Can dogs get stomach flu?

Can dogs get stomach flu?

Dogs will eat just about anything but they can also get a stomach virus, just like humans. A dog that has eaten something foreign will often suffer from stomach upset. Even if your dog eats the same food each day at home, he can somehow manage to sneak in something from the park. It's not uncommon for dogs to eat grass, plants, and bones. If your dog is on a special diet and eats something he's not used to, that too, can cause an upset stomach.

Give your dog Gatorade instead of water to replenish his fluids and provide electrolytes. Dehydration will occur if your dog continues to vomit and have diarrhea so be sure to give him Gatorade around the clock.

Cook white rice to help settle your dog's stomach. Make enough white rice for the entire week and feed your dog only rice during the first few days. Put the rice in a bowl full of Gatorade to get him to drink and eat at the same time.

dd ground beef or turkey to your dog's diet if the vomiting and diarrhea cease. Boil the meat like you would spaghetti and drain it thoroughly to remove all of the fat. Pat dry and give your dog ¼ cup mixed with a small amount of rice as a meal replacement. Feed your dog this mixture up to three times a day if he can handle it.

Take your dog to the veterinarian if the symptoms continue. If left untreated, a stomach virus can turn into pancreatitis. The vet will take a stool sample to look for blood and worms, and will prescribe antibiotics to clear the infection. In some cases an X-ray will be necessary.

How is stomach the flu spread?

How is stomach the flu spread?

Stomach flu can spread from both handlers and preparers of food. For example, someone infected with the virus who works in a kitchen preparing food can spread the virus. The virus can spread from infected fishermen handling contaminated oysters as they harvest them. In fact, norovirus infection is an authentic plague on cruise ships. Gastroenteritis can be spread by poor sanitation such as eating foods infected by fecal materials.

Contaminated Objects and Surfaces

Touching contaminated objects or surfaces and then placing your hands in the mouth can result in contracting the illness. Failing to clean your hands properly after a bowel movement or handling dirty diapers can spread the illness from one person to another. The virus can be easily spread by sharing common items such as a computer mouse and keyboard. Other examples include touching contaminated doorknobs or stairways, such as in a school, which is a common public place where the virus is spread, especially in the winter. Because the virus can live on surfaces for days, it's important to wash your hands every time you use something that's also used by others.

Direct Contact

Being in direct contact with someone who has the illness can make you contract it. For example, when caring for someone who's sick, you can catch gastroenteritis. Also, sharing food or eating utensils with an infected person can result in catching it. Other ways to contract the stomach flu directly from an infected person include shaking hands or kissing.

Parasites

The stomach flu can be spread by parasites such as giardia and cryptosporidium, which are capable of causing severe diarrhea and dehydration. Often, water-borne parasites in underdeveloped countries having unsanitary water supplies can cause gastroenteritis. Travelers visiting these countries should drink only bottled water to prevent these water-borne parasites from infecting them.

Contaminated Soil and Animals

Viruses, bacteria and parasites can also be found in infected soil and in wild and domesticated animals. Some of the more noteworthy intestinal viruses that can be spread from animal to human or human to animal include the salmonella, E coli and Corynebacterium pathogens. Infection occurs when germs enter the stomach after first coming through the mouth.

How to avoid stomach flu?

How to avoid stomach flu?

The best way to avoid stomach flu is to wash your hands. This keeps germs from spreading. If you can't wash your hands, carry some alcohol-based sanitizer and use it in place of soap and water.

What to eat after Stomach Flu?

What to eat after Stomach Flu?

Once the patient has overcome the stomach flu, diarrhea and vomiting, light, clear soups or broths could be given to replenish the nutritional requirements. These should be preferably homemade as it would be devoid of any cornstarch or preservatives. Tomatoes should be avoided as these could be acidic and aggravate the stomach lining. A broth made of boiled vegetables would be ideal. It should be strained to remove fibre and seeds as this could be difficult to digest.

Good eating habits after Stomach Flu recovery

Once the patient is able to retain some food, a light, bland diet could be given. The BRAT diet comprising of bananas, rice, apples and toast is quite popular. Apples can be had in the form of apple sauce. Rice can be had with soup or even yoghurt. Toast is always easier to digest than fresh white bread. Instead of toast the patient can also be given plain crackers.

