Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Outcomes and treatment in 237 dogs with acute hemorrhagic diarrhea
By Dupont, Nana et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2021·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A retrospective study of 237 dogs hospitalized with suspected acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome: Disease severity, treatment, and outcome.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 237 dogs with suspected acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome (AHDS) were hospitalized, showing severe symptoms like vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Most dogs improved quickly with supportive care, such as rehydration, and 96% survived to go home. While some received antibiotics, those treated with two types had a lower survival rate. The study suggests that many dogs with AHDS can recover well without antibiotics, especially when they receive prompt fluid treatment.
People also search for: dog bloody diarrhea treatment · acute hemorrhagic diarrhea in dogs · dog dehydration symptoms · antibiotics for dog diarrhea · dog recovery from AHDS
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated management and outcome in dogs with acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome (AHDS), and there is a paucity of data on dogs with concurrent signs of sepsis. OBJECTIVES: To report outcome in dogs with suspected AHDS according to disease severity and antimicrobial treatment, and to evaluate effect of fluid resuscitation on clinical criteria. ANIMALS: Two hundred thirty-seven dogs hospitalized with suspected AHDS. METHODS: Retrospective study based on medical records. Disease severity was evaluated using AHDS index, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) according to 3 treatment groups: No, 1, or 2 antimicrobials. RESULTS: Sixty-two percent received no antimicrobials, 31% received 1 antimicrobial, predominantly aminopenicillins, and 7% received 2 antimicrobials. At admission, median AHDS index was 13 (interquartile range, 11-15), which decreased significantly after the first day's hospitalization (P < .001) for all groups. Compared with no antimicrobials (7%), more dogs had ≥2 SIRS criteria in the antimicrobial groups (15% and 36%, respectively). C-reactive protein (CRP) correlated positively with AHDS index at hospitalization (P < .001). Across treatment groups, rehydration markedly reduced number of clinical SIRS criteria. Survival to discharge was 96%, lower for dogs receiving 2 antimicrobials (77%, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The majority of dogs hospitalized with suspected AHDS improve rapidly with symptomatic treatment only, despite signs of systemic disease on initial presentation. The often-used SIRS criteria might be a poor proxy for identifying dogs with AHDS in need of antimicrobial treatment, in particular when hypovolemic. The role of CRP in clinical decision-making or prognostication warrants further investigation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33638574/