DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS

Digestive problems (vomiting, diarrhea, or not eating) are among the most common pet ailments.  Information and advice on some common digestive ailments appears below:

TREATING DIARRHEA AT HOME

Not an appealing topic perhaps, but diarrhea is one of the most common minor health problems of dogs.  The causes are many, but when the dog is eating and diarrhea has persisted for only  a day or two, treatment is pretty much the same regardless of cause.  Understanding diarrhea helps in selecting the right treatment.  Diarrhea may result from food moving thru the digestive tract too quickly, allowing undigested food to irritate the lower bowel.  Diarrhea also involves secretion of fluid and mucus secretions INTO the intestine; a dog can have lots of watery diarrhea even when it is not eating or drinking, which is why dehydration can occur so rapidly with severe diarrhea.  Treatment involves both slowing down the intestine and encouraging absorption of fluids from the intestine back into the body.

 HOME REMEDIES FOR DIARRHEA:  Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol can be used to coat and soothe the intestine, especially if physical irritation has caused the diarrhea (such as the dog that ate a pine cone), but human studies have shown that these do not actually reduce the volume of diarrhea at all.  The dose is 1 teaspoon per 20 pounds, given 3-4 times daily.  Immodium AD is a stronger medicine, and the only over-the-counter medicine that has any actual anti-diarrheal effect.  Dose is 1 teaspoon  per 40 pounds.   The most effective treatment for acute diarrhea is to get the dog to drink generous amounts of liquids containing  dilute amounts of electrolytes, starch, and protein; chicken soup fits the bill!  Chicken noodle or chicken rice soup can be used, diluted approximately 50% more than the usual directions indicate.  This soup should be offered to drink as often as possible.  This will replace the lost fluids, as well as relieving cramps and stopping the secretion of fluids into the intestine.

 FOOD:  Removing all solid food for 24 hours (or 12 hours in  a puppy) is the important first step to controlling diarrhea.  If the intestinal contents are moving thru  the gut too rapidly, the food will be poorly digested, the dog won’t absorb the nutrients, and the undigested food will  irritate the lower intestine.  When starting the dog back on food the following day, use a very bland and soothing diet.  Rice and cottage cheese (2 parts rice, 1 part cottage cheese) is the best, as rice has beneficial effects on diarrhea.

 WATER:  Water should be given at all times.  When diarrhea occurs, fluids are secreted from the intestinal lining, resulting in rapid fluid loss and dehydration.  Plain water is acceptable, but soup (see above) or Gatorade or Pedialyte are absorbed more rapidly and have other beneficial effects.

 CAUSES:  In cases of routine diarrhea the cause if often hard to identify, but diagnosis must be pursued if the dog is not eating or if diarrhea perists more than 2 days.  A sample of the feces should be checked microscopically for intestinal parasites (worms, Giardia, coccidia) to rule out these common causes.  Abnormal bacteria or viruses  may also play a role.  Ingestion of indigestible material is always a good possibility, as well as changes in food or exposure to spoiled food materials.  In many cases a specific cause is not found, and treatment must be directed at the symptoms of loose stool, fecal accidents, and dehydration.

PANCREATITIS

Pancreatitis is a serious disease that can show many different symptoms and requires proper diagnostic tests and treatment.  The pancreas is a digestive gland that lies along the stomach and the duodenum (the upper part of the intestine).  This gland produces the digestive enzymes that enable the animal to digest food in the intestine.  The cells that produce insulin are also found in this gland.  In addition, the bile duct that connects the gall bladder and liver to the intestine run through  the pancreas.

Pancreatitis is caused when the pancreas becomes inflammed.  The most common trigger for creating this disease is the ingestion of a high-fat meal or table scraps.  Once the pancreas is inflamed, the tiny packets of digestive enzymes that are normally released into the intestine leak out of the cells, “digesting” nearby pancreas  tissue, causing other cells to release their enzymes and causing an explosive inflammation of the gland and all of the other organs surrounding it.  Middle-aged dogs, particularly females, are most susceptible to this disease.

