Pets like cats and dogs experience digestive problems mostly vomiting and diarrhea. It is mostly due to some simple digestive issues or can even be serious problems like a cancer or a foreign particle in the gastrointestinal tract. But most of the time such digestive problems in pets is due to a different food inclusion in the diet, external virus or bacteria or even some other substance consumed by the dog that leads to an upset stomach.
What Happens in Your Pet’s Gut During Diarrhea?
As in humans, toxins find its way into the gut of animals too. Vomiting and diarrhea is mostly due to the body’s effort to flush out the toxins. When the digestive functioning of the gut is affected, the bad bacteria that thrives in small amounts, realize the malfunctioning and begin multiplying. These bacterias function by producing toxins inside the gut of the animal. They act upon the lining of the small finger like projections called villi present inside the digestive tract. Excessive secretion of gastric fluids are caused by the signal triggered in the villi by the toxins to remove it out of the system. This eventually leads to diarrhea. There is a good quantity of water loss caused as a result of diarrhea and this can lead to dehydration and will adversely affect the intestinal activity too.
Diarrhea symptoms are mostly temporary and it works like the body’s natural response to ward off toxins. The symptoms usually last only for a little while, but if it lasts for more than 12 hours, then it can be detrimental the health of the animal. Steps have to taken to prevent dehydration at an early stage. If the symptoms persist, then the pet has to be taken to a veterinary doctor to ensure proper treatment to prevent damages to the health.
Maintain a Good Feeding Habit
We all love our pets and some of the pet owners show their love by feeding their pets with table food. There are food specific for each breed of dogs and it is always recommended to have a good diet plan for your dog. This will consist of the right kind of dog food and even vegetables. Meat can form a part of the dog diet, but not more than 10% of the meal. If you are feeding your poodle with a big piece of steak, you could be doing as much damage as feeding a human with 5 pieces of steak. The animal faces a problem of breaking down such a huge volume of protein.
Excessive Feeding
The amount of food that a dog eats is mostly based on calories and not in quantities as in humans. It has a natural tendency to make up for the calorie loss in its meals. Due to excessive feeding, the mutt might end up eating more than it requires and this will lead to an upset stomach. It will do more harm than good, therefore it is best to stick to a proper diet regimen for your dog.
Foreign Substance in the Gut
All animals have an instinct to eat what they see. Dogs are easily fascinated by colorful substances and in the first playful year of the pet’s life, they are mostly prone to ingesting plastics covers and small toys. Mostly, they are not a reason for concern as it is easily eliminated by the system. But this is not the case always. Sometimes these small obstructive substances stay in the digestive tract without flushing out and thus leads to vomiting. In some cases they stay in the digestive tract and has to be removed surgically. One of the solutions is to provide your pet with safe toys and even changing the environment around them to void off such choking materials. At any time, if you feel that your pet is facing a problem of obstruction, please take it to a nearby veterinary hospital immediately.
Anxiety
You might wonder how and why an animal would have to face stress or anxiety. Stress is a common problem faced by most pets which is usually caused by a change in the location, food or daily routine. The animal may reflect to such changes in lifestyle in the form of diarrhea. The pet owner will have to take care to prevent such situations which might induce stress in the animal. Pheromone doses can be used to control the stress level in such conditions. Probiotics can also help to counter the effect of stress in the digestive tract. The animal can be put on a dose of these probiotics before or after a stress situation.
Disease Conditions
A problem in the gut system of the dog can also have pathological reasons. Viruses, bacteria and parasites that find its way into the digestive tract of the pet can cause diarrhea and vomiting. Typical treatments can be administered initially but if it doesn't cure, then you will have to take to a veterinary doctor to get a proper treatment.
Helping Your Dog Recover
There are some simple tips that you can follow to help your dog recover from a diarrhea and vomiting situation. Some over the counter coating agents like Kaopectate can help in slowing the fluid loss and thus prevents dehydration. Dehydration can lead to electrolyte imbalance and this can be replaced with electrolyte solutions. Replenishing the gut flora by administering probiotics for dogs can help in regaining the normal digestive functioning. Certain antibiotics can kill the useful bacteria in the dog GI tract and this kind of antibiotic-induced digestive problems can be relieved by probiotics.
Dogs are like family members and their treatment in the right time can maintain them in good health. Digestive problems are very common in dogs, but they have to be taken to a doctor in case of prolonged disease symptom. Proper care can ensure that easy recovery.
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