This week sees the start of an epidemic of gastro-enteritis caught from the London parks and open spaces. It usually happens when the weather turns from cold to mild and all those little bugs lurking in the grass, wake up and start infecting anything that passes by. One dog with the virus can and does infect many other dogs. Ask any vet and they will roll their eyes to heaven and say "yeah! many dogs have come in suffering from a bout of the "runs" and in some cases, gastro-enteritis."
Your poor pet may not be bellyaching about it, but having the runs/trots/squits (whatever you want to call it) can be a real pain in the gut and leave your dog down in the dumps.
Maybe you just woke up and caught the unmistakable pungent whiff of dog poo; or perhaps your dog is taking longer than normal outside; or there are piles of runny poo on the carpet. Whatever signs tip you off to your dog's runny tummy, I will bet that within the hour, you will be begging for a solution from other dog owners or looking for help on the internet.
Before you panic, try a few of these tried and tested home remedies to get your dog through his version of the canine Delhi Belly.
1. Mix a little cottage cheese with a small amount of regular food. Although it sounds odd, cottage cheese will help to firm up your dog's stool and at the same time keep their tummy full. Not too much or they will end up chucking it up over the carpet.
2. Plain boiled rice is also good for tummy flu. Ever heard of the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, apple sauce and toast). A small amount mixed together is easy on the stomach and the rice settles the stomach. I keep a jar of baby food dessert made up of these ingredients in the store cupboard as a spoonful is easier than mashing up a mixture.
3. Imodium is not only just good for humans but it is also terrific for dogs, but not too much. Give 1ml in a syringe or a toddler's dose. Both will work wonders.
4. Plain yoghurt is good for lining the stomach and stopping that queasy feeling. A little in a dish or given by syringe will help calm the dog.
5. Going down the homeopathic route, I always keep a bottle of Arsen Alb. 6c (www. Nelson's Pharmacy or Weleda). This remedy works very quickly to stabilise the dog's bowel movements. You can either hide two pills in a piece of cheese or crush and sprinkle over a little food. I call this my "magic pill" as I use it to treat any dog that has loose stools.
Note of caution: If the colour of the poo changes from yellow to a dark brown gravy colour or even has spots of blood in it, then I would strongly advise you to take your dog to the vet for an antibiotic. Ignoring this stage, especially with small dogs, can be dangerous and life threatening.
Here's a nice little clip of dogs enjoying the snow.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRSsxfu0F3o
Dawn (")
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