Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Diarrhoea rates in dogs and cats from UK vet data 2010-2011
By Jones, P H et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2014·Institute of Global Health, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Surveillance of diarrhoea in small animal practice through the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
During a study, it was found that about 7% of dogs and 3% of cats presented with diarrhea at veterinary clinics in the UK. Adult dogs were more likely to have diarrhea than adult cats, and miniature Schnauzers were particularly affected. Most pets with diarrhea had been sick for 2 to 4 days, and those showing signs of vomiting or bloody diarrhea tended to see the vet sooner. The most common treatments included changing their diet and using antibiotics. This information can help pet owners understand how common diarrhea is in pets and what treatments are typically used.
People also search for: dog diarrhea treatment · cat diarrhea causes · miniature Schnauzer diarrhea · dietary changes for dog diarrhea · vomiting and diarrhea in pets
Abstract
Using the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET), a national small animal disease-surveillance scheme, information on gastrointestinal disease was collected for a total of 76 days between 10 May 2010 and 8 August 2011 from 16,223 consultations (including data from 9115 individual dogs and 3462 individual cats) from 42 premises belonging to 19 UK veterinary practices. During that period, 7% of dogs and 3% of cats presented with diarrhoea. Adult dogs had a higher proportional morbidity of diarrhoea (PMD) than adult cats (P <0.001). This difference was not observed in animals <1 year old. Younger animals in both species had higher PMDs than adult animals (P < 0.001). Neutering was associated with reduced PMD in young male dogs. In adult dogs, miniature Schnauzers had the highest PMD. Most animals with diarrhoea (51%) presented having been ill for 2-4 days, but a history of vomiting or haemorrhagic diarrhoea was associated with a shorter time to presentation. The most common treatments employed were dietary modification (66% of dogs; 63% of cats) and antibacterials (63% of dogs; 49% of cats). There was variability in PMD between different practices. The SAVNET methodology facilitates rapid collection of cross-sectional data regarding diarrhoea, a recognised sentinel for infectious disease, and characterises data that could benchmark clinical practice and support the development of evidence-based medicine.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25011707/