Perhaps the greatest single cause of diarrhea is a change of diet. Thus, a dog that has been used to eating a commercial brand dog food and is suddenly given table scrapes is very likely to suffer diarrhea. A change in drinking water, especially when traveling, can also cause temporary diarrhea.

Abrupt changes in diet are particularly distressing to puppies whose intestinal tracts are still very sensitive. If you purchased your puppy from a breeder, you have probably been told what to feed the dog based on what he had been fed in the past.

If, on the other hand, you got the dog from other sources such as a friend or an ad in the paper, it is advisable that you find out what he is eating. In any case, you should consult about your dog’s diet with a vet. There is always the chance that the dog is not getting the proper nourishment he needs.

If you find that your puppy has been used to a raw meet diet and you are going to feed him a commercial food product, be sure to make the transition a gradual one. Start by mixing just a bit of the commercial food into the raw meat. Gradually increase the amount, day by day, until you have completely eliminated the raw meat. This gradual change will prevent your dog from suffering diarrhea.

Other causes of diarrhea are overfeeding and underfeeding. A dog that is very hungry and overeats is apt to get sick, as is a dog that is fed less than once a day. Such a dog will usually overeat when he is finally fed. All the evidence reveals that dogs are less subject to diarrhea if they are fed half a total amount twice a day, rather than the whole amount at one feeding. Many breeders, as well as veterinarians, recommend self-feeding, where the dog is left a full dish of food to eat as he chooses. Only dry commercial food is used in this situation, and diarrhea is very rare.

Another cause of diarrhea is excessive water consumption. The dog that drinks too much water is often suffering from something more serious than diarrhea, and a visit to the vet is recommended. During the months of summer, of course, it is something else again. Dogs, like humans, tend to overdo the liquid intake and diarrhea becomes more common.

Summer is also the season of another serious source of diarrhea – spoiled food. Be cautious of moist food that becomes moldy and keep the dog away from garbage cans. In addition to spoiled foods, garbage cans carry a number of baneful morsels like sawdust or soap, any of which can cause serious digestive problems.

Summer diarrhea from garbage cans may be just a symptom of something more serious. Intestinal inflammation (enteritis) can result from the dog eating rotten meat. Diarrhea is also associated with distemper, leptospirosis, and a variety of worms, from whip to hook. Therefore, feed your dog less in the summer and never increase the amount of his food.

Sometimes, the cause of diarrhea has to do with specific elements in your dog’s diet. For instance, egg whites, unless they are cooked, will cause diarrhea. The same is true with excessive lactose. Therefore, do not feed your dog too much milk or milk products.

In older dogs, a heart malfunction can signal diarrhea. So can a malfunction of the kidneys or the liver, abdominal tumors, and many other conditions. All dogs can get diarrhea from such intestinal irritants such as salts and acids or from the ingestion of foreign matter like toy balls, splinters, or lint.

Normally, a dog’s diarrhea will pass in a day or two. Be sure to avoid milk or broth, and mix some cooked rice or macaroni with his regular food. If the diarrhea lasts after a few days, or if it is accompanied by blood in the stool or vomiting, contact your veterinarian.

Vet Dane Walker from Streatham Hill veterinary surgery in south-west London says: “Most dog owners are unaware of the condition because it is new. Most vets including myself have not been taught about it.” So to rectify this Bayer animal health, makers of the flea treatment Advocate has launched a nationwide campaign to promote lungworm awareness. A Bayer animal health spokesman explains: “The campaign is to raise public awareness of the parasite’s existence. We are running advertisements in the national press, and we have a broadcast campaign featuring celebrity vet Emma Milne from Vets in Practice.”

And the campaign is being backed by Vets from across the UK who are also trying to make owners more aware of the condition. Dane explains: “We are making clients more aware of the condition through leaflets at the surgery and articles on our website.”

Caroline Reay Chief veterinary surgeon at the Blue Cross hospital in Merton adds that the Blue Cross are also trying to raise awareness through displays in the waiting rooms of all Blue Cross hospitals.

So clearly it’s an important issue, but what is a Lungworm? And how does your dog catch it?

There are several variations of the Lungworm parasite, and the majority are found in warmer climates, and are not found in dogs. Different types of the parasite have often been found in farm animals like cattle, and some strains can affect our cats, although this is not common, and those parasites cannot be passed to dogs.

But one parasite does affect our dogs, and it’s this one that’s causing all the concern.

The parasite cannot be passed to humans or to other pets in the house, but the spokesman for Bayer Animal health explains: “The lungworm Angiostrongylus Vasorum is a potentially lethal parasite that can infect dogs. It’s sometimes referred to as the French Heartworm, and left untreated this parasite represents a very serious risk to a dog’s health and can kill.”

He continues: “Dogs become infected with the lungworm through eating slugs and snails which carry the larvae of the parasite Angiostrongylus Vasorum. Most dogs do not habitually eat these garden intruders, they may do so by accident – e.g. when a slug or snail is sitting on a bone or a favourite toy, or when drinking from a puddle or outdoor water bowl. But some dogs do take great pleasure in eating these miniature ‘treats’, and should be considered at risk from infection.”

