinary prescription, so you can buy some ahead of time and keep it just in case. They have many flavors, so be sure to pick the one that matches the protein your dog is currently on, i.e., chicken.

Under the Weather Bland Dog Food Diet

For sensitive stomachs. All Natural, 100% human-grade meat (rice & chicken).

How Long to Keep Your Dog on a Bland Diet

Generally, you will keep your dog on a bland diet for one or two weeks. During that time, continue feeding small amounts every 3 to 4 hours. If the diarrhea goes away, then over another one to two weeks, you will slowly transition them back to their regular dog food diet. Do not give treats or any other food than their regular dog food. Once they have been transitioned fully back to their regular dog food for a couple of weeks, then you can begin slowly offering extras such as their treats. 

If you switch back to your dog’s regular food too quickly, and don’t leave enough time for healing and reduction of inflammation, you could end up right back where you started.

Other Things That Can Help With Diarrhea

In addition to rest, fasting, and a bland diet, there are some other things you may find helpful in dealing with diarrhea issues at home.

Probiotics

Probiotics may be helpful when dealing with diarrhea. Since the digestive tract makes up about 60 to 80% of your pet’s immune system, keeping it healthy is important. Probiotics help support a healthy immune system by keeping the intestinal bacteria in good balance and aiding in digestion. You can try regular, unflavored, probiotic-rich yogurt (you want as low a sugar content as possible), or you can pick up a probiotic like Purina’s FortiFlora, Nutramax’s Proviable (tablet or paste), VetriScience Fast Balance GI Paste, VetriScience Vetri Probiotic BD, or Iams’ Prostora Max. 

FortiFlora Nutritional Supplement for Dogs

Nutramax Proviable Chewable Tablets for Dogs

VetriScience Fast Balance Gi Paste – Fast Acting Gastrointestinal Support for Cats & Dogs

Vetri Probiotic BD, Bowel Defense & GI Support Supplement for Dogs

Fiber

Fiber, such as pumpkin, has been found to help with some cases of diarrhea. It acts as a prebiotic because it stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria by lowering the pH and providing the nutrients they need. Additionally, it helps inhibit the harmful bacteria in the intestines. Always be sure that your dog has access to plenty of fresh water when giving them fiber supplements. In the case of stress-induced diarrhea, starting a fiber supplement a few days prior to the stressful event can help prevent the diarrhea from starting. Psyllium fiber can be purchased over the counter as whole husks, in products like unsweetened, unflavored Metamucil, or this dog-formulated fiber brand Serving: 1 teaspoon for smaller dogs and up to 3 teaspoons for larger dogs, once to twice daily mixed into food. You can also grind the psyllium fiber finer if you want to.

NOTE: Do not use any of the flavored varieties of Metamucil, especially those with chocolate. Additionally, read the labels to be sure they do not contain xylitol – it is very toxic to pets.

Promote Healing

Rebound Recuperation Formula for dogs can also be very beneficial. While it isn’t a treatment for diarrhea, it acts as a support for recovery. It helps promote hydration, which is important when dogs have diarrhea. It contains prebiotics and antioxidants, which are essential in helping to support the immune system for recovery. It also helps stimulate them to eat and drink.

Consider blood protein supplements. Supplements that use blood proteins that are rich in immunoglobulins may help reduce inflammation, promote healing, and provide other benefits for dogs. The WINPRO line of supplements (Immunity, Mobility, Allergy, Focus, Training) has been met with very positive feedback from dog owners. In our own experience, our dogs loved the taste of their supplements. You only give your dog one or two (depending on their weight) each day, so a bag of 60 will last you 1–2 months. You should not give your dog more than the recommended amount.

Over-the-Counter Medications and Why They Are Best to Avoid

You may be wondering why I have not mentioned over-the-counter (OTC) human medications, such as Kaopectate®, Pepto Bismol®, or Imodium®, for your pet. The reason being, depending on the cause of the diarrhea, these medications can do more harm than good. They should only be given if recommended by your dog’s veterinarian and only at the dose they advise.

These medications can be toxic to your dog, especially if dosed incorrectly. Pepto Bismol’s and Kaopectate’s active ingredient is bismuth subsalicylate. This ingredient is a derivative of salicylic acid or aspirin. If your dog gets the wrong dose, toxicity can result.

If your dog has intestinal bleeding that you are unaware of, bloody vomit and diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weakness may result. These medications may also affect platelet function, which can affect blood clotting times. When blood does not clot, bleeding continues, which can lead to other issues. If given with any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Rimadyl®, Deramaxx^TM, etc., there is an increased risk of intestinal ulcers or perforation. It can cause your dog’s stool to look blackish.

Blackish stool in dogs is referred to as melena (digested blood in stool) which can indicate serious medical conditions. This can make diagnosing certain medical issues difficult and possibly add the need for more costly tests. Lastly, the tablet form of the anti-inflammatory will appear radio-opaque (white) on x-rays. This may appear as a metallic foreign body and result in unnecessary surgery or other treatments.

Note if you have a cat: If you have been advised by your veterinarian to give either Pepto Bismol or Kaopectate to your dog and you have a cat, do not let your cat consume these medications. They will cause salicylate toxicity. This can result in anemia, ulcers, and liver failure, regardless of the dose.

Why You Should Use Extreme Caution With Imodium® 

Imodium (which goes by the generic name Loperamide) is a synthetic opioid. All opioids are known to cause constipation. They work by slowing down gut motility which allows for more fluid and salts to be drawn back into the body system.

Imodium, when administered at safe levels, is not helpful for pain and, therefore, will not relieve any abdominal discomfort your dog may have. While, in some cases, Imodium may help, there are others where it can cause potentially serious side effects. Some of these side effects include constipation, sedation, bloating, and even pancreatitis.

You should never give Imodium to your dog if:

1. Your dog is a herding breed (Sheltie, Australian Shepherd, Collie, etc.). Many herding breed dogs carry a mutant form of the ABCB1 -1 Δ gene that significantly limits their ability to break down certain drugs.
2. If your pet has ingested a toxin or has an infection. The diarrhea is a way for their body to flush itself out and remove toxins and infections.
3. If your pet has any medical conditions that can make them more susceptible to the negative side effects of the drug. Some health conditions are:
   • Liver disease
   • Kidney disease
   • Hypothyroidism
   • Addison’s disease
4. If your pet is vomiting, has abdominal pain (groaning, rapid panting, avoiding being touched, etc.), and is weak.
5. If your pet is very young or old.

What If Home Treatment Doesn’t Work?

When in doubt, when concerned, or when the diarrhea extends beyond a day or two, despite your best at-home efforts, your best bet is to have your pet — and their poo — evaluated by your veterinarian. No amount of internet searching and no number of trial and error home remedy attempts can compete with the comprehensive history taking, thorough physical examination, diagnostic testing, and the ability to prescribe safe and effective medications or supplements that only your veterinarian can offer.

Dehydration is a Big Concern

Diarrhea causes dehydration because your dog is losing more fluids than they can take in. This lack of fluid balance prevents their bodies from functioning properly. 

Diarrhea Can Cause Nutrient Deficiency

The small intestine is where dogs absorb most of their nutrients from what they ingest. Therefore, when the cause of diarrhea relates to the small intestines, your dog is missing out on a lot of the nutrients they would normally gain from their food. In addition to diarrhea, issues of the small intestines usually cause vomiting (increasing the risks of dehydration) and weight loss (because of the lack of nutrients).

Why Dogs Get Diarrhea

There can be many causes of diarrhea in dogs. Typically, dogs will vomit or have diarrhea due to:

• Eating something toxic (grapes, chocolate, human medications, etc.) or a foreign object (part of a dog toy, piece of a stick, underwear and socks are common culprits)
• Too many table scraps or fatty foods like grease, bacon, etc. can also upset your dog’s stomach
• Food allergy
• Rapid food change (switching between types or brands of food too quickly)
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Intestinal parasites
• Intestinal cancer
• Metabolic disease: kidney disease, pancreatitis, thyroid disease, and others
• Viral or bacterial conditions, like hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE)
• Reaction to medications

When fecal matter moves through the intestines faster than normal, and there is decreased absorption of water, nutrients, and electrolytes, the result is diarrhea. It is a symptom of diseases or other issues like toxins, foreign body ingestion, etc., that affect the small intestines, large intestines, or other organs outside the gastrointestinal tract.

Be Prepared to Answer Your Veterinarian’s Questions

Being able to answer your vet’s questions about your pet’s diet, environment, habits, behavior and knowing the details about your dog’s diarrhea will aid in narrowing the list of possible causes. 

By narrowing the list of possible causes, this also helps determine if and what specific tests are needed or if you will be able to treat the issue with some medications at home.

There are different characteristics for when diseases cause small intestinal diarrhea versus large intestinal diarrheas, and the diagnosis and treatment for both are generally different. Here are some details to pay attention to when you suspect your dog has diarrhea.

