If your pet's digestion has deteriorated, vomiting and diarrhea has appeared or the dog whines, then this is an occasion to seek help from a veterinarian. No need to wait for everything to go by itself. As a rule, such symptoms mean one thing - gastroenteritis in dogs. We will study this disease in more detail and see how to properly cure it.
Why does the disease appear
Gastroenteritis in dogs primarily affects the mucous membrane of the stomach and entire intestines. In severe cases of the disease, the serous and muscle layers begin to suffer. If the treatment is completely absent or has been prescribed by an unqualified doctor, then subsequently you can get complications that affect the kidneys, liver and heart. And ultimately, all this will lead to death.
The main causes of the disease are the following factors:
- irregular feeding;
- low-quality, spicy, fatty foods;
- ingestion of salts of heavy metals;
- taking certain medications;
- food allergy.
Very often gastroenteritis in dogs is manifested due to infectious diseases.
Kind of disease
Judging by how this disease can occur, veterinarians classify gastroenteritis into several types:
- diphtheria;
- purulent:
- croupous;
- hemorrhagic;
- phlegmonous;
- mucous membranous;
- mixed.
Three additional types are also distinguished:
- primary;
- secondary;
- chronic.
The main source of the occurrence of this ailment in pets is food. The absence of microelements and vitamins in it, constant overeating and cheap low-quality feed lead to the fact that in the stomach in dogs the fermentation begins. Even if your pet eats exclusively high-quality products, there is a risk that the animal will pick up something on the street, and this can cause poisoning, allergies, and then the dog develops gastroenteritis. Treatment in this case should be effective and started immediately.
Secondary gastroenteritis is formed after the development of infectious diseases, helminthic invasions, hemostasis and caprostasis.
Parvovirus gastroenteritis
This disease is considered one of the most dangerous, which can only affect the gastrointestinal tract. Gastroenteritis in dogs of this species appeared not so long ago, but many cases of infection have already been recorded in the Russian Federation, Japan, Great Britain, North America and in Europe.
Scientists have proven that the virus develops due to pathogens that die only after boiling. If this type of disease affects the health of an adult dog, then there is a chance that the pet can recover. Small puppies, as a rule, die from parvovirus gastroenteritis. The main peak of disease activity occurs in spring and summer. The decline begins in late autumn, when the first frost sets in.
Most often, the infection comes from a sick dog that releases pathogenic bacteria along with feces and vomiting. Their highest concentration occurs on the third day after contact.
Coronovirus gastroenteritis
If your pet has weak immunity, then it is at risk of infection. This disease is also transmitted from a sick dog to a healthy one. When infected in the gastrointestinal tract of the animal, an inflammatory process forms, which is additionally accompanied by depletion and dehydration of the body. The disease can take place in three ways:
- spicy;
- super sharp;
- hidden.
With a super-acute form, the puppy can live only about two days, then death occurs. The acute course of the disease is accompanied by:
- vomiting
- diarrhea;
- impurities of blood in urine and feces.
The latent form disappears with almost no symptoms, and intestinal disorders can be mistaken for ordinary indigestion.
How to identify a disease
If you suspect gastroenteritis, the symptoms in dogs in this case are as follows:
- High body temperature (in a dog, it can reach 41 degrees).
- Fever.
- Lethargy.
- The skin becomes less elastic (this occurs due to dehydration).
- Eye sinking.
- The dog whines.
- Intensified gas formation with belching.
- Colic in the stomach.
- Fast weight loss.
- Vomiting and diarrhea.
- Bad breath in a dog.
- The presence of blood in the stool.
The last symptom indicates that gastroenteritis in dogs develops directly in the rectum. If the stool has black or dark brown spots, then this indicates the development of the disease in the small intestine.
Home Ambulance
If a dog has found at least one symptom from the list, then the first thing you should do is call a doctor. It is impossible to cure gastroenteritis on its own and in most cases is fatal. Surely the dog will refuse food and drink. Do not force her. Better measure the temperature in the anus of the animal.
