Dog with clostridium?

Question

I took my dog to the vet today because she began having bloody stools. She was diagnosed with clostridium and given antibiotics to treat it. The vet said that she has seen an unusually large amount of clostridium cases this year probably because of all the rain we have had. I forgot to ask her how my dog may have been exposed to this. Does anyone know? I would like to know because I have another dog and I don't want her to get it as well.

The vet gave her metronidazole and amoxicillin as well as propectalin for the diarrhea.

Answer 1

We have been seeing A LOT of this! In fact, my own puppy has gotten it - TWICE! And I work at a vet clinic! It is typically contracted by contact with standing water, i.e. puddles, gutters, etc. Sometimes something as innocent as eating grass or mulch in the back yard. You are probably giving her metronidazole, which does the trick. Ask your vet, if the diarrhea is especially nasty, about amforal. This drug solidifies the stool. Be careful to stop giving it after the stool has hardened or you will have the opposite effect - constipation. Enemas are no fun to give :o) Good luck!

Answer 2

Clostridium Perfringens In Dogs

Answer 3

Clostridium In Dogs

Answer 4

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A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

Answer 5

wow...after the huge lesson i dunno if i want to try to answer you...but i think you're asking how your dog got it to begin with?

here's the deal, it's caused by a bacteria. Some things can make dogs more succeptable to it, like stress. The deal about rain is this...most dogs have some of the bacteria in their systems. And they poop. Now too often we don't pick up the poop, or we think the rain will dissolve it so we don't need to, or whatever.

Leaving dog poop on the ground allows it, and whatever parasites or bacteria it contains, to soak into the ground. When you get a lot of rain, specially standing water, you have a nice growth environment for those nasty buggers, and a great vector for spreading them.

your best defense is to make sure you always pick up the poo.

tell your friends

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Dog with clostridium?
I took my dog to the vet today because she began having bloody stools. She was diagnosed with clostridium and given antibiotics to treat it. The vet said that she has seen an unusually large amount of clostridium cases this year probably because of all the rain we have had. I forgot to ask her how...

Answer 7

Hope this helps


Clostridium Enteritis
Main Index / Dogs / Diseases and Problems


CLOSTRIDIAL DIARRHEA

One of the most common infections seen in many veterinary hospitals, second only to periodontal disease, is diarrhea from a bacteria called Clostridium perfringens. Pets with this disease can have signs ranging from very mild to severe, watery diarrhea, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, belching, flatulence, weight loss and abdominal discomfort. There may be blood or mucous in the stool. The disease can be acute, which means it comes on suddenly. It can also be chronic (long term) or recurrent, depending on the particular strain of bacteria the pet has.

It is not known exactly where this bacterial infection is acquired. It is probably common among wildlife and many pets apparently harbor it in small numbers in their intestinal tracts all the time. The spores formed by the bacteria survive for years and are almost impossible to remove from the environment. Clostridium can be newly acquired when a pet sniffs the ground where another animal has been that carried the disease, or it may be present for a long time and suddenly flare up to cause disease. It may cause problems by itself or worsen the signs of other intestinal parasites or diseases.

The disease is identified by smearing a small amount of feces from an affected pet onto a microscope slide. The material is then stained and examined under the microscope. Clostridium bacteria look like little safety pin shapes in dark purple. In an acute infection there may be large numbers of them seen on the slide. Chronic cases may be more difficult to pick up.

The infection caused by Clostridium is easily treated with a course of antibiotics, though it may be slow to clear up. Several medications are effective, but most vets prescribe Tylan or metronidazole, as they are inexpensive and usually well tolerated. Tylan comes in a powder which can be put into a gelatin capsule or mixed with food. Metronidazole comes in tablets or capsules and is available in a tuna-flavored suspension for cats, which may be easier to administer. Anywhere from 10 days to a month's supply of antibiotics may be needed. It is wise to recheck a stool sample for these bacteria after a pet has been on medication for 10-14 days and refill the antibiotics for a longer period of time if organisms can still be seen under the microscope.

Other medications to control the symptoms of diarrhea may also be used, to make the pet feel better while the antibiotic is taking effect. A bland diet may be helpful in controlling signs of vomiting and diarrhea, but since fiber seems to inhibit the growth of the bacteria you may be advised to feed a high fiber diet for a week or two. Yogurt or pro-biotic medication helps make the intestinal environment more acidic, which also slows the growth of the bacteria.

Unfortunately, pets do not seem to develop much immunity against this infection. Dogs and cats commonly present with this disease repeatedly. Either they are prone to picking it up from their environment or it is harbored in the intestinal tract and flares up with stress or other gastrointestinal diseases. There is currently no vaccine to protect against Clostridium.

There is no evidence at this point to show that Clostridium can be passed from pets to people but as always we advise washing your hands after handling any pet wastes or cleaning the litter pan.

If your cat or dog is being treated for this disease, please be sure to administer the entire course of antibiotics and bring in a stool sample for recheck when it is requested. Insufficient length of treatment frequently leads to a relapse of this uncomfortable and messy disease.

If the response to treatment isn't as good as you'd like your veterinarian may need to look for underlying problems that may be worsening the health of the intestinal tract, so additional blood or stool tests may be needed.

Please call your pet’s doctor if your pet does not respond as expected, has difficulty tolerating the medication or you have any questions about the treatment or disease.



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