Characteristics of Small Intestinal Diarrhea:

• Large amounts of stool
• Mild increase in frequency (3 to 5 bowel movements per day)
• No straining or difficulty pooping
• Often accompanied by vomiting
• Pets often lose weight
• Excess gas may be noted
• Prominent gut sounds may be heard
• If blood is present, it is digested, and the stool will look black or tarry

Small intestinal diarrhea can be caused by any of the following:

1. Canine parvovirus
2. Canine coronavirus
3. Canine distemper
4. Salmonella
5. Clostridia
6. Campylobacter
7. Intestinal parasites
8. Giardia
9. Foreign bodies such as sticks, bones, etc. that get stuck in the intestines
10. Inflammatory bowel disease
11. Dietary indiscretion
12. Sudden changes in diet
13. Food allergies
14. Toxins
15. Intestinal tumors

Characteristics of Large Intestinal Diarrhea:

• Small amounts of stool
• Increased frequency of pooping – greater than 5 times per day
• Straining is noted
• If blood is present, it is bright red
• Stool may contain mucus
• Normally vomiting is absent
• Pets normally do not lose weight

Large Intestinal diarrhea can be caused by the following:

1. Stress
2. Whipworms
3. Polyps
4. Inflammatory bowel disease
5. Cancer
6. Colonic ulcers

As mentioned, there are organs outside the intestinal tract that can potentially cause diarrhea. Diseases that affect the kidneys, liver, and pancreas can all cause diarrhea.

What Your Veterinarian Is Likely to Do

• History: Like any good investigation, a thorough questioning is crucial to the process of determining the cause of your pet’s problems. It’s true for your dog’s diarrhea. It’s true for ANY problems your pet might be having. Typical historical questions your vet may ask when your pet is presented with diarrhea might include:

  a) How long has the diarrhea been going on?

  b) What does the stool look like — what color is it, is there any blood, etc.? (Here’s where it’s really nice if you’ve brought a fresh sample of it – about 2 tablespoons, or at least a clear picture of it — I know, we’ve got the best job, don’t we!)

  c) Is your pet on any medications or supplements?

  d) What is your pet’s regular diet? This includes their dog food, treats (including human table food), and any other supplements. Take a photo of the bag and ingredient list if you can. 

  e) Has your dog recently gotten into the trash or compost?

  f) Has your dog been around multiple other pets — including in your own home — and are those pets similarly affected?

  The list truly goes on and on and gets refined and adapted depending on your answers. History taking is truly an art… and a very important one at that!

• Physical Examination: Along with the history, the importance of a thorough physical examination truly cannot be understated. Your vet will evaluate and pick up on important things during the course of their physical examination. These include whether or not your pet’s abdomen is painful or if there is abnormal fluid present within their abdomen. Whether or not there is a mass or foreign body within your pet’s rectum or elsewhere within your pet’s digestive tract or other body systems. They can evaluate your pet’s anal sacs to determine if they are infected (yes, something that simple can cause bad diarrhea). They’ll be able to evaluate if your pet is dehydrated or hypovolemic (low blood volume). There really is a wealth of important information that your vet will obtain from their physical examination of your dog.
• Diagnostic Testing: Depending on what your vet is finding during the course of the history taking (this is why knowing the above characteristics about small intestinal diarrhea versus large is beneficial) and physical examination, they may well be recommending certain diagnostic tests to help “rule in” or “rule out” potential underlying causes.

  Often times the first “go-to” test for investigating diarrhea in dogs is a fecal float and smear — a test that looks primarily for intestinal parasites and abnormal intestinal bacteria. There are also quick “bench side” tests to look for specific infectious organisms like Giardia and canine parvovirus. Similarly, your vet might recommend blood testing to evaluate for the presence of diarrhea-causing conditions such as pancreatitis, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or others. Radiographs (x-rays), ultrasound, or other diagnostic imaging may also be necessary. There are also times when endoscopy to visualize the tissue is essential. This involves sliding a flexible tube with a light and camera into the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract. In some cases, biopsies of the tissue are taken during this procedure.

  Lastly, surgery may be needed to take thicker biopsy samples from several different parts of the intestines to make a finalized diagnosis. Which tests your vet will recommend will be based on their initial impression or diagnosis for each of the potential underlying causes of your dog’s diarrhea.

• Treatments: Some pets and some conditions require little to no treatment beyond a “bland diet” and “passage of time” to resolve the diarrhea. However, many cases and most that go on for greater than 24–48 hours need some treatment. What’s best, what’s safe, and what’s likely to be most effective will best be determined by the results of the history, physical exam, and diagnostic testing. 

  Basic treatments often include intravenous fluids, medications to help stop the diarrhea (anti-diarrheal medications meant for dogs), dewormers, medications to treat nausea, and possibly pain medications. There are also times basic treatments involve dietary changes. When the causes of diarrhea are more involved (food issues, disease, or cancer), more involved and specialized medications and treatments will be required. There are times, a referral to a specialist may be recommended.

It is important to regularly (several times per week) monitor your dog’s bathroom habits – even if they are shy about it! This helps you know what is normal and abnormal for them. It will alert you to problems sooner – which may avoid a vet visit. These key pieces of information – change in pooping habits, changes in poop color, firmness, amount, etc. – are very valuable when providing information to your dog’s veterinarian. It may save you a lot of time and possibly eliminate a lot of extra testing.

16 Home Remedies for Loose Motion in Infants

Last Updated on January 3, 2020

Loose motions or diarrhoea is the way in which the toxins and bacteria are flushed out from the digestive system. A baby’s bowel movements will appear watery and foul-smelling if he has diarrhoea. The frequent bowel movements will irritate the baby, and due to restlessness, he may even cry. Infants who are teething can also have loose motions, but a viral or bacterial infection is the main cause of diarrhoea.

Also Read: Is Diarrhoea a Symptom of Teething?

Video: 5 Home Remedies for Diarrhoea (Loose Motions) in Babies

Causes for Loose Motion in Babies

Diarrhoea in infants and young children can be caused due to various reasons, and it is important to determine the cause for the same before beginning with the treatment:

• Kids below two years of age are often plagued by the rotavirus which causes diarrhoea.

• An allergy to milk, eggs,or peanuts can trigger loose motions, so it is best to figure out if your child is allergic to any of these.

• Any kind of antibiotics can kill good bacteria in the stomach, and this could lead to loose motions.

• If their surroundings are unclean, when babies crawl or put toys or other things in their mouths, it can lead to loose motions.

Also Read: Helpful Foods to Give during Loose Motion for Baby & Toddler

Signs of Diarrhoea in Babies

When stricken by diarrhoea, the body loses a lot of water and minerals known as electrolytes, leading to dehydration. Babies get dehydrated too quickly, so it’s important to notice the signs and take action at the earliest. Dehydration in babies can happen in a day or two so it can prove to be dangerous, especially if your baby is a newborn. The signs you need to look out for include fewer wet diapers, crying without any tears, tiredness or fatigue, fussiness, a dry mouth, skin that isn’t very elastic, etc. More serious symptoms include a high fever, blood in the stools, vomiting, and tummy aches.

16 Best Home Remedies for Your Baby’s Loose Motions

Since a baby’s immune system is not as strong as that of adults, he will be more prone to stomach conditions like diarrhoea or loose motions. It is best to try home remedies instead of administering OTC medicines. Fortunately, there are many effective natural remedies for treating diarrhoea in babies. Having said that, you should always consult a doctor if the condition persists for more than 48 hours, to avoid any serious consequences.

1. Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS)

This is an age-old home remedy for treating loose motions. A packet of ORS can be either procured from the chemist, or you can prepare this solution at home. Boil one litre of filtered water and allow it to cool. Add six teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt to the water and mix it till it dissolves completely. Give the ORS to the baby at regular intervals to keep dehydration at bay and to make up for the loss of salts and fluids. If you are unable to make the solution at home, purchase a packet from a chemist. Rice water is also a great way of replenishing lost fluids and salts.

2. Banana

Because of loose motions, babies lose a lot of potassium, and it is necessary to replenish it. Bananas contain potassium, zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin A and B6. Loose motions can really drain your baby of his energy, so this would help replenish his strength. Fortunately, most babies love the taste of bananas. It is available all year round and makes it to the top of the list of essential foods in most households.

3. Ginger

Ginger is good for the digestive system and is an effective treatment for diarrhoea. Mix together a teaspoon of grated ginger, some cinnamon powder, a bit of cumin powder, and a teaspoon of honey. Give this mixture to your baby thrice a day. You can also add nutmeg before giving it to your child.

4. Puffed Rice

Soak a bowl of puffed rice in a glass of water for about 15-20 minutes. Strain the rice and give the water to your baby twice a day to provide quick relief from loose motions. Unpolished white rice contains a high level of starch and is easy to digest. It can be boiled in water, strained, and fed to your baby to provide relief from diarrhoea. This is an effective home remedy for loose motions for newborn babies, especially in India, where puffed rice is commonly found.

5. Apple

Apples are full of pectin which helps in firming up your child’s bowel movement. Wash an apple, boil it in water, and make a puree so that it will be soft and easily digestible. This will not only keep loose motions at bay but will provide your baby with much-needed energy.

6. Red Lentil Soup

Your baby will refuse to eat anything when he is suffering from diarrhoea. However, he needs to maintain his energy levels, and this is where red lentils can help. This superfood is packed with proteins and energy, which makes it healthy and easily digestible. Take a cup of lentils and boil them in water. Allow the lentils to cool. In some time, the lentils will settle down. Separate the water from them and give it to your baby. Add a pinch of salt to enhance its taste.

7. Buttermilk

Homemade buttermilk is effective when it comes to fighting germs and bacteria. It soothes the digestive system quickly and is tasty too. Add salt and black pepper to it and let your baby drink it. It is recommended for kids who are above 8 months old.

8. Coconut Water

Apart from the massive health benefits it imparts, coconut water is a wonderful liquid to aid your child’s recovery from a bout of diarrhoea. Not only does it taste good but it also helps the body regain lost fluids. It is recommended to give coconut water to your child at least 2-3 times in a day.

