First Aid – Gastroenteritis

Joanne Bibby – Fursafe®

When I was a child and my friends said they were off school because of ‘Gastro’ I thought, with a bit of a giggle, that they ‘just’ spent the night in the ‘you know what’ (the W.C., the powder room, the loo), but that was only because I didn’t know any better.

‘Gastro’, otherwise known as Gastroenteritis is, in reality, a condition where the lining of the stomach and/or intestines becomes inflamed and what comes with it is some pretty nasty symptoms.

Turns out, Gastroenteritis is a common and infectious condition, especially when I was a kid back in the 60’s and 70’s. This was maybe due to reduced awareness and health and safety practices back then – a condition no one really dared discuss given the loo business! Unless you had experienced Gastro you couldn’t possibly know how painful it could potentially be!

So, if Gastroenteritis could cause you to feel seriously unwell, what would it be like for your dog!!

The best way to stop Gastroenteritis in its tracks is to prevent it. To do this we need to know what causes it and then reduce or limit that cause from the daily lives of our dogs. CAUSES OF GASTROENTERITIS The following may inflame your dog’s gastrointestinal tract:

• Intestinal Parasites.

• Food sensitivities and/or allergies. • A reaction to ingesting new, spoiled foods or dead wildlife.

• Obstruction within the intestines.

• And then there are other medical conditions such as Cancer, genetic diseases or having a predisposition based on the breed, ulcers and viruses e.g. Parvovirus, Distemper.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS To reduce, limit or halt the risk of your dog becoming sick, consider the following:

• Speak to your Vet about the best preventive intestinal parasitic medications for your dog.

• If you want to change your dog’s food, incorporate a small amount within your current food/previous food for 5-7 days to give your dog a chance to get used to it.

• Don’t feed your dog old food from the fridge. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t let them.

• Discuss new medications and/or conditions with your Vet in regards to potential side effects.

• Talk to your Breeder or to the Vet about predispositions or genetic diseases for your breed type.

• If you have a new Vet, inform them of current medications and discuss potential contradictions.

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS Your dog may show some or all of the following:

• Decreased appetite.

• Fatigue.

• Severe episodes of vomiting – will appear foamy and yellow in colour, for example: bile, alternating with dry heaving/retching.

• Severe episodes of diarrhoea – will look quite dark and gritty or tar-like, for example: bleeding in stomach.

• If not diarrhoea, faeces my appear soft and pale in colour, with streaks of red or undigested food.

• Dog’s abdomen would be painful for dog if touched.

• Dog refuses to be handled around abdomen and back legs.

• Low Fever.

• Dehydration which could be fatal if left untreated.

ACTION 1. Undertake Primary Assessment

a. Check the airway for blockages or foreign objects – remove if there is. If your dog has been vomiting finger swipe or use a tongue depressor to scoop out the vomit.

b. Check the breathing (respirations) e.g., count the rise and fall of the chest – start artificial respiration if not breathing. Is the breathing normal or shallow, fast or not breathing?

Monitor all the way to the Vet!

c. Check circulation (pulse) – does your dog have a pulse? Start CPR if no pulse. 3. If possible: In separate containers, collect a sample of vomit and a sample of dog’s faeces and give to the Vet.

4. Speak soothingly and stroke to keep calm and quiet.

5. Transport to Vet.

6. If you are on your own driving your dog to the

Vet you will likely be very distracted by your dog’s condition. You must be vigilant on the road.

If you have someone to drive you:

• Sit in the back with your dog.

• Monitor during transport to vet to make sure your dog is breathing.

• If your dog stops breathing, begin artificial respiration.

• If your dog’s heart stops beating, begin CPR.

Reference:

Fursafe® Emergency Dog First Aid Guide

CAN YOU HELP?

Dogs Victoria’s Laurie Luxmoore Library is seeking the help of fellow canine members in sourcing the following Dogs Queensland journals. MISSING DOG WORLD MAGAZINES (C.C.C.Q.) 1968 January, February, March, June, July and November 1966 January 1964 January and December 1963 February, June, July, August, September and October 1958 January, May, September and October 1957 January, July, October, November and December 1956 January and July 1955 May and December If you have any of the listed magazines and would like to donate them to the library, contact Heather Simpson at corwin@iinet.net.au