Diarrhoea and constipation
When an animal passes watery droppings many times a day it has
diarrhoea.
Animals with diarrhoea lose water and salt from their bodies. They
become weak, thin and can die. It is common in young animals and
kills many.
Constipation occurs when the animal cannot defecate or it passes
droppings with difficulty.
Learning objectives
After studying this unit you should know:
1-How to recognise diarrhoea and constipation.
2-What causes diarrhoea and constipation.
3-Diarrhoea in different animals.
4-Treatment and control of diarrhoea.
5-Treatment of constipation.
Recognising diarrhoea
Diarrhoea is a condition in which animals pass watery droppings
(faeces) many times a day. The droppings are loose, runny and
smelly and are a different colour from normal. Droppings can
become dark green, dark brown or reddish black in colour because
of blood in it. In some cases, e.g. rinderpest, the animal has
diarrhoea which has a very bad smell.
Causes of diarrhoea
Diarrhoea may continue for one or two days and then stop. This
type of diarrhoea is caused by:
•The wrong feed was given to the animal.
•A sudden change in the animal's feed.
•Feeding silage can sometimes cause diarrhoea.
•Feed was old, rotting or fermenting.
•Diarrhoea can be caused by germs (a high body temperature may
occur).
•Infection with parasites can cause diarrhoea which sometimes
contains blood.
Diarrhoea in ruminants
Diarrhoea in cattle, sheep, goats and buffaloes can be caused by:
•Germs and internal parasites, especially in young animals on
pasture.
•Germs infecting the intestines of young animals (body
temperature not usually elevated).
•Overfeeding calves with poor quality powdered milk
If cattle have diarrhoea and also have mouth lesions (not normal)
you must ask your veterinarian for advice.
Diarrhoea in sheep and goats can result from:
•Infection with a germ (body temperature may be elevated).
•Internal parasites in young animals on pasture.
Young animals can show diarrhoea after weaning.
Diarrhoea in horses
This can be caused by:
•Infection with germs (body temperature usually is elevated).
•Antibiotics or drugs which were given for another problem.
•Stress conditions (animal is not well kept and is disturbed) can
result in diarrhoea.
•A one week old foal may develop diarrhoea when its mother
comes into heat (oestrus).
Diarrhoea in pigs
•Diarrhoea in the pig can be caused by infection with germs (body
temperature may
be elevated) and internal parasites.
Diarrhoea in camels
This can be the result of:
•Too much fresh green feed causing green diarrhoea.
•Parasites infecting the animal causing dark brown or dark red
diarrhoea.
•Male camels in the rut can have diarrhoea.
Diarrhoea in chickens and ducks
•White diarrhoea disease of chickens is caused by a germ
(bacteria) which passes from the mother to her young. In adult
birds it causes greenish-brown diarrhoea but in the young bird the
diarrhoea is white in colour.
•Diarrhoea containing blood can be caused by the small parasites
called coccidia (see Unit 55) which infect the gut.
Diarrhoea in rabbits
The rabbit's droppings should be separate, round, fairly firm and
greyish brown in colour. Any change is a sign of a health problem.
Diarrhoea can be caused by:
•Changing the feed from dry to green feed.
•Bad feed, either too wet, too cold or contaminated with chemicals.
•Disease caused by germs (body temperature will usually be
elevated).
•Coccidia can cause diarrhoea in young animals.
Treatment
Diarrhoea accompanied by fever is caused by germs. If the
diarrhoea continues for more than two days and the body
temperature has gone up (see Unit 4) you should ask your
veterinarian for help. The animal may be treated with antibiotics
(see R6, R7 Annex 1) or by sulpha drugs (see R9 Annex 1).
Diarrhoea will cause the animal to lose water and salts and if this
is allowed to continue the animal can die. If you cannot get
veterinary help you can give the animal a home treatment of
rehydration fluid. To make rehydration fluid mix six teaspoons of
sugar and half a teaspoon of salt with 1 litre of clean, warm water.
Give this as a drench (500 ml for sheep or goats) four times a day
for 3 days. Larger animals require more fluid, 5% of body weight 2
times per day.
Constipation
Treatment
Constipated animals cannot defecate or they pass very hard
droppings with difficulty. The animal with constipation is easy to
spot.
Constipation is treated by giving an enema. Warm soapy water is
injected into the rectum. Epsom salts or commercially produced
oils (see R22 Annex 1) can be given by mouth to relieve
constipation.