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Diarrhea can be classified as being acute in onset, meaning that the symptoms arise quickly and last no more than a week,
or chronic, lasting for several weeks to months. Dogs and cats with chronic diarrhea may have periods in which the
condition improves, but then grows worse again. Animals that are affected more severely can experience vomiting,
depression, dehydration, listlessness, increased frequency of diarrhea, and may even have blood in the stool. A number
of pathogens may responsible for diarrhea problems in animals.
Campylobacter-associated diarrhea has a wide clinical spectrum in dogs, ranging from mild, loose feces, to watery
diarrhea, to severe bloody mucoid diarrhea. Severity of the disease is dependent upon the number of organisms ingested by
the host as well as previous exposure and development of protective antibodies. Another enteric pathogen, Giardia, is a
common cause of diarrhea in cats, especially among cats in catteries and group housing situations. However, healthy
animals rarely experience diarrhea or other symptoms unless they are exposed to an unusually high number of Giardia.
Young kittens and debilitated older cats, both of which have weaker immune systems, are much more likely to show symptoms
from moderate numbers of the parasite. Severe diarrhea from hemorrhagic gastroenteritis has been associated with specific
strains of enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringes in cats and dogs. The pathogenicity of the organism is
associated with several toxins. The toxin binds to the intestinal epithelial cells of infected animals, increases membrane
permeability, and decreases synthesis resulting in fluid and ion secretion with eventual death of epithelial cells.
Dogs and cats with severe or chronic diarrhea require a series of diagnostic tests to determine and treat the underlying
cause. In certain cats, chronic diarrhea will be difficult to diagnose (by routine diagnostics methods) and to cure.
Recently developed PCR assay allows specific detection of the most common infectious causes of diarrhea by detecting even
a very small amount of pathogen in biological samples. HealthGene offers the disease-specific Animal Diarrhea Profile-2
(Test code: GP-2) that includes tests for Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella spp., Clostridium perfringens (test
for 4 toxins), Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia spp. The required sample for this profile is a small amount of
feces in any sterile container. Test results are usually available in 2 business days.
HealthGene Laboratory introduced a new Canine Diarrhea Profile (CP18):
- Cryptosporidium parvum
- Canine Coronavirus
- Canine Parovirus
- Clostridium perfringens
- Giardia spp.
- Salmonella spp.
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