Hemorrhoids in dogs: causes, symptoms and treatment

Dog hemorrhoids can be an upsetting problem for both owners and their pets. Hemorrhoids are typically associated with humans, but they can also affect our animal companions. It’s critical to identify the symptoms and ascertain the potential source of this discomfort.

Many factors can lead to hemorrhoids in dogs, including diet, lack of exercise, and underlying health issues. As loving pet owners, being aware of these causes can help us prevent potential problems before they escalate.

Hemorrhoids can cause a variety of symptoms, but they frequently include pain, altered bowel habits, and noticeable swelling around the rectal region. It’s crucial to know what to look for in order to guarantee that our dogs get the care they require.

There are several options for treatment, ranging from veterinary interventions to dietary modifications. Knowing about these therapies will enable us to support our animal friends during their recuperation by making wise decisions.

What are hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids in dogs are an uncommon condition that are typically brought on by an imbalanced diet and age-related behavioral traits. Different stages of hemorrhoids are easily confused with other, more prevalent illnesses: the early stage, which is characterized by helminthic invasion, and the later stage, which is characterized by paraanal gland inflammation. As a result, you should seek professional medical attention as soon as symptoms seem concerning rather than trying to diagnose yourself.

In contrast to internal hemorrhoids, external hemorrhoids are easily identified by external signs.

Similar to human hemorrhoids, canine hemorrhoids are a pathology in which the hemorrhoidal veins gradually enlarge during development. There are two types of pathology: internal and external. As a result, the external process appears externally, while the internal process only takes place inside the rectum itself. Why and how does this occur?

Course of the disease

Hemorrhoidal veins are present in all mammals. As a rule, when exposed to various factors, pathological changes may occur in these veins. Pathology begins to develop unnoticed with a sluggish internal inflammatory process. The development of pathology can be accelerated thickening of the blood or deterioration of blood flow.

Hemorrhoids cause bleeding and bowel prolapse if treatment is not received.

The hemorrhoidal vein fills with blood as a result. The subsequent procedure is comparable to a scenario in which pressure builds up to cause a segment of a rubber tube to become thinner and form a bubble. Similar to this, blood stagnation in a vein causes its walls to gradually sag, making the vein thinner. Unable to escape, the blood starts to cause inflammation.

When the connective tissue that makes up the vein walls is eventually unable to tolerate the pressure and swells into nodes as a result of both internal and external factors, swelling occurs. The node eventually pops out as a result of the blood’s constant inflation. If therapy is not received, even anti-inflammatory therapy, the vein wall eventually loses its ability to withstand pressure, resulting in bleeding.

Video – Causes of blood inclusions in a dog"s feces

Dogs who have hemorrhoids may experience discomfort and distress. Poor diet, obesity, and straining during bowel movements are common causes of hemorrhoids in dogs. Excessive licking, back edema, or blood in the stool are possible symptoms. It is imperative that pet owners identify these symptoms and seek veterinary care for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment, which may include medication, dietary adjustments, or in more serious situations, surgery. By being aware of these factors, you can keep your dog happy and healthy.

Causes of hemorrhoids

The disease is typically identified in older people whose aging causes a decrease in motor activity. As a result, overweight indoor dogs whose owners seldom or never walk them may also fall victim to an attack. The disease is more common in decorative breeds, such as poodles, yorkies, Shelties, and Pekingese.

Hemorrhoids are more likely to develop in decorative dogs that live indoor lives.

• insufficiently active lifestyle;
• unbalanced low-quality nutrition (often from the table), causing a lack of important microelements;
• feeding exclusively store-bought dry food with insufficient replenishment of fluid balance, leading to dehydration and provoking frequent constipation;
• feeding cheap food with poorly digestible components, for example, with legumes;
• obesity;

Poorly digested components in economy class food can cause hemorrhoids to develop.

In a puppy between the ages of six and nine months, during the time when tissues, organs, and body systems are actively developing, a vein issue may suddenly manifest. Veterinarians have observed that dogs who were underfed and did not receive the necessary amount of minerals during their puppyhood (up to seven months) frequently develop hemorrhoids.

