Monday, October 09, 2006

What to do about Diarrhea

I see a variety of pets with a number of problems..But Diarrhea is at the TOP of the list.

Fortunately, most cases of diarrhea are caused by dietary indescrations, and some SIMPLE, SAFE Home Remedies can help you avoid a trip to the Vet.

Here is what I advise.


FLUID..Ensure that your pet doesn't get dehydrated.

You can assess hydration status by checking their gums.

Lift up the lips, and place your finger on the gums. If the gums are dry and tacky, then your pet is dehydrated.

Skin Tent is another method. Gently pinch the skin behind the head over the shoulder blades forming a tent. It should rapidly return to normal within 2 seconds. If the gums are dry and the skin tent is prolonged, then your pet is dehydrated and needs fluid.

I find an electrolyte solution, such as Pedialyte is best. You can force it in with a syringe or Turkey Baster. Give a 10lb cat 1 tablespoon ( 25ml) at a time. A 40lb dog should get 100ml or approx 1/2 a cup. This can be repeated every 4 hours. The daily fluid needs for a 40 lb dog are 4 cups.


24 HOUR FAST. Stop putting food into your pet for 24 hours (Day 1). This allows the intestines to rest and regenerate. Always have access to plenty of fresh water.

After 24 hours, introduce a bland food for the next 24 hours (Day 2). Plain cooked white rice for dogs, feeding equivalent cups of rice as their normal diet. For cats, protein is essential, try cooked chicken breast with the rice.

After a day of the bland food mix ½ regular diet and ½ bland diet (Day 3). By the end of Day 3, they should be back on their normal diet.


HOMEOPATHIC. Nux vomica is good for the entire intestinal tract. Use the 30C potency giving 2-3 tablets twice daily as needed.


HUMAN REMEDIES. PeptoBismal is an old standby that can be effective for dogs. The dog dose is 1ml/10lbs of body weight given three times daily for no more than 7 days. Immodium (Loperamide) is the only safe over-the-counter anti-diarrhea drug for cats: give .25mg/10lbs of body weight three times daily for 2 days (it comes as a liquid of 1mg/5ml, meaning you can give 1ml to a 10lb cat three times daily); dogs can get .5mg/10lbs three times daily (give your 40 lb dog one 2mg tablet three times daily).

--this is from Dr Jones who has a great book on home remedies for dogs and cats - check it out at this link: Vet Secrets

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

That was a very informative article on pet diarrhea. vivyland.

Thanx,
Another pet lover
tosa inu

8:23 AM  

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