Enteritis in dogs is an acute course of the inflammatory process in the mucous membrane of the small intestine, which is characterized by a very strong intoxication of the body. In most cases, problems with the digestive tract and heart are added here. Puppies are at risk, although adults can also get sick. And the lack of timely and correct treatment leads to the death of a pet in 100% of situations.
Circumstances of Enteritis in Dogs
There are several main reasons a dog can get this disease.
Vaccination not done
All puppies must be vaccinated against enteritis. Otherwise, he can pick up the infection even at home (for example, sniffing the owner’s shoes).
Power problems
Enteritis in dogs occurs due to improper nutrition quite often. Too hot, or vice versa, cold food, that is, sharp temperature changes, can serve this. In such a situation, the dog’s intestines, stomach and small intestine become inflamed. It is also not recommended to feed your pet too seasoned food, or with the addition of components that even a person is undesirable to eat. Also, this ailment can provoke a sharp change in diet, too early weaning of the puppy from the mother, poisoning, and so on.
Immune system problems
There is no need to say much here, the weaker the pet’s health, the more vulnerable it is to a number of lurking diseases.
The presence of worms
It is recommended to etch parasites in the dog’s body from time to time, otherwise their presence in the body weakening the immune system and disrupting the work of digestion will lead to an inflammatory process in the mucous membrane of the digestive system, and one of the results may be enteritis.
Forms of canine enteritis
In general, the disease is divided into two subspecies.
- parvovirus
- coronavirus
- and mixed type, which combines bacterial and any non-infectious disease.
The most dangerous for a pet is the viral type. Once in the body of an animal, the parvovirus begins to multiply with lightning speed, destroying the intestinal mucosa in a fairly short period of time, erosion and necrotization occurs. In parallel, the disease enslaves the heart of the animal, destroying the cells of the myocardium. Another unpleasant news is that the infection “eats away” the walls of blood vessels by changing the composition of the animal’s blood. The worst thing is that the whole process takes very little time, and by the time the first signs appear, terrible and lethal changes, as a rule, are already coping with their task. The intoxication is so strong that the dog dies in the first days after infection.
The coronavirus is less aggressive, but no less dangerous. It does not affect the work of the heart, but at the same time, if the treatment is not started on time, the pet will die. The incubation period is 2 to 10 days. The infection does not respond to temperature changes and various disinfectants. In this regard, viruses can remain active for up to six months.
Enteritis symptoms in dogs
Whatever form of the disease enslaves the pet, the symptoms usually appear as follows:
- frequent vomiting and diarrhea
- a rather unpleasant smell after the dog goes to the toilet
- lack of appetite and subsequently exhaustion
- lethargy and lethargy (the dog is often sleepy)
At the same time, if the pet has cardiac enteritis, you can add to the above signs:
- rapid pulse
- constantly cold paws
- mucous membranes are very pale with a bluish tinge
With intestinal enteritis
- the dog’s belly will growl
- appetite may persist, but most likely until a certain point
- she will have general body weakness
- the temperature usually does not change, and if it is raised, then not much
- also the dog will feel pain when touching its belly
Note: it is not recommended to self-medicate, because it can harm the pet and be fatal. It is impossible to independently determine the form of the disease; such a diagnosis is carried out in a veterinary clinic by specialist doctors. Therefore, it is extremely important to take the dog for examination and consultation as soon as possible.
How to protect the animal?
Once again, viral enteritis in dogs is very, very serious. As far as possible, you need to do everything necessary to protect it.
- do not allow a pet to come into contact with other people’s dogs on the street (after all, even the fact that he sniffs an infected animal is enough), as well as their waste
- even asphalt, grass, earth, etc. are dangerous. The dog can step on the infected area, then lick the paw, and the job is done. Of course, it is very difficult, but there is a way out, you can, for example, no matter how funny it sounds, buy shoes for the dog.
- and pets also love to play, but again it is not advisable to play games with foreign objects, sticks, and other things, because they can be infected
You also need to monitor the cleanliness of the house, do not walk around the apartment in outdoor shoes, take off outerwear only in the corridor. After all, if you do not follow the precautions, then you can bring the infection into the house, and give the pet to her on a silver platter.
Viral enteritis in dogs and its treatment
In general, it does not matter what type of disease the pet has. There is only one goal – to save the dog. So, the method of treatment consists primarily in the fact that the pet is taken to a specialist for examination, and any more or less self-treatment at home is excluded. Therapy is usually prescribed complex and implies
- destruction of infection
- preventing pet dehydration
- stop vomiting
- elimination of toxins and poisons from the body
- activation of the immune system
- normalization of the digestive tract and heart
Note: during therapy, in most cases, a course of injections is prescribed, due to the fact that the disturbed activity of the gastrointestinal tract does not make it possible for the drugs to be absorbed normally.
Despite this, in some cases, droppers are combined with medication (such as antibiotics, antibacterial and antiemetic drugs, etc.). Also, the dog is obliged to wash the stomach and prescribe a diet.
If the pet was helped on time and correctly, then in a fairly short time it will be possible to see changes for the better.
Treatment of an animal for enteritis at home
In this case, we are talking about the purely physical presence of the dog at home, but no one canceled the visit to the doctor. This situation can occur for a variety of reasons, and in such a situation the owner must additionally take care of the dog by sanitizing everyone and everything in the house every day. The pet must be isolated without fail by placing it in a separate room or room. All his things, as well as his toes, must be boiled and disinfected. In short, create a medical sterile atmosphere.
Preventive measures
The methods are as follows
- it is necessary to vaccinate a pet on time (especially young individuals) because enteritis in a puppy is always fatal
- protect the dog as much as possible from communicating with other people’s potentially dangerous pets while walking
- keep the house as clean as possible (and take off your shoes only in the hallway)
- the place of the dog, the dog itself, also all its bowls and bedding should be regularly cleaned, washed and, if necessary, disinfected
And remember, at the slightest deviation in behavior, seek the advice of a veterinarian.