What could be the cause of my dog having diarrhoea?

The term diarrhoea includes both the excessively frequent passage of motions, and motions that are unusually soft or liquid. Normal dogs pass motions between one and three times a day and the stools are formed; though on modern canned diets they are usually not completely solid.

A lot of water in the form of digestive juices is added to the food as it passes through the digestive tract, more than 2 pints for every 25 lb body weight (i .e. more than 1 litre per 10 kg), though almost all of this is later reabsorbed. However, if the gut is irritated (by viruses such as that causing distemper, or by irritant poisons, food poisoning or dietary allergies) material may be moved through so rapidly that much of the water cannot be removed. Usually material takes between five and ten hours to pass right through the digestive tract but where there is increased motility this can be reduced to only twenty or thirty minutes. If food cannot be properly digested or absorbed it remains in the intestine and holds water with it, just like a saline laxative (e.g. Epsom salts), so that the dog passes soft motions, remain hungry despite eating more, and gradually loses weight. Undigested materials can ferment in the bowel producing large amounts of gas which the animal subsequently passes.

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My dog seems healthy but has two wet streaks down his face. It looks as if he has been crying. Why is this?

Humans have the distinction of being the only species’ to display their emotions by crying (and incidentally by laughing as well), so although your dog will not be happy about this condition, it is not crying. However, these wet streaks are due to tears (lacrimal fluid) overflowing down the face. On white dogs this condition (epiphora) produces a characteristic ginger-brown stain.

Where this is a long-standing problem unassociated with any irritation or inflammation (such as with injuries, foreign bodies in the eye or rubbing by abnormal eyelashes), it usually arises because the nasolacrimal ducts which normally drain the fluid from the surface of the eyes are unable to take all, or any, of the fluid.

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My dog appears to have no control over her urination. What could be the cause of this?

The involuntary passage of urine producing constant or intermittent dribbling, of which the animal is often unaware, constitutes true urinary incontinence. It needs to be distinguished from conditions in which so much urine is produced that the animal’s bladder is unable to retain it for any appreciable period. In addition, dogs that have not been adequately house-trained, or in which training has broken down, or which urinate in submission may be confused with incontinent animals.

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If my dog were to be involved in an accident, how would I know if he were dead or just unconscious?

The important distinguishing features are that in unconsciousness breathing and the beating of the heart are both present; in death both will have stopped.

An unconscious dog can resemble a dead animal in that there may be no movement for a long period, and during this time it may not respond to such stimuli as noise or pinching. (Dogs that remain unconscious for forty-eight hours after an accident rarely recover.) In both conditions, the muscles relax and become limp, and relaxation of the sphincters of the bladder and anus may permit urine and motions to be passed. Bear in mind that in death the eyes do not close automatically; they may remain open just as they might in unconsciousness, so this cannot be used as a distinguishing sign.

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If my dog has very pale gums and lips does it mean that he is suffering from anaemia?

A Certainly this is likely if the pallor of these visible mucous membranes, together with that of the tongue and inner lining of the eyelids, is present continuously.

Apart from anaemia, the only other important cause of extreme pallor of these membranes is shock. This usually follows some form of injury and is accompanied by other signs which are so obvious (extreme weakness, panting, cold paws even in warm surroundings, trembling and often loss of consciousness) that it is easy to diagnose.

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My dog keeps shaking his head. Is there anything wrong with him?

Yes, almost certainly the external ear canal of one or both of his ears is severely inflamed, a condition known as otitis externa but popularly referred to as ‘canker’. (Incidentally, canker has nothing to do with cancer, despite the similarity of spelling.) A number of factors can contribute to this extremely common affliction.

It is normal for wax to be produced by glands in the skin lining the ear canal, and to stop an excessive build-up it is usual for the wax to dry out and be shed from the ear as flakes from time to time. However, the shape and structure of the ear in some breeds prevents efficient wax removal. The pendulous ears of the Cocker Spaniel and Bassett Hound severely restrict ventilation of the canal, and the narrow ear canal of the Miniature Poodle is easily blocked. In some breeds, such as the German Shepherd Dog and the Dachshund, too much wax is produced. Once the ear canal has been impacted with wax, and this is more likely if there is a lot of hair present, inflammation will commence. Bacteria and yeasts (fungal organisms), which are normally present in a passive role, are now provided with suitable moist conditions in which to multiply and they intensify the inflammation.

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What does it mean if my dog is always scratching?

Scratching is the dog’s response to an itch in the skin, otherwise called pruritus. Itching can have a number of causes: allergic reactions, impacted anal sacs, the bites of insects or mites, infection with bacteria and foreign bodies in the skin. All of these causes the release of proteolytic enzymes which attack nerve endings in the skin and trigger the release of electrical impulses that then pass via nerves to the brain. In the dog, scratching is most commonly due either to the irritation of flea infestation, or to ear mites.

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