9. Curd

Fresh homemade curd and yoghurt are useful in restoring the healthy bacteria in a baby’s digestive system. It is considered to be the most gut-friendly food when your child has diarrhoea. Homemade lassi and buttermilk (without sugar) also contain probiotics, so don’t think twice before giving it to your baby.

10. Carrot Juice

Your baby will need to replenish his lost energy when he has loose motions. Carrots are a great source of energy during such times. Carrot juice or puree can be served a couple of times during the day. If your baby is above one year of age, carrot juice should suit him just fine.

11. Starch-Rich Products

If you have begun a semi-solid/solid diet for your tiny tot, you can opt for starchy foods like potato and rice cereal. Potato has starch in abundance which helps babies recover from loose motions quickly. Boil a potato, mash it till it is smooth and fine, and add a pinch of salt to it. Roasted cumin seeds in powdered form can also be added to prevent gas formation. This potato mash can be fed once a day.

12. Lemon

Lemon is found in most households and is a great home remedy for curing loose motions in kids. It is full of anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties which makes it a reliable and easily-available remedy. A spoonful of lemon juice 4 to 5 times a day can relieve your baby of diarrhoea and other stomach-related problems. Your baby’s upset stomach will be relieved, and the pH balance in his body will be restored too.

13. Mint

Mint leaves, also known as pudina, contain a lot of anti-bacterial properties. They help in regulating digestion and hence, are highly recommended for curing loose motions in kids as well as adults. A bunch of mint leaves will give you a spoonful of mint juice. Add a teaspoon of honey and squeeze a few drops of lemon juice into this mixture too. Stir the mixture properly before giving it to your baby. You can give this juice to your baby 2-3 times a day. Do not use this for infants below 2 years of age.

14. Nutmeg

This powerful home remedy is known to cure recurring bouts of loose motions in infants. It is known as jaiphal in India. You can make a paste by mixing together nutmeg powder and water, and give it to your child.

15. Arrowroot Powder

Arrowroot is basically another form of powdered starch and is a good supplement to tackle loose motions in children. Due to its allergen-free properties, it is helpful in soothing your little one’s tummy. It also works wonders to rehydrate the body. Make a runny porridge by adding arrowroot powder to water or curd, and feed it to your baby.

16. Breast Milk

If you’re breastfeeding your baby, don’t pause it – breast milk is a sure-fire home remedy for your little one’s diarrhoea. Breast milk helps speed up your baby’s recovery because of its high antibody content. It can also prevent the need for hospitalisation of your baby. If your baby is both breastfed and formula-fed, it would be better to increase the amount of breast milk he gets to consume, as formula milk can be slightly more difficult for your little one to digest.

In case your baby is refusing to eat anything because of diarrhoea, it is best not to force-feed him. Try feeding him after long gaps so that he will be hungry and won’t say no to food. Babies who are less than a year old should be taken to the doctor before trying home remedies. What you can do is enhance fluids in your baby’s diet. If there are other symptoms noticed along with loose motions and the above-mentioned home remedies do not prove to be effective, speak to a paediatrician immediately.

Also Read:

Can Teething Cause Diarrhea in Babies?
Home Remedies to Relieve Stomach Pain in Babies
Best Remedies for Your Baby’s Constipation

5 Proven Home Remedies for Your Dog with Diarrhea

Diarrhea for Dog Home Remedies

No one likes diarrhea, people and dogs alike. Diarrhea is a sign that something isn’t right inside your dogs gut. Your dog may have diarrhea and act fine. There are so many causes of diarrhea in your dog, so let’s start there…

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will receive a small commission, but it won’t cost you a penny more). Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Why Does My Dog Have Diarrhea?

• Your dog ate something he wasn’t supposed to
• Your dog is stressed
• You changed your dog’s food suddenly
• Your dog has a viral or bacterial infection
• Your dog has parasites

Here are two great medical resources that you can refer to for more details:
How to Stop Diarrhea in Dogs by PetMD
A Survival Guide for Dog Diarrhea by the AKC

As long as your dog is normally healthy and does not have any other illnesses, and is not a young puppy or a senior dog, then it’s pretty safe to say you can attempt to treat his diarrhea at home for a couple of days before rushing to the vet.

IMPORTANT: If you notice blood in your dogs diarrhea, vomiting, is lethargic, or shows any other signs of being in pain, call your vet right away. If your puppy is younger than 9 months old, call your vet right away.

If you’ve just adopted your puppy or dog, allow him a few days and even a few weeks to fully adjust to his new home. Read the 3-3-3 Rules of Bring Your New Dog Home to fully understand the stages a new dog goes through. It’s not uncommon for a dog to show signs of stress, one, two or even three weeks after bringing him home. This dog may just have soft stools and not diarrhea.

I am trying to remember back to each dog we’ve ever had in our home, resident dogs and foster dogs… and I think most of them have had an episode of diarrhea at one point or another. I think diarrhea is one of those nasty things dog parents just have to deal with, and we just need to be there to comfort our dogs until they feel better. This list should help your dog get over his diarrhea quickly:

5 Easy Ways To Help with Diarrhea for Dog at Home

1. Lots of Liquid

Make sure your dog is drinking a lot of water. Just like people diarrhea can quickly make your dog dehydrated. If your dog isn’t interested in drinking water, you can encourage him by adding some chicken or beef broth to his water or make rice water.

2. Pure Pumpkin

Give your dog some pure pumpkin. Pumpkin is a great source of fiber and can help your pups upset belly quickly.

A bonus tip: when we open a can of pumpkin, we take about half of it and freeze it into ice cube trays. This way you will always have pumpkin handy, they make great everyday treats too!

Native Pet offers organic air-dried pumpkin that is a great to have in your pantry all year long. Just add water and it turns into a delicious pumpkin puree. We use it to make frozen treats and the dogs love them!

Read why pumpkin is a super food for your dog and can be good for diarrhea or constipation!

3. Bland Diet

The best food for your dog with diarrhea is something bland like boiled chicken and rice. Stop feeding your dog his regular food and offer him a small amount of bland boiled chicken and white rice. Feed him small amounts at a time to make sure he can keep the food down. If so, then slowly feed him more and more until he is feeling better.

When is it Time to Take Your Dog to the Vet?

If your dog has had diarrhea for more than 2 days, has any signs of red or blood, mucus  in his poop, vomiting, lethargic, or shows any other signs of being in pain, call your vet right away. If your puppy is younger than 9 months old, call your vet right away. The vet may say you can wait a couple of days, but at least they can give you more details on what to watch for. A dog with diarrhea and/or vomiting can be as simple as stress or as serious as a life-threatening illness. If you have any worries, just call your vet! A phone call is free and can ease your mind.

Allergies

If your dog has, or you think may have, any food allergies, be careful about feeding him any dairy, chicken or beef. Our dog Ginger is allergic to all three of these foods, so we need to be careful of feeding her anything with these ingredients. If your dog shows any signs of allergies, and you aren’t sure yet what he is allergic too, stay away from the yogurt, chicken, and broth. The food allergies can also be a cause of diarrhea.

A Note About Parasites

The first thing I check when we get a new foster dog is their poop! It’s not uncommon for our foster dogs to have diarrhea, not only are they stressed, likely have changed foods a lot, but they’ve also been exposed to some terrible environments.

Recommended reading: My dog has Worms

With the rescue I work with, we don’t release a dog to be adopted until he is 100% healthy. But some other rescues are all about getting the dogs adopted quickly to make room for the next dog. So if you just adopted a dog, watch him closely the first few weeks, check his poop daily. If you see any signs of white rice looking things in his poop, call your vet right away. If you see anything moving around in his poop, then he could very likely have worms or a parasite.

In Conclusion, Doggy Diarrhea Stinks

So to recap, if your dog has diarrhea and/or vomiting for more than two days, call your vet. If your dog is normally healthy, then you can treat his diarrhea at home with a few home remedies, such as rice water, pumpkin, yogurt, Imodium and a mild chicken and rice diet.

Our dogs are part of our family, so taking care of their health is a very important part of being a “pet parent”. If you are ever unsure, always err on the side of calling your vet.

P.S. Do you have any other home remedies for diarrhea that work for your dog? Comment below and help the rest of our Rescue Dogs 101 community. And I hope your pup feels better soon!

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90,000 Carnivore plague – symptoms and signs, diagnosis, treatment of plague in dogs

Plague of carnivores is a highly contagious and widespread disease with high fever. The mucous membranes of the respiratory and visual organs become inflamed, a rash appears on the skin, and the central nervous system is affected.

According to statistics, mortality among adult dogs varies within 10-50%, and among puppies under one year old – 30-100%. Often, the owners are late with a visit to the doctor, leading the animal in a state of neglect.But timely diagnosis and competent treatment will increase the chances of recovery.

In all countries of the world today, the disease is diagnosed among domestic, industrial and wild carnivores. And it has been known since the domestication of dogs. On the territory of Russia, the disease was first registered in 1762, in the Crimea.

Its viral nature was established by the French scientist Carré in 1905. The causative agent is an RNA-containing virus of the Paramyxoviridae family. Scientists note its antigenic and immunobiological similarity with the human measles virus and partial – with the causative agent of rinderpest.

Dogs become infected by contact, aerogenic and alimentary routes. The role of an infectious source is a sick animal or a virus carrier – an individual that has undergone a disease. Stray dogs and wild carnivores form a reservoir of infection. In their habitat, the virus constantly circulates and is maintained. It is carried by rodents, birds, insects and humans.

