What is Clostridium?
Clostridium in dogs is a bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhea. There are two specific types of clostridium in dogs, clostridium perfringens and clostridium difficile. Both types of clostridium are bacteria that spread throughout your dog’s intestinal tract and is spread through contact with an infected dog’s feces. Clostridium difficile can also be transmitted through food that is infested.
Clostridium will dwell within the soil and can be found in dogs that are not exhibiting any symptoms of distress. The bacteria may become problematic when there is an overgrowth and spores are formed. These spores then produce endotoxins. These toxins cause inflammation in the colon. Dogs of any age and of any breed can be affected by clostridium.
Symptoms of Clostridium in Dogs
Clostridium in dogs will affect the intestinal tract. Some dogs will not exhibit symptoms when infected and have a strong immune system that allows their body to fight off the infection. If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian for an appointment.
- Diarrhea that can become severe
- Dehydration
- Abdominal cramps
- Elevated fever
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
Types
Clostridium may be caused by C. perfringens or C. difficile. Cases may be acute or chronic and may also present as asymptomatic, or cause your canine severe gastrointestinal distress.
Causes of Clostridium in Dogs
Your dog can become infected with clostridium by coming into contact with infected feces or by ingesting infected feces. Clostridium also can dwell within the soil and can be easily picked up if your dog ingests any part of the soil that is infested with clostridium.
Clostridium will produce toxins that cause bacterial infections to occur within the intestinal tract of your dog. They are also anaerobic; this means they are able to grow even when there is no oxygen present. Clostridium also forms spores that allow if to withstand any changes to its environment making it more difficult to kill the bacteria.
Diagnosis of Clostridium in Dogs
Your veterinarian will begin your appointment by asking you what symptoms you have seen and about your dog’s medical history. They will also ask about your dog’s diet and normal daily routine. This will give them a little more background information on your dog and help them to narrow their search for the cause of your dog’s illness.
If possible, bring in a fresh fecal sample for your veterinarian. Do not worry if you are unable to collect a fresh sample, your veterinarian will be able to collect a sample for analysis. Clostridium will be diagnosed by analyzing a fecal smear. Your veterinarian will be able to see if clostridium is present in the feces.
Your veterinarian may also opt to perform other tests including a complete blood count and a urinalysis to determine if the bacterial infection has spread and they type of antibiotics that will be necessary for proper treatment.
Treatment of Clostridium in Dogs
Clostridium in dogs is generally treatable using oral antibiotics. Your veterinarian will discuss with you the type of antibiotic that will be used and how long your dog will need to be treated with the medication.
Often, your veterinarian will prescribe metronidazole or amoxicillin for seven to ten days. These are the antibiotics that are used most frequently for clostridium infections in dogs. At the end of the treatments, your veterinarian may request another fecal sample to ensure that the infection is gone. If it is not gone, then another round of antibiotics will be necessary.
During treatments, your veterinarian may suggest that your dog be put on probiotics to improve their intestinal and colonic flora. This will increase the productivity of the intestines and colon and it will help put good bacteria back into your dog’s intestinal tract after antibiotic treatments.
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Recovery of Clostridium in Dogs
Your dog’s prognosis is generally good provided that medical care was quickly sought and treatments begun. Be sure to follow all dosing instructions given for any medications prescribed by your veterinarian. Complete all follow up visits with your veterinarian to ensure that the clostridium infection has been eradicated.
When your dog is diagnosed with clostridium, you will need to spray your yard, paying close attention to your dog’s potty area, with a diluted bleach solution. Clostridium can dwell in the soil so the bleach solution will kill any of the bacterium that is contaminating your yard. Clean up your dog’s feces regularly and do not allow them to eat their own feces or other dog’s feces.
If you have a multi-dog household, isolate the dog that is infected with clostridium and do not allow them to potty in the same area as your other dogs. Have all the dogs in your household tested for clostridium.
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Clostridium Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Mixed
7
5 Years
5 found this helpful
5 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting, Diarrhea, In The Human
Is C-diff or Mersa transferred from dog to human?
the human has been admitted to the hospital and is in serious condition. Is the dog or the home still contagious?
Will the spores remain on the dogs coat?
Yes, C. diff is contagious. Microorganisms can be spread from person-to-person by touch or by direct contact with contaminated objects and surfaces (for example, clothing, cell phones, door handles). ... However, these people are still infected with the bacteria can spread the infection to others.
April 27, 2018
5 Recommendations
Both Clostridium difficile and MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) may be transmitted between dogs to humans and humans to dogs, if this is suspected the dog should be tested and treated accordingly. You should also speak with your Physician about the infection as well as next steps. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
April 28, 2018
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Maltese
Bella
5 Years
3 found this helpful
3 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Off And On Diarrhea And Vomiting
My 5 year old Maltese had a dental cleaning and 2 teeth removed 1 1/2 weeks ago. Since then she has had diarrhea and vomiting off and on. We took her back to the vet 2 days after her dental for the vomiting and diarrhea and they gave her Pro Pectalin Gel but she continued to have diarrhea which was dark in color. We took her back and they put her on Metronidazole 250mg 1/4 tablet twice a day for 5 days. She started feeling a little better started eating but then the diarrhea came back and she vomited one time. We took her back to the vet and they have requested a fecal sample to test her for Clostridium. She ate again last night and had a pretty normal stool. But this morning she is not feeling good again. We are taking the fecal sample in this morning. They said this could have been brought on by the stress of the dental. Is this true or could something else be going on.Seems like she starts to feel better and then she eats and the next day is not feeling good again. She has been very healthy up until now.
April 16, 2018
3 Recommendations
Clostridium isn’t an unusual finding in dogs faeces (most affected dogs are asymptomatic), but certain circumstances may lead to an overgrowth of Clostridium which may lead to clinical symptoms; stress may be one factor but whether the stress from a dental cleaning and extraction would be one is another question. The sampling is important to identify whether there is an overgrowth as well as having a sensitivity test to ensure the most appropriate antibiotic is used for treatment. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
April 17, 2018
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Mix breed
Dibs & Blue
3 Years
4 found this helpful
4 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Diarrhea
Hello, both of my dogs have been diagnosed with clostridium. They are currently under treatment and now I am in the clean up phase and have a question. My question is I was told to use a 10:1 ratio of bleach on everything the come in contact with outside, and to first scrub the pavers and other surfaces with dawn dish soap and water. After that let the bleach solution sit on the surfaces for 20 minutes before rinsing off. I also have pet grass as the lawn surface instead of regular grass. Is the dawn step necessary? I have not seen this on any site that I have been googling to make sure I do this correctly.
April 13, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
4 Recommendations
If you are able to clean everything with the bleach solution, you should not need to do both - the Dawn step is most likely for surfaces that can not be cleaned with bleach. Bleach solution is an effective way to kill a lot of organisms, Clostridium included.
April 13, 2018
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Border Aussie
Finn
3 Months
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Restlessness
Orange Stool
My pup is 3 months old and started on panacur for round and tape worms. His stool is orange and looks like CDiff that a human would have. My vet isn’t open until Tuesday. Is this a normal thing after taking panacur and being on a bland diet?
March 31, 2018
1 Recommendations
Orange stool can be an indicator of fast intestinal transit which may occur with a variety of conditions which may include infections, parasites, digestive disorders as well as liver disease, bile duct disorders among other causes (including sudden dietary changes). You should continue with the treatment given and the bland diet for now, but if the orange stool continues you should visit your Veterinarian on Tuesday or an Emergency Veterinarian earlier if other symptoms present. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
April 1, 2018
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