RVC study reveals causes of canine diarrhoea
One in 12 dogs in the UK suffer acute diarrhoea each year.
A new study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has uncovered the most common causes of diarrhoea in dogs in the UK.
The project sought to uncover new insights into the common condition, including which breeds diarrhoea occurred most in and the impact of different veterinary treatments.
Conducted as part of RVC’s VetCompass Programme, researchers analysed anonymised veterinary records from over two million dogs from the UK. The dogs had all attended primary veterinary care practices during 2019.
Researchers discovered that one in 12 dogs in the UK suffer from acute diarrhoea requiring veterinary care at least once each year.
The most common causes of acute diarrhoea included scavenging, underlying gastroenteritis, and other digestive diseases. Dogs may also get diarrhoea as a reaction to specific medications or a sudden dietary change.
The risk of developing diarrhoea was higher in dogs younger than three years and dogs older than nine years, with middle-aged dogs at lower risk. Breeds with long skulls were also at increased risk, while those with short skulls had a lower risk.
Among the breeds which presented with diarrhoea most often were the cavapoo, Maltese, miniature poodle and the German shepherd dog.
The study found that almost 40 per cent of cases of acute diarrhoea were treated with antibiotics. RVC says that recent research shows no clinical benefit to antibiotics for acute diarrhoea, even suggesting that it might cause further digestive upset and increase the risk of antibiotic-resistant infections.
Researchers say this highlights a need to raise more awareness about appropriate antibiotic use, suggesting that bland diets with or without probiotics may be a more suitable initial response. Most cases of acute diarrhoea were found to resolve within two days of veterinary treatment, with fewer than 20 per cent of cases requiring a second veterinary visit.
Twenty-nine per cent of acute diarrhoea cases included reports of blood in diarrhoea. It was in these cases that veterinary teams were most likely to prescribe antibiotics.
Fergus Allerton, veterinary internal medicine specialist, said: “The outcomes reported here are very reassuring. They represent yet another reminder that antibiotic therapy is an unnecessary component of diarrhoea management.
“Pet owners are a key stakeholder in diarrhoea consultations. This study should help improve recognition of salient risk factors and support appropriate management without recourse to antibiotics.”
The full study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.
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Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