The mucous membranes serve as a gateway for the virus to enter the body. It begins to multiply in lymphoid cells, and then with the flow of blood and lymph spreads to all tissues, organs and systems.Against the background of the spread of the virus, fever develops, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the organs of vision, respiratory and digestive tract.

In parallel, inflammation and degenerative changes are noted in the kidneys, liver, spinal cord and brain, on the skin, where there is no hair. Due to damage to nerve cells, the functioning of the motor system is disrupted.

Agents of secondary infections play an important role in the pathogenesis of carnivore plague in dogs: Escherichia, cocci, Pasteurella, Toxoplasma.The presence of these pathogens and helminths in a sick organism reduces immunological resistance, aggravates the course of the disease and increases mortality.

Symptoms and signs of distemper in dogs

The incubation period can last from 7 to 40 days.

Forms of carnivore plague in dogs are divided according to the degree of manifestation of clinical signs. There are 5 of them: pulmonary, nervous, intestinal, cutaneous and mixed. The disease proceeds acutely, subacutely and chronically. The course is distinguished by the brightness of the manifestation of symptoms.If in some cases they are quite pronounced, in others they can be erased.

How distemper manifests itself in adult dogs is influenced by the virulence of the pathogen and the reactivity of the organism itself.

At the onset of the disease, the temperature rises. Symptoms of carnivorous plague in puppies under 12 weeks of age differ – they do not develop a fever.

First signs of distemper in dogs:

• Weakness;
• Redness of the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and mouth;
• Decreased appetite;
• Rare vomiting and diarrhea;
• Clear discharge from the nose and eyes.

The acute course is characterized by a vivid clinical picture. The temperature rises to 39-40 ° C, and after a couple of days it decreases and becomes constant or remitting. If pneumonia develops, the fever returns. The mucous exudate from the nose is replaced by a purulent one. A dry cough begins, gradually turning into a wet one.

Vomiting and diarrhea become more frequent. Feces are excreted with an admixture of blood and mucus. Along with these signs, an acute catarrhal inflammation of the digestive tract is established.

The cutaneous form is characterized by small red spots on hairless areas. Then bubbles form in their place, which burst and turn into crusts.

The nervous form is manifested by short-term excitement, sometimes even aggressiveness. The animal has convulsions, coordination of movements is impaired. Epileptic seizures are periodically possible, turning into paresis or paralysis.

The duration of the disease is always different – from several weeks to several months, if it becomes chronic.

Individuals who have recovered often have complications for life: paresis, paralysis, convulsive twitching, blindness, deafness.

Most owners do not understand how the dog gets sick and find it difficult to recognize the primary symptoms. Therefore, when the first signs of malaise appear, you should immediately contact your veterinarian. Only he, on the basis of anamnesis and clinical studies, will make the correct diagnosis, on which the outcome depends.

Diagnosis of plague of carnivores

Due to the manifestation of common symptoms in the early stages of the plague, great importance is attached to laboratory diagnostics.PCR and ELISA methods make it possible to diagnose a sick animal and identify a recovered individual, which continues to release the virus into the external environment.

It has been established that the maximum amount of the virus is contained in urine and blood plugs, washings from the conjunctiva and tonsils.

Doctors use rapid tests for carnivore plague, based on immunochromatographic analysis of the pathogen antigen. The results of the study are ready in 10 minutes – this time saving is sometimes very important.

To assess the functional state of organs, blood parameters are examined.

Treatment of plague of carnivores in dogs

The treatment regimen depends on the form of the disease and the degree of manifestation of symptoms. But, as with any viral diseases, symptomatic therapy is prescribed.

To combat a secondary infection, antibiotics are prescribed, for coughing – expectorants, for diarrhea – sorbents and astringents. To relieve convulsive syndrome, anticonvulsant medications are administered.

To prevent dehydration, electrolyte solutions are injected intravenously. Hyperimmune sera are used as a specific treatment.

Since not all owners know how to properly follow the doctor’s instructions and treat distemper in dogs, it is wiser to leave a sick animal in the hospital. Especially if it is in disrepair.

During treatment and for some time after recovery, a strict diet prescribed by a veterinarian is followed.

Prevention of plague of carnivores

Disease prevention is always cheaper for owners than treatment. Therefore, animals should be vaccinated in a timely manner.

There are many different distemper vaccinations for dogs on the market. According to the generally accepted vaccination schedule, puppies are vaccinated for the first time at the age of 8-10 weeks. Revaccination is carried out in 14-21 days.

Further, adult animals are vaccinated once a year. If there is an unfavorable plague situation in the nursery, then before the first vaccination it is recommended to put the puppies at 4 weeks of age with polyvalent serum against plague of carnivores.Repeat it after 14 days. It forms passive immunity, i.e. contains ready-made antibodies.

Let’s take a look at a few more important issues that concern pet owners.

Is it possible to treat distemper in dogs at home

Each case should be considered individually. If the disease is mild, then the owner will cope with the fulfillment of the doctor’s instructions on his own. The main thing is to strictly adhere to the appointment.

But, in the event of a severe course or the development of complications, not every owner will be able to provide adequate assistance.Therefore, home treatment of distemper in dogs in such a situation is excluded. Such animals are left in the hospital under the supervision of doctors.

Can a person or a domestic cat become infected

We have already talked about how canine distemper is transmitted: alimentary, contact and respiratory. But, only representatives of the canine family, some large cats (for example, lions), mustelids and domestic dogs are susceptible to the virus. Therefore, transmission of the pathogen to a domestic cat or a person is impossible.Even though in antigenic terms it bears similarities with the measles virus.

What to do if a dog gets sick with plague

What if your dog has distemper? We urge you not to self-medicate, but to go immediately to the veterinary clinic. This will save you valuable time and increase your chances of recovery.

Doctors of the AMVet veterinary clinic will conduct a thorough examination of your pet, prescribe the necessary tests, make the correct diagnosis and, accordingly, write out competent treatment.At any time of the day you can ask a question to a specialist in the chat or call +7 (495) 106-02-03

90,000 Doctors told how to deal with the Indian strain of COVID-19 at home

The new Indian strain of the coronavirus continues to spread across Russia; more than 80% of those infected are infected with it in Moscow alone. Gazeta.Ru interviewed doctors and found out whether the outpatient treatment of Delta differs from the Wuhan version of the coronavirus, as well as what to do at home while waiting for a doctor.

Over the past day, the Operational Headquarters for the control and monitoring of the spread of coronavirus in Russia recorded 17,611 cases of infection.The new Indian strain “Delta” continues to gain momentum. In Moscow alone, more than 80% of those infected were infected with it.

“I would like to note that due to the fact that new variants of the course of the disease have appeared, we are adjusting our treatment regimens,” Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on June 17 at the presidium of the government’s coordinating council on combating coronavirus.

Doctors predict a new wave of the pandemic. Gazeta.Ru interviewed specialists and learned how Delta is treated at home and what to do while waiting for a doctor.

“At the moment, the treatment of the new strain is no different from the treatment of the previous one,” said immunologist Maria Polner.

When ARVI symptoms appear, the main thing is to self-isolate, she emphasized. It is necessary to call a doctor at home, and not go to medical institutions in search of help. Also, you should not go to the pharmacy, it is better to use the delivery or ask relatives and friends to transfer drugs in a non-contact way.

“Now the workload on specialists is increasing, and the doctor may not have the physical ability to come to the house on demand.

Therefore, we gain patience and do not panic until 5-7 days of illness, we treat ourselves symptomatically – paracetamol or ibuprofen at a temperature, rinsing the nose with sea water, abundant warm drink, more rest, ”the specialist advised.

If the temperature is above 38 degrees, you can bring down non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), added Alevtina Fedina, therapist, medical director of Checkme. However, it is important not to get carried away with them, because excessive use threatens peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, impaired liver and kidney function.

If you have an asymptomatic course, it is also better not to abuse drugs. “Treatment of asymptomatic patients is not necessary, but it is necessary to monitor their condition after illness – various complications occur in 85% of cases. Everyone who gets sick is also recommended to take a coagulogram in two months to check whether COVID-19 has affected blood clotting, ”Fedina explained.

There are currently no antiviral drugs with proven efficacy and safety against coronavirus, recalled Maria Polner.

“This also applies to Favipiravir, which was actively used last year. Immunomodulatory drugs are ineffective and may also not be safe. Antibiotic therapy should be prescribed strictly when bacterial complications are confirmed, and not in the early days of the illness “just in case,” she warned.

The immunologist also noted that drugs against the formation of blood clots – anticoagulants – should not be prescribed to oneself in any case. These drugs increase the risk of bleeding and must therefore be prescribed in a hospital under medical supervision.

“Alarming signs are the manifestation of shortness of breath and chest pain, fever for more than 5 days, a new rise in temperature after several days of improvement. In this case, it is worth calling an ambulance and solving the issue of CT and hospitalization, “said Polner.

First of all, it is always worth remembering that the best treatment is prevention, the doctor reminded. Therefore, it is worth following the rules of epidemiological safety – wearing masks, avoiding crowds and getting vaccinated as soon as possible.

90,000 Folk remedies for children’s diarrhea ⋆ Papkin’s daughter

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Scroll down to read straight away about a variety of folk remedies for children’s diarrhea, recipes for their preparation and recommendations for use. And we will delve a little deeper into this problem and consider the causes of the “child’s surprise”, alarming signs and negative consequences for the child’s body.

