KSBY Experts - Chronic Diarrhea

Written by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

No one likes having diarrhea. Luckily, for all of us, most cases of diarrhea are short-lived and resolve themselves within a day or two. I'm not sure if there is anything in veterinary medicine more frustrating than chronic, or long-term, diarrhea.

Whenever a dog or cat presents to Animal Care Clinic for chronic diarrhea, we start with a long conversation. History taking can be the most important test we do in finding the cause. We will want to gather a complete dietary history, deworming history and travel history. A thorough physical exam is also important. In most cases, further evaluation will be needed.

Parasites are a very common cause of diarrhea in pets. A proper fecal flotation should be performed to look for parasite eggs. There are good and bad ways to run this test. A proper float uses a large volume of feces (at least the size of a tootsie roll) and does not rely on a small volume scooped form the anus or the little bit that fits in those greenish collection containers that are sometimes sent home with owners. The type of fluid that is used and treatment of that fluid is also important. In other words, not all fecal floats are equal. Always ask for a Zinc sulfate, centrifugal float. Otherwise, many parasites can be missed. The most common diarrhea-causing parasites we see in dogs and cats include roundworms, hookworms, giardia, coccidia and whipworms. In cases of chronic diarrhea, we will treat for these parasites even if the tests are negative.

Systemic diseases can also cause diarrhea. A full lab panel including blood chemistry, complete blood cell count, thyroid level and urinalysis will usually be performed. We may also want to check blood levels of vitamin B12 and pancreatic enzymes. If an animal has a low-grade liver, intestine or pancreas problem, we want to know about it as soon as possible. In some situations, x-rays or ultrasound may be warranted.

Infectious agents may also play a role in diarrhea. Cats get infested with a protozoon called tritrichomonas. Dogs can get Ehrlichiosis. Animals who have been in other parts of the country could have fungal infections or other diseases you may never have heard of. Cats with Feline Leukemia or the Feline AIDS virus can have diarrhea. In middle-aged to older patients we have to consider cancerous causes.

Diet is often at the bottom of diarrhea. Many animals have dietary intolerances or a disease called inflammatory bowel disease. Sometimes, just a change in diet will solve the problem. You can always start by using a premium pet food. I define "premium" as a diet that never changes its ingredients (fixed formula), has been through AAFCO feeding trials, and is designed for specific life stages rather than being balanced "for all stages of life." There are not many diets that fit these rules! It is important to be sure that pets with chronic diarrhea do not eat anything aside from the premium diet - no table scraps, special treats, trash, goodies from the backyard, junk at the beach, etc, etc.

If your pet is properly dewormed and is eating only a premium diet, but still has diarrhea, you will need veterinary help in solving the problem. We may want to try a diet high in fiber or one with no fiber at all. Your pet may need a limited antigen diet (only 2 ingredients), a hydrolyzed diet (all proteins broken down) or specially formulated homemade diet.

The veterinarians at Animal Care Clinic can help you to determine just what your pet needs based on the physical exam, history and perhaps a few of the tests I've listed. Give us a call!

Tennis Balls & Teeth Wear

Written by Melissa Reuter-Wagoner, RVT

Many of our canine companions would agree that a tennis ball is one of themost exciting toys they own. The sight of a tennis ball usually leads to joyful tailwagging and a game of fetch. Unfortunately, this toy can also lead to excessivewearing of a dog’s teeth. The fibers that cover a tennis ball are surprisingly abrasiveand meant to withstand the hard surface of a tennis court. This abrasiveness canactually wear through the enamel and dentin of teeth, shortening the crown andsometimes exposing the internal root canal system. However, playing fetch withyour dog is a fantastic way to give them exercise and keep them fit.

A tip to keep your dog’s teeth from being damaged is to use a ball other thana tennis ball. There are medium weight rubber balls sold at pet supply stores thatcan serve just as well for a game of fetch, but do not have a fibrous covering. Rubberballs do not sand down tooth enamel because their surface is much more slippery.You should also keep in mind that smaller balls and pieces of chewed up balls(including tennis balls) are commonly removed from dogs surgically. Be sure thatthe balls you use are too large to be swallowed by your largest dog, and too tough tobe chewed into pieces by your strongest dog.

For dogs that just love their tennis ball, a good compromise is to only usethe ball for fetching and not allow free access to it. This means put the ball away inbetween games and don’t allow your dog to gnaw on it. This will help to minimizedamage to their teeth. In between games, offer your dog a safe rubber chew toy tokeep them entertained!

National Animal Poison Prevention Week

Written by Nicole Gunkel, RVT

This week is National Animal Poison Prevention Week!  Say that 10 times fast!  This really is no joking matter though and can be very serious for your pet.  In 2010, human medications topped the list of pet toxins, followed by insecticides, rodenticides, people food, veterinary medications, chocolate, household toxins, plants, herbicides and outdoor toxins.  Treatment of a pet can vary widely based on what the toxin is, how much, and if it was consumed or came in contact some other way.  The FIRST thing you should do is always call your veterinarian!  Your vet can guide you if your pet should be seen immediately or if there is something else that can be done at home.  Of course, prevention is always the key.  Almost any item can be toxic in the right amount, but it is a great idea to become aware of toxic human foods or plants.  Our website has some information on poisonous substances to pets between links and blog articles, for a summary click here.


