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HAPPY TUM

OR RUMBLE

DOWNUNDER?

condition called pica, where they, too, may chew may have been blown from nests and keep an
and swallow non-food items. eye out for ‘tasty morsels’ that your dog might
swoop on when out for a walk. The command
Bleeding from the stomach or small intestine ‘Leave!’ is a very useful one to have mastered
will result in a black, tarry stool. This can be a before setting off on excursions which may yield
warning sign of an ulcer or a reaction to certain ‘delights’ like discarded chicken bones, human
pain medications. If your pet has suffered a faeces, etc.
bloody nose and swallowed a lot of blood, this
may also make his stool very dark. Internal parasites like hookworm, protozoa like
trichomonas, giardia and coccidia, as well as
‘THE SQUIRTS’ bacteria such as E.coli and Salmonella or viruses
Any number of factors may cause diarrhoea and like parvo virus, distemper and others may be
it’s important to bear in mind that, aside from a the cause of a runny tummy. Don’t be tempted
potentially serious underlying problem, the mere to consult Dr. Google regarding diarrhoea. If
fact that diarrhoea drains the body of water and your pet is listless, off his food, the diarrhoea
electrolytes means that it should be treated as has lasted for more than a day, or he’s vomiting
serious. Young pups or kittens and older animals, DQG XQDEOH WR NHHS ÁXLGV GRZQ JHWWLQJ KLP
or those with compromised immune systems, are to the vet for a professional diagnosis straight
particularly vulnerable and should be taken to away could mean the difference between life
the vet for the appropriate treatment at the very and death. Ensuring that pets are regularly
onset of diarrhoea. dewormed and vaccinated helps guard against
some of the more sinister causes of diarrhoea.
Dietary indiscretions (fondly known as ‘garbage
disease’) can cause a nasty diarrhoea and Haemorrhagic Gastroenteritis, or HGE, is a
possibly vomiting too, particularly if whatever particularly severe and life-threatening form
the pet ate was rotten. Keep refuse bins in of diarrhoea in dogs. Cats are fortunately not
designated areas that pets cannot access, check affected. Characterised by a stool ranging from
your garden after storms for dead baby birds that a ‘strawberry jam’ consistency (due to the fresh

The full scoop on pet poop

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