Continuing our series on commonly seen symptoms in pets, let’s turn to the back end and discuss problems with defecation and feces.
The most common problem related to poop is diarrhea. If your kitty or doggy leaves a pile of liquid poop on the carpet, I’m pretty certain you’re going to want it to stop! The good news is that most causes of diarrhea are not serious. The bad news is that diarrhea is an extremely common symptom so it can sometimes be difficult to determine the exact cause of the problem.
Generally we will start with a good history, questioning you about what your pet may have gotten into. The single most common source of diarrhea I see is what we call “dietary indiscretion”. This means that the pet got into the garbage, ate table scraps, scrounged something in the yard, went digging through the mulch, found a dead squirrel, and so on. The item they ate disagreed with their digestive tract and their body reacted by trying to expel it as quickly as possible, resulting in diarrhea. We will also want to check the feces for intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and giardia. If all of that has been ruled out, we may want to look for more chronic or serious diseases such as inflammatory bowel syndrome, lack of pancreatic enzymes, cancer, and even metabolic diseases related to the organs. So if initial treatment doesn’t help and the problem persists, your vet will likely want to start running blood tests and may even recommend intestinal biopsies. Sudden diarrhea accompanied by signs of serious illness can indicate viral diseases such as parvo and corona, or bacterial infections such as clostridium, campylobacter, or salmonella.
What about blood in the stool? This is a common question and most of the time it’s not a reason to panic (though many people do). Most frequently it simply indicates a bad case of colitis, which is usually quite treatable and just means that the colon is irritated. However, it can also be a symptom of ulcers in the digestive tract, sharp objects having been swallowed, and clotting disorders, so you shouldn’t ignore the blood. Make sure your vet checks this out.
The opposite side of the coin is hard stool and constipation. This symptom usually indicates a problem in the colon, as the main function of this part of the digestive tract is to reabsorb water from the feces. If the colon is distended or the muscle doesn’t function properly, the feces may sit for too long and become too hard. In cats with megacolon diets rich in psyllium fibers have been shown to help stools to normalize. Besides a problem in the colon, eating the wrong things can cause the stool to harden and can lead to an obstruction.
Along these lines, I want to single out and stress a difference related to straining to defecate. Most of the clients I’ve seen over the years watch their pet straining to have a bowel movement with nothing coming out and make the conclusion that they are constipated. The huge majority of these pets actually have the opposite problem…diarrhea! When the colon is irritated the muscles contract more frequently and forcibly. Such contractions push the feces out faster with less time to reabsorb water, hence the liquid stools. The muscles continue to push even if there are not feces present, so the pet feels the strain and contractions even if there is nothing to come out. If a pet owner thinks such a problem is constipation and gives their pet a laxative, it could make the illness even worse.
The bottom line, as always, is to see your vet if these symptoms occur. If a pet has diarrhea or constipation along with a decrease in appetite or energy, make an appointment for that day. If your pet is not having any other symptoms, it’s not harmful to wait 24-48 hours to see if diarrhea resolves on its own, as many cases will. If in doubt it’s better to be safe than sorry and take your pet to your vet.