For dogs of any age, the secret to good health is a well-balanced diet.

Symptoms

• the dog"s gait noticeably changes, it becomes more tense, you can suspect that it hurts when walking;
• it is noticeable that the pet is in pain when defecating;
• droplets of blood are visible in the feces.

The tension that the pet exhibits when defecating is indicative of hemorrhoids.

Since the nodes are visible, it is simpler to identify external hemorrhoids. As with the internal form, all other symptoms stay the same.

• defecation is painful;
• droplets of blood are visible in the feces;
• the dog has severe and constant itching around the anus.

Every symptom listed above gets worse.

Constant itching around the anus is another important indicator of hemorrhoids.

The acute phase symptoms alternate with times of remission in the chronic form, which appears when acute therapy is not received. Long remission periods are possible if harmful outside influences are reduced to a minimum. This includes ensuring that the dog eats a healthy diet, getting enough water, and maintaining a balanced physical activity level.

Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis is a unique form of the illness that is characterized by extreme weakness, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and appetite loss. Occasionally, the dog experiences fever and stomach pain.

Stages of hemorrhoids

In dogs, there are four stages of pathology, and each is characterized by a unique set of symptoms.

Table: Hemorrhoid development stages

Stage of the disease	Symptoms
First	Obsessive itching in the anal area: the animal constantly rubs its bottom against a rough surface and licks the anus. Inflammation of the anus with swollen and red mucous membrane is observed
Second	Symptoms of the first stage + painful sensations during defecation: hard feces when moving through the intestine injure the inflamed wall of the veins
Third	During defecation, scarlet discharge is clearly visible, fallen nodes are visible to the naked eye
Fourth	Profuse bleeding, anemia

At the fourth stage, anemia presents a major risk to the animal’s survival.

Diagnostics

The veterinarian examines the anus externally, manipulates the anus with his hands, and uses an instrument to look at the rectum. It is vital to distinguish ulcerative colitis from pathology in order to make a diagnosis. It is simple to mistake the illness for intestinal prolapse, paranal gland inflammation, and hernias.

Paranal gland inflammation

You should get a blood test to check for anemia and a stool test to check for worms. An intestinal biopsy may be recommended in certain situations in order to diagnose hemorrhoids. To rule out neoplasms and intestinal pathologies, the investigation is required.

Proper nutrition for hemorrhoids

• vegetables;
• fermented milk products (cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream);
• porridges from oatmeal, rice, buckwheat.

Adding porridge to the diet will help to loosen the stool and make bowel movements easier.

It’s a good idea to cook porridge in broth and then finish cooking it with vegetables. Although many pets don’t eat vegetables the way they should, they are better for your health and gut health. You could experiment by mixing bran or steamed pumpkin into meals. You can purchase a probiotic food supplement, such as "Fortiflora" (Canine FortiFlora), if your pet refuses to eat them.

Seeking advice from a veterinarian is advised prior to using any particular probiotic.

• a dog needs up to 25 g of meat per 1 kg of personal weight per day;
• it is better to give fresh meat;
• for feeding, it is necessary to take beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, fish (excluding pork);
• 70% of the daily norm can be replaced with offal;
• river fish must be boiled to avoid infection with opisthorchiasis.

You can give the dog any kind of meat during its illness, but not pork.

Ready-made feeds

A vet will provide recommendations for the selection of ready-made feed. Numerous high-end pet food producers create food lines specifically for dogs with gastrointestinal disorders and constipation. Royal Canin, for instance, has both gastro intestinal and fiber response. Hill’s offers the I/D and I/D Low Fat food lines, while Ekanubo offers Eukanuba Intestinal. It’s important to make sure the dog always has access to clean drinking water when feeding dry food.

It is essential to walk the dog every day in order to trigger the hemorrhoidal blood flow through physical activity.

There are dedicated lines of premium pet food for dogs with hemorrhoids.