There is a child in the family. For mother and father, this is a great joy and responsibility. Raising a strong, healthy person is the desire of every parent.Health is the main value in life. Parents are obligated and must take care of the health of their child. Their task is to protect the child from illness, to teach the child a healthy lifestyle. This applies to many aspects of life: nutrition, drinking water, social lifestyle, hygiene, communication, culture of behavior.

When parents forget about the basic rules of maintaining health, various diseases arise. Diarrhea is common. This is if we speak in scientific, medical language.People call diarrhea simply – diarrhea. Diarrhea or diarrhea is a disease, a deviation in health associated with a malfunction of the digestive system, in which the intestines are emptied several times in a short period of time. Diarrhea is very common in children. If diarrhea occurs in newborns or infants, it is always alarming and dangerous. Frequent and loose stools can lead to a large loss of water in the infant’s body. Every parent should know and be able to identify the symptoms of acute diarrhea and impending dehydration.The stool is frequent and thin, no urine is secreted, the child is weak, the lips are dry – see a doctor urgently. The causes of diarrhea in children at different ages can be different.
For babies, according to statistics, this is an improperly organized diet. For this reason, both the quality of the products and the method of preparation, if the baby is artificially fed, also apply. If the baby is fed with breast milk, and diarrhea happens, then all the attention is on the mother’s diet.

Children after one year may have other reasons.These include various infections, worms, food or drug allergies, food poisoning. You need to act according to the situation.
Call a doctor immediately if:
– the child has vomiting,
– fever,
– the child is crying or shows drowsiness and lethargy,
– the skin turns pale and the mucous membranes dry,
– the child refuses to eat.
If the acute symptoms listed above are absent, then folk remedies for diarrhea for children can be used. Human experience is unique; many different means have been accumulated that can be used to help a child.
Rice decoction is ideal, always available and versatile.
This simple treatment requires only two ingredients: rice and water. The ratio should be three parts water and one part rice. Rice is washed, filled with clean water and brought to a boil. Then the heat is reduced and the rice is steamed over very low heat.
When the rice is ready, it is strained. The resulting warm broth is given to the child to drink. Instead of lunch, you can give rice once: it will be a kind of diet that strengthens the stool.
Oak bark will help to eliminate the problems of children’s diarrhea.

Oak bark is a very important medicinal plant raw material. This is recognized by our grandmothers. This is not denied by modern medicine. You can prepare oak bark yourself. It is harvested in spring from young plants. This should be done before the start of sap flow and bud break. The bark is crushed and dried in a warm place. You can buy this medicinal plant at a pharmacy. If a child has a disorder of the digestive system, then he can be given a decoction of oak bark.To do this, take a teaspoon of crushed bark and add half a liter of water. Boil. Refrigerate. Give children a teaspoon 3-4 times a day. The broth is stored in a cold place for 1-2 days.
Oak bark can be used to make a tincture. It can be stored for up to a year. It is convenient: always ready-made medicine. But children under three years old cannot be given it.

The tincture is prepared with alcohol. Take 200 grams of rubbing alcohol and add half a teaspoon of bark. Close tightly. Insist for two weeks in a dark place.Give the child 2-3 drops by adding them to half a glass of clean water.
A folk remedy based on oak bark helps well. But you need to give it to children carefully. Overdose should not be allowed. Overdose symptom – vomiting.
The snake mountaineer has a healing effect.
Traditional healers harvest this plant, collecting it in damp meadows, along river banks, near water bodies. The rhizome of this plant has beneficial properties. It contains tannins that can stop diarrhea in children.To do this, you need to prepare a decoction. The rhizome of the coil is crushed. Ten grams of crushed rhizomes are poured into a glass of clean water. Placed in a water bath. It takes one hour to steam. Cools down. It is filtered. Give to children with diarrhea before meals a teaspoon. Sometimes twice a day is enough. Children under two years old cannot be given this folk remedy.
Alder cones are an affordable treatment for bowel disorders in children.
Alder is one of the most common plants in folk medicine.Alder cones are good for treating diarrhea. A decoction is made from them.
For the broth, you need to take 50 grams of cones and one liter of water. Everything is cooked over low heat for 30 minutes. It is filtered. Give the child 3-4 tablespoons warm. Any time of the day. It is enough to give 2-3 times a day.
Food plants are used to treat diarrhea in children.
Dried wild pear compote can be given to children to prevent and treat intestinal upset. For the same purpose, bird cherry berries are used.Unripe blackberries have a strengthening effect. A few sorrel leaves can stop diarrhea. The thorns are good.
It is possible to cook a fixing compote for a sick child. To do this, take a tablespoon of blueberries, bird cherry and a dozen caraway seeds. It is boiled in a liter of water: an ordinary compote is obtained. Give the child 1/4 cup to drink 2 times a day.

Folk remedies are very diverse. Over a long period of time, a wealth of experience in herbal treatment has been accumulated.It is passed down from generation to generation. Our grandmothers’ recipes are not toxic, harmful. They are suitable for the treatment of various diseases. Effectively help with diarrhea in children. Remember: when treating children, you need to be careful, consult a doctor, do not rely on the omnipotence of herbal medicine.

Folk remedies for children’s diarrhea. Papa’s daughter.

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90,000 Treatment of diarrhea in children with folk remedies.The most effective folk remedies for diarrhea in children

Diarrhea in children is becoming a serious problem, not only because it threatens the rapid dehydration of a small child’s body. It is very difficult to persuade a kid suffering from diarrhea to take the medicine. He may vomit on potions, tablets, food and drinks, and in this situation, time-tested folk remedies are often saved. Usually we are talking about cereal or berry broths, the taste of which is familiar to the baby and does not irritate him, or about herbal infusions, which can quickly provide assistance due to the bioactive components in their composition.However, in children, it is necessary to select and dose correctly according to age, so as not to harm the child.

First aid for a child with diarrhea

The child’s body is still very imperfect and can react with diarrhea to the strangest reasons from the point of view of an adult – teething, the introduction of complementary foods, the first day in kindergarten, a cold, a change in climate when traveling to the sea. We cannot discount such traditional causes of diarrhea for children and adults as bacterial or viral infections, the effect of drugs, and various internal diseases.

Regardless of the cause of the development of diarrhea, it does much more harm to a child than to an adult, since it rapidly removes water, vitamins and mineral salts from the body, threatening severe consequences of dehydration. Therefore, when diarrhea develops, it is necessary to take control of this process as soon as possible, try to stop it, or at least reduce the intensity before a visit to a doctor who will investigate the causes of diarrhea. Usually, in such cases, pharmacy drugs are recommended against dehydration of the body.If for some reason they are not available, then you can replace them in children with folk remedies.

One way is to take a glass of orange juice (it contains potassium chloride necessary for diarrhea), add half a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of baking soda. Then add boiled water so that you get 1 liter of drink. Give the child a teaspoon or tablespoon every 20 minutes, depending on age (described below).

If there is no orange juice, take a tablespoon of sugar and a level teaspoon of salt, dilute all this in a glass of cold boiled water and give the baby a spoon every 15-20 minutes.

Remedies for diarrhea for the little ones

Folk remedies for diarrhea in children under 5-6 years old should be chosen strictly individually and after consultation with a doctor, especially when it comes to herbal preparations. Up to the age of three, a baby can prepare a herbal collection of a maximum of 2-3 medicinal plants. For older children, you can combine more sophisticated diarrhea formulations.

Even the smallest with diarrhea can be recommended, which is prepared from 1 tablespoon of peeled rice, boiled for 45 minutes in 0.5 liters of water without salt.Strain the warm broth and give a few small spoons every 2 hours. This broth has enveloping properties – relieves irritation in the intestines, absorbs excess fluid and removes gases.

The child should be given sweet black tea to drink – it has astringent properties, and also – it has anti-spasmodic and antibacterial properties. Chamomile flowers are brewed in a teapot, like ordinary tea, but it is not allowed to drink more than 2-3 times a day.

Dried blueberry decoction helps relieve diarrhea and strengthen stools.It is prepared from a teaspoon of berries, which must be boiled in 0.5 liters of water for 5 minutes. To reduce peristalsis, you can brew oak bark for the child: boil a teaspoon per 250 ml of water for 10 minutes, then leave for half an hour and strain. Such decoctions give the baby a few sips every hour.

Diarrhea in children is perhaps the most common reason for visiting a doctor in the summer. For example, the first berries may develop diarrhea due to enzyme deficiency. If nausea and diarrhea appear after such delicacies, it is worth giving the child mint tea: brew 2 teaspoons of peppermint with a glass of boiling water, cool and give to drink in small sips during the day.If an upset stomach with diarrhea continues in the summer for no apparent reason, you can mix in equal proportions St. John’s wort and yarrow, then brew a tablespoon of this mixture with a glass of boiling water. Give your child a warm drink in the morning on an empty stomach. Any herbal decoctions and infusions can be given to children no longer than 2-4 weeks, even with chronic diarrhea.

When a child has been poisoned by some kind of food, a decoction from the rhizome of the burnet rhizome helps well against diarrhea. Helps eliminate toxins, relieves inflammation of the mucous membranes and reduces intestinal motility.The broth is prepared from a tablespoon of chopped root, filled with 250 ml of boiling water – all this is boiled for 40 minutes, then 1 teaspoon of the broth is added to 0.5 cups of warm water and given to the child half an hour before each meal.

