Effective Treatments for Dog Gastroenteritis: Quick Gui

Dogs suffering from gastroenteritis are afflicted with a severe inflammatory disease affecting the mucosal and submucosal layers of the gastrointestinal tract. In traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, this condition falls under the categories of "vomiting" and "diarrhea."

Causes:

Consumption of foreign objects, such as plastic packaging, sharp bones, or toxic substances.

Eating spoiled or contaminated food, including allergenic foods or substances that trigger allergic reactions.

Feeding dogs with refrigerated food during the hot summer months.

Stressful factors like sudden changes in temperature, environmental shifts, or longdistance travel.

Secondary infections caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites.

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine Perspective:

According to traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, gastroenteritis often stems from weakness in the spleen and stomach, irregular dietary habits, or exposure to dampheat, which damages the gastrointestinal tract. This leads to a loss of the stomach's ability to descend and the spleen's ability to transform, weakening the body's resistance and allowing pathogenic factors like dampheat to enter, causing internal dampheat accumulation, obstructing the flow of Qi and blood in the intestines, and resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Treatment Principles and Methods:

Early Stage: Focus on strengthening care, clearing the gastrointestinal tract, and stopping vomiting and inflammation.

Middle Stage: Emphasize antiinflammatory and antidiarrheal treatments, protecting the mucosal lining, and regulating gastrointestinal function.

Late Stage: Prioritize liver protection, detoxification, and strengthening the heart and fluid replenishment.

Clinical Manifestations and Differential Diagnosis:

Fever and an elevated hindquarters in a "prayerlike" posture may indicate heat generating wind.

Jaundice in the conjunctiva suggests the invasion of热血toxins into the liver and gallbladder.

Bloody stools may indicate blood heat.

Foul breath, vomiting, diarrhea, and malodorous feces may be signs of internal dampheat in the gastrointestinal tract, causing the Qi to rise and vomiting.

Internal dampheat can also impair the spleen's function, leading to the inability to differentiate between the pure and impure, resulting in diarrhea.

Western Medication Prescriptions:

Analen Injection 20.0 ml (intramuscular injection)

2.5% Glucose Injection 250.0 ml, Adenosine Triphosphate Disodium Injection 40.0 mg, Coenzyme A Injection 100 units, Inosine Injection 10.0 mg, Sodium Chloride Injection 1000 ml, Vitamin C 1000 mg, Vitamin B6 100 mg, Gentamicin Sulfate Injection 160,000 units (intravenous injection)

Chinese Herbal Medicine Prescriptions:

Huanglian (Coptis chinensis) 4 tablets

Tumorsin (Terramycin) 2 tablets

Metoclopramide (Antivert) 2 tablets

Dahuang Shuaka Tablets (Rhubarb and Sodium Bicarbonate) 3 tablets (ground and taken orally)

Oral Rehydration Salts 2 packets (to be mixed with water for drinking)

Tian Sanqi (Panax notoginseng) 2g, Dahuang (Rhubarb) 1g, Baiji (Bletilla striata) 10g, Zi Cao (Lithospermum erythrorhizon) 20g (decocted and taken after dilution)

Management and Prevention:

Gastroenteritis in dogs is often caused by improper diet and feeding of spoiled or decayed food. It is essential to cook and chop chicken intestines, beef and mutton offal, and feed them sparingly. Avoid feeding rotten food and ensure clean drinking water. Western veterinary medicine focuses on symptomatic treatment, while traditional Chinese veterinary medicine emphasizes differential diagnosis and treatment. Antibacterial and antiinflammatory treatments, gastrointestinal cleansing,清热解毒, and eliminating the cause are combined with strengthening the heart and fluid replenishment to achieve comprehensive treatment.

Feeding Medications to the Sick Dog:

When administering soup to the affected dog, use a disposable plastic syringe (with the needle removed) to draw the medicine. Gently insert the syringe into the dog's mouth along the sides, and slowly push the medicine in. The dog should be able to swallow it on its own. However, be cautious not to insert the syringe too deeply or inject the medicine too quickly or forcefully, as this can cause coughing or even aspiration pneumonia, which could be fatal.