Gastroenteric symptoms are one of the most frequent diseases in dogs and cats, although it is not a fatal disease (where the cause is the ingestion of some toxic element) there are certain cares that must be taken with pets to prevent them from suffering of gastritis.
This disease is characterized by inflammation of the mucosa of the stomach and/or small intestine, which means that our pet mainly presents with diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. These symptoms can present quickly (acute) or last over time (chronic). It can occur in animals of all sizes, ages, and breeds.
This inflammation can occur for many reasons, the main ones when they are puppies or kittens are:
Viral diseases, parvovirus, coronavirus.
Bacterial diseases.
Parasites.
Eating foreign objects (toys, clothing, garbage)
Sudden changes in diet.
Stress.
In adult dogs and cats, it is most often due to:
Consumption of food in poor condition (garbage)
Sudden changes in diet.
Inflammatory bowel disease.
Uncontrolled consumption of food.
How can we know if our pet is suffering from gastritis?
We can see that our pet does not want to eat or drink water, has vomiting and/or diarrhea. He is down and has pain on palpation of the abdomen. In any of these cases, the best thing to do is to take our pet to the vet. The diagnosis will be given by the doctor based on the history of the pet, eating habits, if it breaks things (furniture, clothing) if it usually takes food from garbage cans, deworming controls, etc.
The physical examination will also give a lot of information and in some cases it may be necessary to carry out additional tests such as blood tests, X-rays or ultrasounds.
How can we prevent our pets from suffering from gastritis?
Providing fresh and good quality food.
Avoid leaving harmful, toxic elements within the reach of our pets.
Veterinary controls, deworming etc.
Prevent our pet from wandering and consuming garbage.
Avoid giving food in excess.
Keep fresh, clean water at all times.
How to treat gastroenteritis in our pets?
Keep fresh, clean water at all times.
Fasting, for about 12 to 48 hours. this helps the recovery of the mucosa.
Special food, for this PURINA PRO PLAN has EN Gastroenteric, a food specially formulated for gastroenteric symptoms in dogs and cats, adults and puppies of all sizes that contains easily digestible proteins and colostrum, which helps the recovery of damaged mucosa .
Drug treatment, if required.
Surgery, if the cause of gastritis is due to the presence of a foreign object.
Remember that you can find Pro Plan EN Gastroenteric for dogs and Pro Plan EN Gastroenteric for cats in our online pet store. And do not forget that the best help can always be provided by our veterinarian who will know the most appropriate measure and treatment for each case.