Helicobacter is a class of bacteria found in both animals and humans. It lives in the digestive tracts of cats and dogs. Symptoms include slight to severe irritation of the stomach. It causes inflammation, irritation and degeneration in the glandular tissue of the stomach. The cause of Helicobacter infection is unknown. The infection is seen primarily in young dogs. The oral and or fecal transmission of the disease is a possibility. Helicobacter also lives in some water and the vomit, feces and saliva of infected dogs.
-
Symptoms
-
Symptoms of Helicobacter include nausea, vomiting (that may or may not contain bile), diarrhea, abdominal pain, weakness, anorexia and weight loss, dehydration, poor appetite, bowel sounds, weakness, gastritis and sudden death.
Dehydration
-
Your dog may exhibit dehydration from vomiting or having diarrhea. It will be suffering from a loss of fluids and electrolytes, which must be replenished so your dog is healthy again. Your veterinarian will have to treat the abdominal problems as well as dehydration. He will administer fluid therapy to severely dehydrated dogs to compensate for fluid loss. Your dog will also receive antibiotics for two weeks.
Living with Symptoms
-
Since very little is known about the transmission of Helicobacter in dogs, there is little advice for treatment. A dog with Helicobacter will be vulnerable to stomach upset, so it will have to have special foods that are easily digestible. Also, gastritis, or inflammation of the gastric lining, can occur. Your veterinarian will have to put your dog on a special regimen so you can avoid the foods that are troublesome to your dog's digestive tract.
-