Dealing with haemorrhagic diarrhoea in dogs

Abstract

Background: Canine acute diarrhoea is a common presentation in small animal practice, but most cases are self‐limiting and require no treatment except correction of any dehydration. However, the presence of bloody diarrhoea indicates the condition is more severe and may require diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. The syndrome haemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE) has been renamed as acute haemorrhagic diarrhoea syndrome (AHDS), but its cause is still debated, and indeed there are numerous potential causes of haemorrhagic diarrhoea other than the idiopathic HGE/AHDS syndrome.Aim of the article: This article will explore the potential causes and the treatment of haemorrhagic diarrhoea and the emerging evidence that antimicrobials are not necessarily indicated.