Acute Gastroenteritis (Stomach Flu)

• Frequent, acute diarrhea: This is the most common symptom. The dog may need to go outside frequently or have “accidents” indoors. The diarrhea can be brown or yellowish, with a liquid texture, and sometimes oily droplets or traces of blood caused by irritation in the colon and rectum.
• Vomiting: Often occurs alongside diarrhea or alone. The vomit may be clear, yellow, or brown, often accompanied by abdominal contractions indicating effort.
• Stomach pain, gas, and cramping

In most cases, the dog will appear fine, aside from the symptoms mentioned above. Severe cases of inflammation or dehydration may include decreased appetite, depression, and lack of vitality.

• Most cases are diagnosed based on clinical signs alone. Most cases of acute gastroenteritis will be resolved without treatment outside of supportive care, especially if signs only include diarrhea and the dog seems otherwise healthy and active. However, if additional symptoms such as ongoing vomiting, bloody stools, loss of appetite, or lethargy appear, it’s essential to contact your veterinarian as soon as possible to prevent a more severe condition or dehydration.
• Physical examination at the clinic includes taking vital signs, an abdominal examination, and a rectal examination.
• If diarrhea lasts more than a day or two, a stool test checks the presence of parasites or bacteria.
• While blood tests and imaging usually don’t show significant signs of acute gastroenteritis, they can help rule out more serious issues.

Prevention:

• Vaccinations are the most important preventive measure since some cases are caused by viruses like Parvo, Distemper, and Adenovirus. In vaccinated dogs, we can either prevent these infections or ensure they only result in mild, temporary illness. However, in unvaccinated dogs, especially puppies under a year old, severe and even fatal illness might occur.
• Regular deworming treatments, especially at a young age, are crucial to prevent parasite-related diarrhea.
• Raw chicken and beef are often contaminated with bacteria. Only feed them food to dogs with proper cooking.
• Consuming garbage and carrion or drinking from puddles or contaminated water sources can lead to acute intestinal infections. Keep an eye on your dog to ensure they stay away from such dangers.

Treatment:

• Hydration: Dogs often recover from acute gastroenteritis without treatment and do not suffer from complications in most cases. Still, ensure your dog has access to fresh water to prevent dehydration, a common complication. If vomiting is ongoing, do not allow excessive drinking and seek veterinary advice.
• Supportive feeding: Cooked grains like rice or pasta can help your dog firm up stool and ease symptoms. On the other hand, it’s best to avoid fatty or rich foods. You can add a little yogurt or unseasoned, low sodium chicken broth to encourage eating.
• Probiotics and prebiotics, given as supplements or medical food, can speed up recovery by assisting the dog’s natural gut flora.
• Intravenous or subcutaneous (under-skin) fluid administration treats significant fluid loss, which can lead to dehydration.
• Medications can treat irritation or suspected damage to the digestive system.
• Anti-nausea medication is needed when frequent vomiting might lead to dehydration.
• Based on lab test results, antibiotics or deworming treatment are chosen when diarrhea is caused by infections, especially with bloody stool.