Symptoms of pancreatitis vary, but vomiting and abdominal pain are most common.  Diarrhea or lack of appetite can also occur.  Because these are symptoms that are common in many milder diseases, laboratory tests and x-rays or ultrasound are often used to diagnose pancreatitis.

Treatment of pancreatitis includes fasting (since anything taken into the stomach stimulates the production of more digestive enzymes, food aggravates the inflammation and damage), intravenous fluids, and antibiotics.  In moderate to severe cases, hospitalization is always required, since treatment is intensive and the disease can worsen rapidly at any time.

Prevention of pancreatitis is important, since dogs that have had pancreatitis once seem  inclined to get it again.  Feeding a low-fat diet  and scrupulously avoiding table scraps, cat food, or any other high-fat foods is an absolute necessity.  Some medications may increase the risk of pancreatitis, so check with your veterinarian to see if your dog’s medications are safe to use in the pancreatitis patient.

With proper care and careful attention to diet, most dogs recover from pancreatitis with no long-term effects.

POISONOUS PLANTS TO AVOID

There are a number of common plants which may be toxic to dogs and cats and should be avoided. These include:

Arum lily                                Autumn crocus                                         Australian Flame tree                                           Avacado

Azalea  Baneberry                 Bird of paradise                                       Bishop’s weed

Black Laurel                         Black Locust                                             Bleeding heart                                                     Bloodroot

Bluebonnet                          Blue-green algae                                       Boxwood                                                             Bracken fern

Buckthorn                            Bulb flowers                                              Burdock                                                              Cacao

Camel Bush                        Caladium                                                  Calla Lily                                                             Cardinal flower

Chalice                               Cherry Tree                                              Chinaberry Tree                                                  Clematis

Cocklebur                           Coffee                                                      Coral plant                                                           Coriander

Dieffenbachia                     Tobacco                                                   Yews                                                                   Elderberry

Elephant ear (taro)             Eucalyptus                                               Euonymus                                                          False hellebore

Flame tree                          Felt plant                                                  Firethorn                                                             Four o’clock

Foxglove                             Glottidium                                                Golden Chain                                                      Ground Cherry

Heaths                               Heliotrope                                                 Hemlock                                                              Henbane

Holly                                   Honeysuckle                                            Horse Chestnut                                                   Horsetail

Hydrangea                         English Ivy                                               Jasmine                                                               Jimsonweed

Red Maple                         Larkspur                                                  Lily of the Valley                                                    Easter Lily

Lupine                               Marijuana                                                 Mandrake                                                              Mexican poppy

Milkweed                           Vetch                                                       Yellow jasmine                                                      Mistletoe

Mock orange                     Monkshood                                              Moonseed                                                             Morning Glory

Mountain Laurel                Mushrooms                                             Nightshades                                                         Oak

Oleander                          Periwinkle                                                Philodendron                                                        Pigweed

Poinciana                         Poinsettia                                                 Poison Ivy                                                            Poison Oak

Pokeweed                        Potato Shoots                                          Privet                                                                   Pyricantha

Rain Tree                         Ranunculus(Buttercup)                           Rape                                                                    Lantana

Rhubarb leaves               Rhododendron                                         Skunk cabbage                                                    Sorrel

Snowdrop                        Spurges                                                   Sweet Pea                                                            Tansy

Wisteria

MOST COMMON POISONINGS include all Lilies, flower bulbs (especially Daffodils), Azaleas and Rhododendrons (cause stomach irritation, but normally have an unpleasant taste that prevents pets from ingesting them), Poinsettias, Buttercups, Dieffenbachia, and Areca Palms (a favorite chewing item of cats).

OTHER COMMON PLANT and FOOD POISONS:  Grapes and raisins in large amounts can cause fatal kidney failure in dogs.  Chocolate may cause siezures and death, but dogs vary a lot in their sensitivity to the caffeine-like effects of chocolate.  Similarly, coffee beans should be avoided by pets.  Tobacco products can also have serious effects if eaten.  High-fat foods may cause dogs to develop pancreatitis or other health problems.  In the vegetable garden, tomato and potato plants contain harmful toxins.