Does the sight of a brown puddle in a kennel run or cage strike dread in the hearts of your kennel staff? It shouldn’t.

Diarrhea is common in shelter cats and dogs, whether caused by stress, diet change, parasites or pathogens. While there are serious illnesses associated with diarrhea, in most cases, it’s easily treatable and often at a very small cost.

In “Don’t run from diarrhea: Easy steps for the prevention and management of diarrhea in shelter dogs and cats,” two in-the-trenches shelter veterinarians, Dr. Barbara Hanek of PAWS Chicago and Dr. Heather Budgin of Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, as well as Dr. Elizabeth Berliner, Director of Clinical Programs for Maddie’s^® Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell University, share their experience with beating the “brown scourge,” and their tips on how your organization can do the same:

“When I was in vet school, shelter animals were put down for diarrhea,” says PAWS Chicago veterinarian Dr. Barbara Hanek. “In a lot of places, I guess maybe they still are. But diarrhea, while highly common, is also highly treatable.”

“Most diarrhea seen in shelters is treatable,” agrees Dr. Elizabeth Berliner, Director of Clinical Programs for Maddie’s^® Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell University. “It may take a few days of that prescription diet. It may take a few days of those nutraceuticals. It may take a few days of changing that animal’s situation, putting them in some place that is less stressful and helping them adjust to the shelter environment. But as long as we follow those steps, I think most diarrhea is treatable in the shelter.”

Those “steps” are a set of standardized protocols for prevention and treatment of shelter diarrhea. These protocols are formalized, written and able to be understood and followed by staff members who are not necessarily part of the veterinary team. By formulating and implementing these specific intake and management procedures, Dr. Hanek estimates around 85% of all diarrhea in shelter dogs and cats can be dealt with successfully and inexpensively.

Get the rest of the story here.