If the dog has diarrhea and vomiting lasted too long, then the pet has probably already begun to dehydrate the body. In this case, the first aid to the dog is provided with a medical solution that can be prepared at home according to the following recipe:
- litere of water;
- 4 grams of rock salt;
- 3 grams of baking soda;
- 2 grams of potassium chloride;
- 20 grams of sugar or glucose.
The prepared solution is given to the dog in portions at the rate of: 1 kg of weight 40 grams of solution. You can buy dry powder at the pharmacy to prepare such a drink. Drinking lasts until diarrhea stops.
Treatment
To defeat this ailment, not only various medications should be used, but also the right diet. Treatment begins as soon as one of the symptoms appears.
Medicines
For therapy, the following series of drugs are used:
- Antimicrobial drugs. These include: Biseptolum, Phthalazoleum, Trichopolum and antibiotics. To remove pathogenic microbes from the body of the pet, Imodium and Levometsitin are used.
- Enema to cleanse the body. They will help remove all toxins. For the solution, a decoction of chamomile and St. John's wort, potassium permanganate, boric acid or furatsilin is used. 30-40 minutes after cleansing, the dog is given a nutrient solution, for example, meat broth, rice broth or milk.
- Adsorbents, for example, activated carbon, are required.
- So that diarrhea does not appear again, give astringents. These include oak bark, tannins, a string or bird cherry.
- Means with enveloping effect: "Phosphalugel" or a decoction of flax seeds.
- If the pet’s body is severely depleted, then Ringer’s solution can be injected directly into the rectum.
- Mandatory vitamin therapy.
- It is necessary to take care of antihistamines. These include Suprastin, Kestin, or Diazolin.
- The dog needs to take a course of sedatives, namely, No-Shpa, Almagel, Besalol or belladonna infusion.
An experienced veterinarian must necessarily develop an individual dog treatment, depending on the severity of the disease, weight and other individual indicators.
Therapeutic diet
Without proper nutrition, taking medications alone will not help a four-legged friend. If the dog has an appetite, that’s good. But do not immediately begin to stuff the animal with food. On the first day, the pet should have access only to water and medicinal solutions. Then you can gradually introduce meat broths and decoctions of flax and chaga.
After two days have passed, you can introduce boiled eggs. For an adult animal, about 2-3 pieces per day. After another 3-4 days, you can cook rice or oatmeal in meat broth. You can also add a little low-fat mincemeat to it.
Five days later, dairy products are returned to the diet. You can cook porridge. After a couple of days, the dog can eat boiled vegetables. The usual diet can be returned 10 days after the start of complex treatment.
In order for the diet to give its positive results, it is worth familiarizing yourself with some additional recommendations:
- Servings should be small. You need to feed the dog often, about 6 times a day.
- The amount of salt and trace elements should remain in the diet.
- You cannot feed peas, beans, bones, and raw vegetables throughout the month.
- Do not let the dog eat grass and pick up foreign objects.
- During the entire treatment period, a four-legged friend should be observed daily by a veterinarian.
How to distinguish a disease from an allergy
The dog's temperature has risen - what should I do? It is not necessary to immediately panic that the pet has gastroenteritis. Perhaps this is just a food allergy. It may appear on the following products:
- eggs
- horse meat;
- beef;
- raw fish;
- cereal protein.
If the dog has diarrhea and vomiting, this may also indicate an allergy. In this case, you need to quickly identify the product and exclude it from the diet. It is better to use fowl or young veal for feeding animals. Also, some pets are susceptible to rice and buckwheat.
The consequences of gastroenteritis
Parasites that are populated in the intestines of the dog adversely affect its further development. And puppies, instead of gaining weight and actively behaving, remain thin, frequent diarrhea is also observed. In this case, do not neglect the use of anthelmintic drugs.
In principle, the disease goes away easily, without any particular complications. It is worth remembering that the consequences can be very diverse. It is not recommended for dog breeders to diagnose and treat gastroenteritis on their own. If a dog has bad breath, the temperature will tell you what to do in this case, only a doctor.
The transferred gastroenteritis forms good immunity for long term in four-legged friends. The bitch will pass it through breast milk to future offspring. Puppies will be immune to the virus for about three months. After this period they must be vaccinated.