Important! Children should not prepare decoctions from such plants as wild rosemary, celandine, barberry, etc. They are allowed only under the supervision of a doctor for serious indications

Care should be taken with herbs if the child is allergic. Folk remedies should not harm the general condition of the body: for example, mint, oregano can exacerbate allergies, and sage, nettle, licorice root, ginseng and hops can affect the baby’s endocrine system and also aggravate the allergic condition.

As a rule, to reduce diarrhea, children are recommended diet, vitamin therapy, and folk remedies with an enveloping and astringent effect. Among the knitting children, you can use decoctions from the bark of oak, St. John’s wort, alder cones, and herb. Traditionally recommended coating agents are potato starch, flaxseed, oatmeal and rice water.

It is characterized by certain digestive problems and is very often the reason for going to the doctor in children. In this case, the intestines are emptied more than 2 times a day with liquid stools.Basically, diarrhea is one of the symptoms of acute intestinal inflammation. It is not always possible with such an illness to get to the hospital, so treatment can be carried out at home with the help of traditional medicine, which offers us a lot of ways to deal with this ailment, but the main thing is that help arrives on time.

Both adults and children face this problem and treatment should be different.

Folk remedies for adults

With the help of traditional medicine, diarrhea can be said goodbye within a few hours after using the prescription.

Perhaps the most famous remedy for diarrhea is strong tea. But it won’t help you in bags, you need black leaf tea, it should be brewed stronger and drunk at a time. It will also be very effective if you eat some tea leaves, it is not terribly tasty, but the result will please you.

In general, pomegranate itself has a fixing property, but the recipe for traditional medicine presupposes precisely the pomegranate rind. The peel from the fruit must be finely chopped, or grated, measure out 2 tablespoons and put in a container.Then pour 200 ml of hot water and leave to steam, half an hour is enough for the medicine to be ready. It is necessary to take this broth in 2 tablespoons inside one third of an hour before meals.

Alcohol and salt

To prepare this medicine, you will need high-quality vodka with a volume of 80 ml and a third of a teaspoon of salt. Mix thoroughly and drink in one gulp. This, of course, is a very extreme medicine, but quite effective. But if suddenly you have an ulcer or gastritis, then it is better not to risk it, because it can cause inflammation of the gastric walls.

The decoction is very helpful with diarrhea at home, its astringent property is on the gastrointestinal tract and the diarrhea stops. To prepare this broth, you will need 1 tablespoon of bird cherry berries, or you can take the bark in the same amount, then pour 200 ml of hot water and put in a water bath and cook for 20 minutes. Let the broth cool and you can take half a glass inside no more than three times a day. By the way, so that the bark of the tree can always help, you can prepare it from the summer and store it for a long time.

Black pepper

Black peppercorns are good for fighting diarrhea. It is necessary to swallow 6 peas at night and drink plenty of water. The next morning you won’t even remember your problem.

Walnut

From walnuts we only need partitions, carefully select them and measure exactly 100 grams. The resulting partitions must be poured with an incomplete glass of alcohol and insisted for 72 hours. After the time has elapsed, strain the tincture and store in the refrigerator.With frequent diarrhea, dilute 9 drops of the tincture in a third of a glass of water and drink. This remedy will be of great help to the intestines.

Every home has starch, it is also an excellent medicine for diarrhea. Pour 1 tablespoon of starch with a glass of water and stir. Drink the solution at a time and wait for the result.

Rice broth

This is the most common and effective remedy for diarrhea, it helps one hundred percent of cases.Rice needs to be boiled, but so that it is liquid, like soup. When cooking, neither salt nor add any spices. Strain the finished rice and drink the broth warm.

We need Burnet Root. It must be crushed in any way and measure out 1 tablespoon. Put the prepared root in a container and pour a glass of boiling water over it. Wait half an hour and drain. You need to drink such a decoction 5 times a day, 1 small spoon, but first dilute it in a quarter of a glass of water.In addition to a good effect on diarrhea, the root of the burnet also gives a bactericidal property.

Blackberry

We need blackberry leaves, they need to be crushed and put in an amount of 2 tablespoons in a container, pour 200 ml of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Cover the broth with a warm towel for half an hour and strain. For the treatment of diarrhea, you need to take a whole glass no more than three times a day.

Sage

Chop the dried sage leaves and measure out 50 grams, pour a glass of boiling water, cover with a towel and leave for an hour.After that, strain and add half a liter of red wine to the infusion and mix. Take this medication 100 ml every two hours.

Wormwood

Wormwood can be found anywhere, this herb grows everywhere in summer. It can be used both dry and in the form of an infusion. Dry grass should be eaten 30 minutes before meals in the amount of 1 teaspoon. And to make an infusion of wormwood, you need to pour the same amount of herbs with a glass of boiling water and add 1 spoonful of burnet.The infusion should stand for half an hour, then strain and drink before meals.

Half a glass of viburnum should be poured with 400 ml of hot water and cooked for 10 minutes, then add three tablespoons of honey there. Take half a glass at least four times a day.

Cranberry

Pour 0.4 liters of hot water over a berry with cranberry leaves in the amount of two tablespoons and boil for 15 minutes, then cool and pass through cheesecloth. Take half a glass 4 times a day.

The pear must be dried and chopped.Pour 200 ml of boiling water over two tablespoons of the finished fruit and cover with a towel. Let it brew for 6 hours. You need to drink 50 grams half an hour before meals.

If diarrhea torments a child, of course, you need to see a doctor, but at home you can also find ways to deal with this unpleasant ailment.

Video – How to treat diarrhea in a child and an adult

Folk remedies for diarrhea in children

Soup-puree

To stop the child’s diarrhea, you can make a puree soup.We need 3 carrots, 2 potatoes, 1 onion, butter and flour, 1 teaspoon each.

First you need to boil the carrots and grate them, then grate the raw potatoes and add the chopped onions there. Mix with carrots and add water where it was cooked. Cook until soft and add butter and flour to thicken the soup. This soup can be given to babies from 11 months.

Mix chamomile with mint and measure out one teaspoon, pour boiling water over this mixture and let it brew.Drinking the infusion is in small portions throughout the day. By the end of the day, the child should be feeling better.

Hawthorn

In order not only to stop diarrhea, but also to remove toxins from the body, you can use hawthorn. You need only five grams of fruit, pour a glass of boiling water and boil for 15 minutes. Take a tablespoon throughout the day. This broth will help well and restore the intestinal flora.

In addition to treatment, children need to drink a lot of fluids to replenish the body.You can drink water, dried fruit compotes, jelly, rosehip decoction. And the main thing is not to give children heavy food, you can boil potatoes and make mashed potatoes without adding butter and milk.

You need to dry the grape seeds and grind them. Add honey one to one and stir. Take on an empty stomach 3 times a day. In general, it is advisable to always have such a mixture in the house, it can be stored for a long time and very well help with diarrhea.

Sea buckthorn

Grind the leaves and branches of the sea buckthorn, pour one teaspoon of the mixture with cold water and boil, leave for no more than half an hour, then strain.Drink everything at once.

Traditional medicine perfectly helps in the fight against diarrhea, but if suddenly the diarrhea does not go away, you need to consult a doctor and already follow his prescription.

Video – How to Stop Diarrhea

Diarrhea – rapid (more than 2 times per day), uncontrollable excretion of feces in liquid form. This is due to the accelerated passage of intestinal contents. Almost all young parents faced this trouble and often threw up their hands in perplexity what to do if a child has diarrhea: wait until everything goes away by itself, or take some measures, treat, use folk remedies.

It is advisable to know as much information as possible about this intestinal disorder in order to prevent complications. And first of all, you need to think about what caused it.

Causes

Most of the causes of diarrhea depend on the age of the child. For a particular period of a baby’s life, special factors are characteristic that contribute to liquid feces. This is especially true for the smallest.

Here, for example, how diarrhea in an infant can be dictated:

• formation of the gastrointestinal tract;

90,033 on teeth when they erupt;

• enzyme / lactose deficiency;
• if diarrhea is observed in a breastfed baby, this may be a reaction to breast milk: it is too liquid, excessively fatty or contains laxatives due to the mother’s failure to follow a special diet;
• Incorrect introduction of the first complementary foods;
• artificial mixture.

External causes (typical for any age):

• food poisoning by low-quality products;
• laxative fruits and vegetables;
• diarrhea is very common after antibiotics.
• constant lingering stress, nervous disorders;
• non-observance of hygiene: dirty hands, unwashed vegetables and fruits;
• overeating.

Internal diseases:

• infections: salmonellosis, dysentery, gastroenteritis, rotavirus;
• inflammation of the mucous membrane in the stomach, intestines, esophagus;
• allergies;
• gastrointestinal diseases: ulcer, chronic colitis, enteritis, stomach achilia, pancreatic insufficiency;
• internal hemorrhoids;
• Crohn’s disease;
• renal failure.

So the cause of diarrhea in a child can be a variety of pathologies and age characteristics of the body. But with the same frequency, malnutrition and poor hygiene become the reasons. Therefore, parents need to carefully monitor these aspects in order to exclude such a nuisance. Depending on where exactly the failure occurred, diarrhea can be of different types.

Notes for parents.
Diarrhea caused by stress is called bear’s disease.It happens to children if, for some reason, they are afraid to go to kindergarten or school, or because of family conflicts. To eliminate such diarrhea, you need to give a sedative, take a relaxing herbal bath, and in advanced cases, go with your child to see a psychologist.

Types

Depending on the causes and mechanism of the course, diarrhea in children is of different types. Based on the classification, doctors prescribe treatment.

