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Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis is a potentially life
threatening syndrome seen in dogs, which presents with sudden onset of
severe bloody diarrhea and/or vomiting. Pets become acutely ill and, if
left untreated can die from dehydration, endotoxic shock and/or
strokes. We do not know the exact reason for this syndrome. Often
times it appears to be brought on by garbage ingestion or by emotional
stress. Some pets have excessive numbers of bacteria called Clostridium
in the colon which may have a toxin which leads to the development of
the symptoms.
The hallmarks of this disease are the sudden onset
and “raspberry Jam” appearance of the diarrhea. This syndrome is seen
more often in small breed dogs, but can occur in any breed. Symptoms
of Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis include:
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Lack of appetite
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Vomiting
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Bloody diarrhea
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Lethargy
Unfortunately, these symptoms can be present with
many diseases and therefore, the diagnosis of Hemorrhagic
Gastroenteritis is often made through the elimination of other
possibilities along with certain characteristic blood test results. In
this disease, a large amount of fluid is lost in the gastrointestinal
tract in a short period of time. This leads to severe concentration of
the blood. Normally blood is about 35-50% red blood cells. During this
syndrome, the blood count can rise to 60% or higher. At this level, the
blood cannot flow normally through the circulatory system and tissues.
This can lead to poor oxygenation and sometimes strokes.
The differential diagnoses we have to entertain
when presented with a pet with vomiting and bloody diarrhea include:
Pancreatitis Kidney Failure Toxin
ingestion Foreign Body ingestion
Blood clotting disorder and more.
Typically we will need to run a series of blood
tests as well as abdominal radiographs to eliminate these other diseases
from the diagnosis. Once we have determined that the dog is suffering
from Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis, the pet will have to be hospitalize
the patient and we can institute therapy to achieve the following goals:
- Rehdration to restore blood pressure and to
dilute the blood back to normal levels
- Antibiotic therapy to address possible
bacterial toxins which may play a role in this disease
- Anti-vomiting/nausea medication to stop
vomiting
- Pain relief.
If treated in a timely and aggressive manner, most
of these pets will improve dramatically in 24 to 48 hours. Generally
they do not have lasting side effects from the incident, however, these
pets are prone to having recurring bouts of the disease over time.
Sometimes, the use of anti-anxiety medication can help reduce the
incidence of recurrence as can eliminating opportunities to get into
garbage or unusal feeds.
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