Treatment

The early stages of treatment can be completed at home. Principal suggestions:

• taking laxatives – "Duphalac", "Guttalax", castor oil (up to 4 tbsp.l. v day);
• washing the anus after each walk with cool water or douching with herbal infusions;
• taking venotonics – "Phlebodia 600", "Venarus", "Detralex" and hemostatic suppositories – "Relief", "Proctoglivenol", also used suppositories with ichthyol. Suppositories are placed 10-15 minutes after defecation; "Phlebodia 600" activates the veins and prevents venous blood stagnation
• regular treatment of the anus with sea buckthorn oil or ointments with antiseptics.

• cool baths help relieve swelling and reduce nodes;
• the above herbs are good natural antiseptics and have pain-relieving properties, in addition, they can reduce bleeding.

Herbal infusion baths are effective in preventing hemorrhoids.

Oil made from sea buckthorn is highly favored by dog owners. It is soaked in a tampon that is placed inside the anus. This will encourage quicker healing by calming the irritated area. But keep in mind that all folk remedies work best when the illness is still in its early stages.

Enemas

It is possible to discuss emmes separately. Though many new medications have emerged with a similar effect, this treatment modality can hardly be said to be widely used today. Nevertheless, the efficacy of enemas cannot be understated. An enema can assist your pet if he is unable to empty his intestines because of swelling or pain, which can cause the feces to compact and obstruct the intestine.

An enema can damage the intestines if used improperly, so use caution!

You can use vaseline oil (glycerin) and herbal infusions to prepare the solution. A soap solution is one option. In order to remove intestinal contents, the liquid will soften the feces and cause peristalsis to begin. A one-liter cleansing enema is used for large dogs, 200 milliliters for medium-sized breeds, and up to 50 milliliters for small dogs.

The colon’s walls are gently impacted by vaseline oil.

The pet represses its urge to urinate when its intestinal mucosa swells, indicating that it is in pain. As a result, the condition gets worse. First and foremost, during an exacerbation, it’s important to make an effort to constrict blood vessels and lessen swelling. This is accomplished by applying cooling tampons heavily soaked in vasoconstrictor medications to the anus, such as "Lorinden," "Adrenaline," "Sinoderm," and "Celostoderm." Treatment should be given with extra caution to prevent infection and the onset of an inflammatory process if there is visible damage to the mucosa.

Below, we will explain the process for inserting an enema into your pet’s colon.

We give a dog an enema.

Medication treatment of advanced hemorrhoids

• anesthetics – "Ketanov", "Diclofenac";
• anti-inflammatory ointments with antibiotics, for example, "Levomekol";

Levomekol reduces inflammation and stops germs from growing nearby the injured area.

Surgical intervention

• especially large nodes;
• bleeding;
• swelling over a large area.

The procedure is a drastic measure carried out when the illness has progressed.

Sections of the rectum above the affected segment are excised during anesthesia-induced surgery. A surgical thread is used to clamp the nodes at the base. They eventually die off on their own without a blood supply. Nitrogen cauterization of nodes is a technique that is becoming more and more common; the lump is frozen and surgically removed.

Aspect	Details
Causes	Straining during bowel movements, obesity, lack of exercise, poor diet.
Symptoms	Blood in stool, discomfort when sitting, licking the area, swelling around the anus.
Treatment	Diet changes, increased fiber, vet-prescribed medications, surgery in severe cases.

Dog hemorrhoids can be an uncomfortable ailment, but the best way to manage it is to be aware of its causes and symptoms. Hemorrhoids can occur in dogs as a result of obesity, poor diet, or constipation. Early detection of these problems can help keep your pet from experiencing more discomfort.

It’s crucial to speak with your veterinarian if you observe symptoms like constriction during bowel movements, bleeding, or excessive licking of the back. Your dog’s health and wellbeing can be greatly improved with early intervention.

Medication, dietary modifications, and occasionally surgery are all part of the treatment process. Dogs who receive the proper care and attention can overcome hemorrhoids and lead happier, healthier lives. Preventing future issues requires feeding your pet a balanced diet and keeping them physically active.

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