Depending on the reasons

Any infectious disease can be the cause: dysentery, salmonellosis, foodborne diseases, viruses, amoebiasis.Until the child is 2 years old, in winter he often becomes hostage to viral diarrhea. The incubation period can last for several days. It all starts with vomiting, continues with diarrhea, in the end it all ends with fever, muscle and headache (read about diarrhea with vomiting in). Average duration is a week.

The main reason is a long-term violation of the diet, a monotonous diet poor in vitamins, food allergy to food or medicines.

• Dyspeptic
  

The reason is a disturbed digestion process due to secretory insufficiency of the liver, stomach, small intestine, pancreas.

This is the result of kidney failure or poisoning (most often arsenic or mercury).

• Medication
  

It is a consequence of suppression by antibiotics (less often – by other drugs) of the intestinal flora of the intestine and dysbiosis.

Reason – stress, excitement, fear, anxiety, depression.

Depending on the mechanism of flow

• Hypokinetic: mushy, liquid, small amount, fetid odor as a result of reduced speed of food movement through the intestines.
• Hypersecretory: profuse, watery diarrhea – a consequence of increased secretion of salts and water into the intestines.
• Hyperkinetic: not abundant, liquid, mushy, the reason is the increased speed of food movement through the intestines.
• Hyperexudative: watery, not abundant, formed when fluid enters the inflamed intestine.
• Osmolar: fatty, abundant, with undigested food residues, occurs with reduced absorption of salts and water by the intestines.

In addition, depending on the severity of the course, doctors can give the child chronic or acute diarrhea. The first one lasts for three weeks, the second one can be stopped during this period.

This does not apply to some specific situations. For example, it is impossible to say exactly how many days there can be diarrhea on the teeth: for some it may be one-time, some will torment the child until the tooth comes out. It sometimes takes a week or more.Treatment will depend not only on these classifications, but also on the nature of the bowel movement and associated symptoms.

It also happens.
When going on vacation with your child, keep in mind that he may develop “traveler’s diarrhea”, which is diagnosed with a change in climate. After adaptation, the stool disorder will disappear.

Clinical picture

Everyone is used to the fact that children’s yellow diarrhea is to some extent the norm, indicating the absence of serious pathologies in the body.The most common cause is indigestion due to poor quality food. But there are times when the child’s liquid stool is of a completely different color, and even with different impurities. Having carefully studied them, parents will be able to understand the cause of diarrhea and respond in a timely manner to this trouble.

Too light diarrhea in a child can have a variety of reasons, including such a dangerous disease as hepatitis.

Slimy, diarrhea with water is a common symptom of intestinal infections, overeating, and intolerance to cow’s milk.The general condition of the child does not suffer. Leads to dehydration quickly. Very dangerous for babies.

Bloody stools indicate a bacterial infection. With greenish lumps and red streaks – dysentery. Green or orange flakes – salmonellosis or coli infection. This raises the temperature.

Particular attention should be paid to white diarrhea. In most cases, it is not terrible for infants, since it is a reaction to breast milk. But at an older age, white diarrhea is the main symptom of hepatitis.

Of the total number, the company distinguishes a significantly shorter shelf life of goods in comparison with other manufacturers. This is explained by the absence of aggressive preservatives. For those who could not find safe means, we recommend the official online store of the manufacturer mulsan.ru. Be careful in your choice, read the composition of not only food products, but also cosmetics and household chemicals.

Tastes not the most pleasant food, but a decoction of chamomile and mint will be a little more pleasant to drink as a medicine.Pour boiling water over a teaspoon of the mixture, let it stand, drink also fractionally, in small sips, throughout the day. In a day, the baby should feel better. If you use hawthorn infusion as a medicine, it will not only stop diarrhea. But it will also remove toxins from the body, saturating the microelements and vitamins lost during diarrhea. Soldering it with infusion is also appropriate when the infection is already over, this will help restore the intestinal flora as a whole, thereby preventing the occurrence of diarrhea in the future.Just five grams of fruit, poured with a glass of boiling water, boiled for 10 minutes on fire, is enough for the healing medicine to be ready. Drink fractionally, one tablespoon at a time.

If diarrhea occurs while taking medications, including antibiotics, you can offer the following folk remedies for diarrhea. Usually, in this case, when the diarrhea is greenish, unpleasant odor, foamy consistency, we are talking about dysbiosis. Treatment consists in restoring the bacterial background of the intestine.For this, mint tea is perfect. Pour mint with boiling water, solder the baby with a teaspoon of broth during the day.

In case overeating became the cause of diarrhea, then of course it is necessary to isolate food from the child. Sweets, fruits, berries in large quantities can cause diarrhea.

Diarrhea can accompany a cold in a baby, diarrhea is only a symptom and in this case it is necessary to deal with the treatment in a comprehensive manner. Drinking plenty of fluids is good for both diarrhea and colds. Dried fruit compote will enrich the body with microelements, rosehip decoction will stop diarrhea and give the body the necessary dose of vitamin C.Drink throughout the day without restriction. Food during such a state should not be heavy.

Another cause of diarrhea, but mainly in older children, is food intolerance. For example, the introduction of a new product into the diet, it can be anything. At this point, you need to stop introducing this product into complementary foods, adhere to the previous diet. It is impossible to introduce new components several at once, so it is easier to track the reaction of the body. You can use one of the above decoction recipes.

Parents do not always compare the occurrence of diarrhea with a stressful situation in a child’s life. At first glance, a common situation for an adult can cause an emotional breakdown in a child, thereby provoking the appearance of diarrhea. You need to take care of the soft atmosphere around the child, healthy eating, sleep. Mom needs to brew fennel seeds or collect mint and lemon balm. Parental attention is a strong remedy recommended by traditional medicine in this case.

Some more effective traditional medicines for diarrhea in children

• means of instant action, the result after a single dose, free the walnut from the tough crust, pull out the core, between which there are partitions, it is they who are brewed, then give the child to drink with teaspoons, the diarrhea will go away instantly;
• Several glasses of water in which one spoonful of potato starch was dissolved – this recipe will also quickly eliminate the symptoms of diarrhea;
• decoction of pomegranate peel is an indispensable remedy for frequent urge to defecate, boil the peel for about twenty minutes, take a decoction of 2 tablespoons before meals.

What to eat with diarrhea

If you decide to treat diarrhea at home, then you need to know what you can eat.

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90,000 Rosselkhoznadzor named the symptoms of COVID-19 in pets – RBK

The Rosselkhoznadzor recommends to exclude close contacts between pets in places where many cases of COVID-19 infection have been detected

Photo: Guillermo Legaria / Getty Images

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, is capable of infecting not only humans, but also domestic animals, according to a material prepared by specialists of the Federal Center for Animal Health under the jurisdiction of the Rosselkhoznadzor and the Federal State Budgetary Institution All-Russian State Center for Quality and Standardization medicines for animals and feed “.

Video

Scientists note that the most popular pets – dogs and cats – can also become infected with COVID-19.But if dogs, as a rule, tolerate the disease easily, without obvious symptoms, then the cats showed signs of an acute respiratory infection.

“In particular, the animal recorded a fever, cough, sneezing, discharge from the nasal cavity and eyes. Some animals showed signs of acute intestinal infection, accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, ”the Rosselkhoznadzor said in a statement.

A cat in Russia diagnosed with COVID-19

90,000 Treatment of stomach diseases (gastroenteritis) in cats and dogs in Minsk

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08.11.2018

Intermittent vomiting is the first signal of a pet’s stomach problems. In this case, it is important to show the pet to the doctor as soon as possible and prescribe the correct treatment.

Diseases of the digestive system, diseases of the stomach and intestines are a common problem among domestic animals, especially cats and cats.

Inflammation of the colon most often presents with feces of a thinner consistency than usual, with the presence of mucus or bloody discharge, rarely accompanied by vomiting or weight loss.

Constipation is another common problem. It can be associated with both malnutrition and obstruction inside the intestine, narrowing of the intestine from external influences, or neuromuscular problems of the colon itself.

Gastritis most often develops after an animal swallows a small object that violates the integrity of the lining of the inner walls of the stomach. The first symptom of gastritis is nausea and vomiting in various manifestations (with and without food leftovers, with bile, foam, blood).Also, gastritis is often accompanied by diarrhea or loose stools.

Lethargy, complete or partial refusal to eat or drink, nausea, diarrhea, pain in the abdominal region or when swallowing, fever or fever may be signs of complete or partial intestinal obstruction .

Separately, we note that long thin objects (threads, yarn, fibers) are extremely dangerous for pets. Many people mistakenly believe that objects of this type are just the easiest to “leave” the pet’s body.The threads can get stuck at the base of the animal’s tongue. If the object is long enough to reach the intestines, its movements cause tearing and cutting on the walls, leading to intestinal perforation and increasing the risk of abdominal infections.

We have listed far from everything, but the most common variants of diseases of the stomach and intestines in cats. For a detailed diagnosis, one examination is not enough and ultrasound is most often used.

Important! If your pet has the following symptoms, you should urgently seek help from the veterinary clinic:

• vomiting;
• diarrhea, diarrhea, liquid feces, feces mixed with mucus, blood, etc.NS.;
• constipation or constipation;
• fever, high temperature;
• complete or partial lack of appetite;

90,033 weight loss;

• Painful sensations in the abdomen (the animal defends itself or hisses when trying to touch the abdomen).

Do not try to diagnose the disease and treat your pet on your own!

Several stories of our patients who were brought to the clinic with symptoms from the list above.

