Pet care advice about Vomiting and Diarrhoea
Can be caused by a variety of factors and it is important that if persists for longer than 24 hours or is particularly frequent or severe then we should examine your animal. Please note that if your dog is going through the motions of being sick and NOT producing ANY vomit or seems very depressed or has a swollen belly then you should contact us straight away. Make sure you animal has access to water or an electrolyte solution designed for animals. If your animal is keen to eat follow the advice below for feeding through diarrhoea – small, bland meals, little and often.
It is important that we should see the animal if the diarrhoea:-
Has lasted longer than 2 days
Has blood present
Is black and tarry looking
The animal is depressed and unresponsive The animal has started vomiting with increased frequency
The animal is very young
The following symptoms should be noted:-
Frequency of diarrhoea?
How many times per day?
How long has your dog had diarrhoea for?
Are there secondary symptoms such as vomiting, straining?
Does your dog appear bright, or collapsed?
Is there blood or mucus in the diarrhoea?
What colour is the diarrhoea; brown, orange, green?
What is the consistency/thickness of the diarrhoea?
The general rule is that if the diarrhoea has lasted less than 48 hours and if your dog is reasonably bright, then probably there is not too much to worry about.
In these cases we recommend the following treatment for diarrhoea:-
1. FEED THROUGH THE DIARRHOEA, LITTLE AND OFTEN, BLAND MEALS
We no longer recommend starving for 24 hours in cases of diarrhoea. This is because the intestines get most of their energy from the eaten food and therefore stopping feeding can limit the intestines food supply and therefore their ability to heal quickly.
Initially you should start with a LIGHT DIET such as Hills I/D or Royal Canin Digestive diet which are obtainable from us, and are specifically designed for diarrhoea cases. They contain all the correct nutrient requirements for your pet, and save you the bother of preparing fresh food for each meal.
Alternatively, you can feed a white meat diet (chicken or fish, steamed or boiled) combined with plain boiled rice or pasta. Regardless of which diet you choose, it is important to feed little and often, small meals.
As long as the diarrhoea continues to lessen, the size of the meals can be slowly increased. Normal food can be reintroduced after about four or five days. Again, do this gradually over several days, mixing the normal food in with the bland diet. If you try and short-cut this procedure you may well upset things and be back where you started!
2. PROBIOTICS - We also recommend using probiotics for cases of diarrhoea - using probiotics replaces the natural bacteria found in the gut. These are products which you can buy thorough ourselves without needing a veterinary appointment. Please call reception if you would like to purchase these.
3. WATER - Access to plenty of fresh water or an electrolyte solution such as Lectade ® should be available at all times. Animals often need to drink more than normal if they have diarrhoea to replace the liquid being lost in their faeces. Give water at room temperature.
It is important that if the animal is not responding to treatment, or you find any further signs developing (e.g. vomiting) you should contact us.