Diarrhoea Flashcards
Diarrhoea is
increased frequency, fluidity or volume of faeces
Osmotic diarrhoea pathology
Unabsorbed solutes cause increased faecal water.
Caused by dietary indiscretion or overloads.
Osmotic diarrhoea clinical signs
No blood or PLE
Stops when food withheld
Secretory diarrhoea pathology
increased secretion of fluid & ions (crypts)
or reduced absorption (tips)
Secretory diarrhoea is caused by
bacterial enterotoxins, viruses, cardiac glycosides and hyperthyroidism in cats
CSs secretory diarrhoea
no blood or PLE
Classically continues even when food withheld
Permeability diarrhoea pathology
increased permeability of epithelial cells and tight junctions
increases antigen access to body - can cause breakdown in immune tolerance
CSs permeability diarrhoea
If severe can cause PLE & melena
Improves but doesn’t stop when food withdrawn
Permeability diarrhoea can be due to
increased in mucosal blood pressure, right sided heart failure, portal hypertension, inflammatory bowel disease, neoplasia, gluten enteropathy, infections or toxins.
Motility diarrhoea
Increased/decreased intestinal transit time. Frequently occurs but poorly characterised.
Usually no PLE, melena, reduces on fasting
Motility diarrhoea causes
Inflammatory and parasitic diseases, feline and canine dysautonomia, megacolon/colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, hyperthyroidism and parvo-virus enteritis.
Two types or normal gut motility movements
- rhythmic segmentation - helps mix food
2. peristalsis
Transient diarrhoea
Most common presentation.
Often no dx and animals respond to symptomatic therapy.
Can be small or large intestinal or both!
±vomit
Further investigations of transient diarrhoea are indicated if the following occur:
- very systemically ill animal
- melaena
- chronic diarrhoea
- risk of disease in in contacts