The beautiful cat Margot (first photo) was brought to our clinic with complaints of intermittent vomiting. After ultrasound diagnostics, she was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and prescribed appropriate treatment.

Black cat Fiona (second photo) was also admitted to the clinic with complaints of vomiting. After an ultrasound scan, the cat was diagnosed with gastritis and prescribed a course of treatment.

Cat Christie (photo 3) with complaints of vomiting and diarrhea was also diagnosed with gastritis and prescribed treatment.

Veterinary clinic “WellVet”

Veterinary clinic “WellVet”
2018-11-08 13:10:00
2018-11-08 13:10:00

90,000 Enteritis in a cat – types of enteritis, symptoms and treatment

Many owners, having seen a stool disorder in a cat, do not attach much importance to this.And this is one of their main mistakes, because timely diagnosis and treatment of the disease is the key to the health of your pet.

Stool disorders, abdominal pain and dehydration can be caused by enteritis. It is a dangerous disease with a high mortality rate that occurs in cats and other animals. Here you will learn how to timely recognize the signs of enteritis and provide treatment for the pathology.

See this article :

Enteritis – what is it?
The main causes of inflammation
Symptoms of the disease: what to look for?

Diagnostics
What can be enteritis in cats?

Treatment of enteritis: methods and preparations
Diet for cats with enteritis

Enteritis – what is it?

Enteritis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the small intestine .It is accompanied by dysfunction of the digestive system and dystrophic changes in the mucous membranes of the small intestine.

Enteritis is rare as an independent disease. It usually occurs in milder forms (such as gastroenteritis or gastroenterocolitis). In terms of symptoms and causes, these diseases are similar, but in terms of consequences, prognosis and mortality rate, they are much more favorable.

Forms of enteritis:

• Primary. This includes cases of enteritis caused by foodborne infectious diseases (eg E. coli). In 8 out of 10 cases, they develop due to poor quality nutrition and water. Once in the cat’s body, infectious pathogens cause indigestion, pain and discomfort in the abdominal region.
• Secondary. This form of enteritis occurs with other non-food infections. Such dangerous and serious diseases include distemper (Carré’s disease), panleukopenia, salmonellosis.In this case, an immediate appeal to a veterinarian in Moscow is required, since these infectious diseases can lead to irreversible consequences.

Main causes of inflammation

A common cause of enteritis in cats is malnutrition . For example, an incorrect or unbalanced diet, poor quality water with chemical impurities, expired food, etc. Even a sudden transition from one type of food to another (for example, from home to professional) can provoke inflammation in the small intestine.

Other causes of enteritis in cats:

Mechanical damage. Injuries to the mucous membranes (for example, when a small tubular bone or foreign object is swallowed) lead to stool disorders, epigastric pain and inflammation.

Late vaccination . This is a common cause of viral enteritis, which poses the greatest danger to the animal. If you are late with the vaccination or do not give it at all, then the virus can be transmitted to your pet from another sick animal.

Parasitic diseases . They are caused by parasitic worms (worms, helminths). Once in the cat’s body, they most of all infect the small intestine and secrete toxic substances. All this contributes to the development of enteritis.

Chemical poisoning . Household chemicals, medications, and even certain types of plants can poison your pet. They enter the body with food or accidentally, and then lead to severe inflammation of the small intestine.

Disease symptoms: what to look for?

The first thing that indicates the development of enteritis is stool disorders. Suspect your cat has intestinal inflammation? Then pay attention to the feces. With enteritis, they contain large amounts of undigested food, mucus and blood.

Stool disorders are considered normal no more than 2-3 times in a row (for example, if you introduced a new feed). However, if the pet’s condition does not change, then contact the veterinary clinic in Moscow!

Symptoms of enteritis in cats:

• dull, tousled wool,
• soreness in the abdominal region,
• stomach rumbling,
• diarrhea,
• vomiting,
• apathy,
• general weakness,

Enteritis leads to dehydration of the cat’s body, and in severe cases – to an increase in body temperature.It is worthwhile to be wary if your pet’s temperature is over 39.2 ° C. We recommend using a veterinary thermometer for measurement.

Specific Features

With acid enteritis , the pet’s stool has a frothy discharge. This is caused by the increased formation of gases and disruption of the entire digestive system. In this case, the cat bends over with spasms, emits a plaintive meow and behaves restlessly.

With alkaline enteritis , the animal is in an apathetic and depressed state.The cat refuses food. A whitish coating appears on the tongue, there is a sharp and unpleasant odor from the mouth.

Diagnostics

Only a veterinarian can make a diagnosis. To do this, he collects anamnesis (information about the disease) and carefully asks the owner of the cat. Be prepared to tell your veterinarian about the onset of the disease, the signs and condition of your pet’s feces.

If an external examination is not enough to make a diagnosis, then a laboratory analysis of feces is carried out.If a viral or bacterial nature of the disease is suspected, the specialist makes a bacterial culture.

Having received all the research and analysis data, the veterinarian draws up a program for the treatment of enteritis in a cat. It counts:

• pet age,
• health status,
• enteritis form,
• the presence of concomitant diseases.

Diagnostics takes no more than 1-2 days.

What can be enteritis in cats?

Enteritis in cats can be bacterial or viral. Bacterial Enteritis develops when an animal becomes infected with salmonellosis, tuberculosis, or other infections that affect the gastrointestinal tract.

Viral enteritis develops when certain groups of viruses (for example, rotavirus) enter the body. It is divided into several more types that are important to determine when diagnosing the disease: parvovirus , coronavirus and rotavirus .

A pet can become infected with viral enteritis through contact with sick animals. For example, through a common tray, bowl or toys. Even the owner himself can “bring” enteritis from the street, if particles of a sick animal’s excrement remain on the sole of the shoe.

Parvovirus enteritis

Parvovirus enteritis is extremely dangerous for cats. It is highly infectious, but cannot be transmitted to humans. Leads to severe damage to the digestive system, intoxication and dehydration of the whole body.

In a cat infected with parvovirus enteritis or gastroenteritis, general health worsens. The mucous membranes turn pale, there is dryness in the mouth. The urge to urinate is reduced, but there is increased thirst.

Other signs of parvovirus enteritis:

• decrease in the level of leukocytes in the blood,
• power failure,
• increase in body temperature,
• general depressed state,
• frequent vomiting.

No specific antiviral therapy has been developed, so treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms. After recovery, the animal remains a carrier of the infection for 6-8 weeks, therefore it is dangerous to other cats.

Coronavirus

Feline coronavirus enteritis is moderately infectious. This means that your pet may not get sick from contact with a sick animal, as long as it has a strong immune system and does not have other serious illnesses.

Elderly cats and kittens up to 4 months old are at a special risk group, because their body is weakened and cannot resist infectious diseases.

The main symptom of coronavirus enteritis is diarrhea. Moreover, it can be frequent: up to 5-7 times a day. Fragments of food and mucus will be present in the feces. There is no specific treatment, so all procedures are aimed only at eliminating symptoms.

Feline coronavirus enteritis is not dangerous for humans . Animals are another matter. A cat that has had this infection will remain its carrier for life. This means that the animal can be a potential source of infection for other pets.

Another feature of coronavirus enteritis is the likelihood of the pathogen mutating into a virus that can cause the development of infectious peritonitis. This rarely happens, but in any case, you need to be as careful and attentive as possible!

Rotavirus

Other types of gastroenteritis can also cause diarrhea in cats. One of them is rotavirus. Most often it occurs in kittens up to 6-8 months, since their body is weakened and unable to resist infectious diseases.

Symptoms of rotavirus gastroenteritis are similar to the coronavirus form. The incubation period is 1 to 5 days. There is diarrhea, complete lack of appetite, loss of energy, vomiting (especially after food and water).

Rotavirus enteritis is a treatable disease. However, veterinary care for the kitten should be provided as soon as possible, so if you suspect you should immediately contact the clinic.

Treatment of enteritis: methods and preparations

Treatment for coronavirus, parvovirus or other forms of enteritis is aimed at eliminating or relieving symptoms .The first thing that the veterinarian prescribes is infusion therapy (dropper). It is necessary to eliminate dehydration that occurs with diarrhea and vomiting.

The cat is given droppers with saline and vitamin solutions. The most commonly used normal saline solution (sodium chloride solution 0.9%). It removes dehydration, reduces stress on the kidneys, and increases blood pressure.

Further treatment is developed individually, depending on the condition of the cat:

• When a secondary bacterial infection is detected, occurring against the background of enteritis, antibiotics are prescribed.
• Antiemetic drugs are prescribed for vomiting, and it is important to ensure that they are taken in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations.
• In the absence of intestinal motility, prokinetics are prescribed, which stimulate gastrointestinal motility and accelerate the movement of processed food through the digestive system.

Diet for cats with enteritis

Hungry diet. It is prescribed in the first 1-2 days after the start of treatment. Involves a complete rejection of any feed.The main thing is to provide the cat with free access to clean drinking water. We recommend using boiled water at room temperature.

Gentle diet . The first meal is boiled oatmeal. It gently envelops the intestinal wall due to its slimy texture, therefore improves its peristalsis and restores damaged mucous membranes.

If the cat has already begun to recover, start adding some minced meat to the diet. Choose lean meats (chicken, turkey).Then gradually introduce other foods into the diet, avoiding unwanted foods. Prohibited foods for cats are:

• pork,
• bones,
• sausages,
• canned fish and meat,
• liver,
• raw meat and fish,
• salted, fatty and smoked products.

Remember to act quickly in case of enteritis.