The ASPCA runs the Animal Poison Control Center.  If you are ever concerned you can call the APCC at (888) 426-4435. For a $65 fee to your credit card they will tell you exactly what to do.  When a poison or ingestion emergency comes in to our hospital and we need more information on how best to treat your pet, we will call the poison control center for you for the same fee.  This may be easier for you since, depending on the case, the specialist on the other end can throw out some difficult medical jargon and treatments only a veterinarian can do
  The ASPCA website has an entire section on the poison control center and articles about toxic substances to your pet.

HealthyPet.com is always a great resource.  They have a great article on keeping your home a "Poison Safe Household."

Cornell University has an online toxic plant database containing information and pictures.


There was a very good article recently on USA Today on "Vet's view: Xylitol can be deadly to dogs." Xylitol is a sweetener used so widely now that can be extremely dangerous to dogs and cats.  This article has some great information about what xylitol is, why it's dangerous, and what to do about it.  Another source is an article Dr. Greenberg wrote on "The Dangers of Xylitol."

Prevention is always the best way to arm yourself and your pet from the dangers of poisonous and toxic substances.  If you have any question, as always, please call us or stop by!

Meet Bethany Lara!! Our Featured Employee of the Week!

Bethany came to us originally from Littlerock, California and is currently attending Cal Poly and working on a bachelor’s in animal science. Bethany currently works both in our lodging and veterinary nurse teams since March 2010. Her goal is to finish school and become a Registered Veterinary Technician and to work at an exotic animal park. Bethany has 2 dogs, Rascal and Luna. She also loves to dance, watch movies, hang out with friends, and perform theatrically.

About Your AAHA Accredited Practice

Learn more reasons why it is so beneficial to take your pet to an American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) accredited practice. Animal Care Clinic is very proud to be AAHA accredited since 1993 and is currently a top-5 finalist for the AAHA Practice of the Year Award! AAHA accreditation is a voluntary commitment that we have made to you and your pets. Only about 15% of small animal hospitals are accredited with AAHA!

You Be the Vet! Brewsters Jaw Wound

Brewster, a neutered male, 2 year and 7 month old dachshund was brought to us a day after getting adopted from Animal Services.  Brewster presented to Dr. Tao as a healthy young dog.  The only concerns at this time was a slight cough, which could have been from either an upper respiratory infection or irritation of the trachea tube placed during the neuter from 2 days previous.  A small wound was noted in the chin area (below mid mandible) and the owner was recommended to keep an eye on it and if not healing we could try a course of antibiotics.

The wound on Brewster’s chin was not healing and so he was given some antibiotics.  Even with a round of antibiotics the wound had not healed.  Brewster came in for an appointment with Dr. Markoff to reassess the wound.  Dr. Markoff noted it looked similar to a foxtail tract.  A slide of the wound discharge revealed no bacteria and mostly some round cells.  The wound was probed with no foreign body found inside.  We cleaned the area after taking a culture and then sent Brewster home on a different antibiotic.  The culture revealed nothing that the antibiotics shouldn’t take care of.  The wound continued to swell up and go back down.  The next step was to bring Brewster in for anesthesia and take a dental x-ray of the area.

Brewster came in and was put under anesthesia and a dental x-ray taken.  The image clearly shows that there is some foreign object between the mandible bones.  What do you think it is?

Click this link to see what we found!

Animals in the News!

There are so many interesting news stories out there about pets and other animals, veterinary medicine or other animal related topics!  Each week we'll be gathering some stories that might be interesting to you, so keep posted each week for new stories!

This week:  Veterinarians in public service

•"Canine handler aids Japan rescue effort" - Firefighter/paramedic Gary Durian of Yorba Linda is one of six canine handlers who arrived Saturday in Japan.  Durian and his dog, Baxter, will spend time in northern Japan working on search and rescue efforts.

• U.S. Team bound for Japan in animal-rescue effort - A New England crew from the International Fund for Animal Welfare in Yarmouth Port is on their way to Tokyo today.  They will be meeting with animal rescuers, veterinarians, and government agencies to assess the problem of displaces pets and livestock and the need for supplies, clean water, and shelters.

•"Lompoc man a military vet and local veterinarian" - Dr. Raghavan Sampathkumaran has recently returned from returned from Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan where he was caring for army dogs that worked sniffing bombs and as guard dogs.  His role has also involved inspecting the army food supply.

•"Vet Emergency Response Team Mobilised" - The New Zealand University sent the new Veterinary Emergency Response Team to Christchurch to care for animals after the earthquake.

•"Veterinarian shares skills with Haitians" - Joe Snyder of Myrtle Point, Oregon recently spent some time in Haiti giving the people there a crash course in animal care.  This could be life saving to prevent disease in a country where there are virtually no veterinarians and animals are a life-hold to the people that own them.

•"Animal rescuers on stand-by" - No significant reports have been made by an animal search and rescue team after the earthquake in New Zealand.