Animal care manager at the Mayhew animal home, a London based charity and re-homing centre, Gillian Scott adds: “Lungworm is caught via contact with animals that host the parasite. It can also typically be caught from fox faeces as well as from snail or slug slime.”

But Caroline Reay from the Blue cross adds that while it is suspected that the parasite can be caught from the molluscs’ slime this theory is, as yet unproven.

Here we explain more about these five types of dog worms, the symptoms of dog worms and their life cycle.

Nematode
(Whip worm, round worm and hook worm).

There are over fifteen thousand species of parasitic nematodes. They can be found in
deserts, in the arctic, in oceanic trenches and in your dog.

Life Cycle: Anything up to three years.

Symptoms: Weight loss, dull coat, scooting, diarrhoea, vomiting.

Cause: Lack of prevention, infected food, contact with infected carcasses.

Treatment: Oral treatment or spot on treatment, although prevention is more effective.

Luckily in the UK we are not likely to come into contact with some of the more worrying species of parasitic worm and their primary carriers, the mosquito.

Parasitic organisms in general have quite complex life cycles, migrating between several different hosts or locations in the host’s body, including the intestine, the bowel and the heart. Infection usually occurs against biting insects, particularly if it travels orally, but parasites can enter a host via an open cut in unfortunate circumstances. One of the main problems associated with a nematode infestation is the dramatic weight
loss.

Since the nematode will live inside the small intestine of its host for most of the duration of its stay, it can easily feed on anything your dog eats, meaning that the nutrition is being diverted and the worm subsequently grows and grows. In addition, anaemia is also a symptom of roundworm infection. Some species of roundworm are bloodfeeders, either they attach themselves to the wall of the gut and suck blood or are pool feeders whereby the worm bites into the gut wall, creating a pool of blood which
they then digest.

Of particular significance to pet owners is the risk of zoonoses, or the transmission of worms from animals to humans. Toxocara canis (the dog roundworm) eggs may be passed to humans in dog faeces or through touching a dog’s coat.

Treatment and prevention are fairly simple, in fact responsible pet owners should ensure that they pick up their pets’ faeces and that their dogs have a roundworm control routine. Treatments do not prevent the parasites from entering the body, but they do kill the worms before they reach sexual maturity and before they can do any harm. It is recommended that dogs are wormed at least four times a year, however if your dog is in regular contact with children, you may wish to use a monthly roundworm treatment, either in a tablet or spot on product, to ensure the risk of transmission is reduced.

There are many species of intestinal worms in Europe, but some of them are restricted to warm climates. One particularly nasty example is the heart worm. This parasite uses a mosquito as its primary host. Once the mosquito bites a mammal, the larvae are injected into the blood stream. Once the larvae reach the heart of the secondary host, they begin feeding on blood. They then grow and this is where the health problems begin. A serious infestation of heart worm can be fatal for a dog, as the symptoms are hard to spot and treatment can sometimes fail.

In order to reproduce, the heart worm distributes its eggs into the bloodstream of its host, and then it is a matter of chance. If the host is fed on by another mosquito, it is that mosquito’s next meal that will become infected with the eggs. If that animal is already a host then the eggs will be fertilised and a larger infestation will occur. It is therefore important to ensure that your pet is effectively protected bowel and the heart. Infection usually occurs against biting insects, particularly if it travels with you with its PETS Passport to continental Europe or further afield.

Cestoda
(Tape worm, parasitic flat worm)

Certain tape worms can grow up to 80ft long inside their host, causing potentially fatal
intestinal blockages.

Life Cycle: Up to 3 years

Symptoms: Weight loss, dull coat, scooting, diarrhoea, vomiting.

Cause: Lack of prevention, infected food, contact with infected carcasses, contact with contaminated soil.

Treatment: Oral treatment or spot on treatment, prevention is recommended. The symptoms and treatment of this type of parasite are very similar to that of the nematode, although the Cestoda have a different adult morphology which is more often segmented, meaning that they can break up without dying. They also posses male and female reproductive equipment, meaning that they can breed independently and do not rely on cross infestations to reproduce.

Cestoda
(Tape worm, parasitic flat worm)

Certain tape worms can grow up to 80ft long inside their host, causing potentially fatal intestinal blockages.

Life Cycle: Up to 3 years

Symptoms: Weight loss, dull coat, scooting, diarrhoea, vomiting.

Cause: Lack of prevention, infected food, contact with infected carcasses, contact with contaminated soil.

Treatment: Oral treatment or spot on treatment, prevention is recommended. The symptoms and treatment of this type of parasite are very similar to that of the nematode, although the Cestoda have a different adult morphology which is more often segmented, meaning that they can break up without dying. They also posses male and female reproductive equipment, meaning that they can breed independently and do not rely on cross infestations to reproduce.

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