Why Your Dog Has Diarrhea -- The Diagnostic TestsHow do you figure out why your dog has diarrhea? Once you have observed your dog carefully and have decided to take him to the veterinarian's office, there are several tools that the vet can use to come to an accurate diagnosis. Some such tests that are commonly performed include bloodwork, stool tests, radiographs, endoscopies and ultrasounds. Blood tests can measure several things that can prove useful. They can measure various blood counts to arrive at the diagnosis. An elevated WBC (white blood cell) count can signify an infection or perhaps an allergy. A decreased red blood count can mean anemia and a possible worm infection. Blood tests can also tell if there are any imbalances of electrolytes such as potassium. Stool tests, including stool cultures, are often very useful to test for specific worms or bacteria that may be causing the symptoms. These results may take a few days to come back. X-rays, particularly those using barium, can be instrumental in identifying foreign objects in the intestinal tract. Often these are small toys, stones or fruit pits that dog may have swallowed. X-rays can also show irregularities of the intestinal walls and sometimes growths/tumors of the internal organs. An ultrasound is actually a better tool to look for growths or tumors as a cause of the diarrhea. It uses sound waves to “map out' the architecture of an organ. Irregularities are spotted when the architecture deviates from the normal. Endoscopies are very useful as they allow a vet to directly see into the intestines/colon. A small tube-like scope is passed into the intestine. This also allows for the possibility of a biopsy of the lining of the intestines to further assess the cause of the diarrhea. These are the primary diagnostic tests your vet will use to diagnose the cause of diarrhea. Please read on to find out more about
treatment
for diarrhea.
Your veterinarian has several tests available to her in diagnosing the cause of your Golden's diarrhea.
|
