Diarrhea in Pets:

Pet health issues are great in number and one of them is pet diarrhea. It accounts for the majority of pet owners’ visits to veterinarians. Just like human beings, animals are also prone to it. It is a condition characterized by frequent watery stools. This could be a result of the sensitive digestive system or a one off problem. Whatever the case, it implies that something is not right and requires quick action to firm up those stools. Diarrhea is said to originate from either the small intestine or large intestine. This is further classified into acute or short term duration and chronic or long term duration. The reasons for diarrhea are varied and differ from species to species. They normally occur when different dissolved substances gather in the intestine. This causes too much to come into the intestine. So if your pet eats something that its stomach is unable to absorb, the overload in the intestine could lead to diarrhea. It may also occur due to bacteria, viruses, internal parasites or food allergies. Sometimes pets may eat food that contains toxic substances which causes diarrhea. Eating spoiled food from the garbage, eating table scraps or a change in pet food could be some of the other reasons.

You should also note that that frequent bowel movements may not necessarily mean that the pet is suffering from diarrhea. It is possible for your pet to have two to three bowel movements per day. You should be concerned only when the fecal water in the bowel movement is excessive. If your young pet is suffering from diarrhea you need to rush to the veterinarian as they are more at risk. For adult pets, food may be withheld for 12 to 24 hours and can be started with small portions of meals and then checked upon if the diarrhea has stopped. However, in case of blood, greasy feces or any foreign objects being passed, a visit to a veterinarian is obligatory. The consistency of the feces and its color can help in diagnosis of diarrhea. Therefore, a watch on the same is required. Always ensure that your pet is on a healthy balanced diet. Make sure that your pet consumes highly digestible food with less than 1 percent of fiber. This is especially necessary after the pet has suffered from diarrhea. Pet health care is important and you seek your pet’s health information by visiting a veterinarian.