Dont eat heavy and hard to digest food after stomach flu

If the patient is able to retain this food, some more solid food can be introduced to his diet.  Sliced boiled or mashed potatoes, without butter and cream would help “bind” the stomach. Plain chicken breast (skinless) would also be nutritious. It should be cooked without fat and spice. Red meat would be difficult to digest and should be completely avoided.

A light chicken noodle soup or a chicken rice soup would be nutritious and easy to digest. It would add both liquids and solids in one meal. Light, skinless fish cooked without any spices or sauces, could be added to the diet once the patient is able to retain food and is on the way to recovery.

A small helping of non-citrus fresh fruit would be beneficial. Peaches, apples and bananas can be added to the diet of a person recovering from stomach flu.

What a person eats after an attack of stomach flu, should be nutritious, bland and devoid of spices and fat.

Is it food poisoning or stomach flu?

Is it food poisoning or stomach flu?

During the acute phase of a food poisoning episode, the symptoms—nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea—may look and feel very much like the symptoms of stomach flu. Although the causes are significantly different, both the symptoms and the progress of the disease are similar: intense discomfort for 24-72 hours as the body attempts to rid itself of the unwelcome organism or toxins, followed by a period of recuperation. The care for the two illnesses is much the same as well: replacement of fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhea, and bed rest.

During the acute phase the victim may be too sick and uncomfortable to be very interested in a differential diagnosis. During an episode of food poisoning, the immediate concern should be the victim’s safety. If the victim is a young child, an elderly person, or anyone with a chronic illness or a compromised immune system, you should err on the side of caution, and consult your health care provider about the symptoms, the duration of the illness, and the possible risks.

If after the episode you and your healthcare provider determine that the symptoms were in fact caused by food poisoning, you may be able to recover damages for the pain and suffering related to your illness. You will want to think through where you or your loved one ate contaminated food, and consult with an experienced food poisoning attorney, to determine whether you have an actionable case.

Food poisoning vs. stomach flu: Which is it?

Food poisoning vs. stomach flu: Which is it?

When it comes to food poisoning vs. stomach flu, how do you know which it is? Unfortunately, the symptoms of the two conditions doesn't always provide the answer since they can be quite similar including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills, and, in some cases, lightheadedness and dizziness due to dehydration. Food poisoning can occasionally have a more sinister side producing complications that can lead to hospitalization or even death, particularly in children. The stomach flu or viral gastroenteritis rarely leads to serious complications other than, possibly, dehydration.

Since symptoms are the same when it comes to food poisoning vs. stomach flu, the biggest clue you may have in determining the cause is whether other people who ate the same food as you became ill. If so, the cause is most likely to be food poisoning. If the food was eaten in a restaurant, it may be more difficult to clinch the diagnosis, although you can call the health department and restaurant to see if there were other reports of illness.

Can your doctor tell which it is?

In some cases, you can distinguish between food poisoning vs. stomach flu by having your doctor take cultures of your stool and send them to the lab. The stool can be tested for bacteria, as would be seen with food poisoning, or viruses, characteristic of viral gastroenteritis. In most cases, unless you're seriously ill or food poisoning is strongly suspected based on history, this won't be done unless you request it.

In most cases of uncomplicated food poisoning vs. stomach flu, the treatment will be the same. Lots of fluids and bed rest. Although it may be tempting to take medication to stop the diarrhea, this isn't usually a good idea since the bad bacteria or virus is eliminated in this way. Although you might think you'd be given antibiotics for food poisoning cause by a bacteria, this usually isn't done in uncomplicated cases since it doesn't shorten the duration of the illness and may actually cause you to shed the virus in your stool longer, increasing the risk of transmitting it to others.

The good news when it comes to food poisoning vs. stomach flu? You'll probably recover from either, although, rarely, food poisoning can cause more serious problems. The bad news? You may never know which you had unless you shared the food with someone else and they became ill.

What is stomach flu incubation period?

What is stomach flu incubation period?

In people with stomach flu, the incubation period may range from 4 hours to 1 to 2 days, depending on the type of virus that is causing the infection. Furthermore, some people are contagious during the stomach flu incubation period and others are not -- again, it depends on the type of virus that is causing the infection.

Is a Person Contagious During the Stomach Flu Incubation Period?

Whether or not a person is contagious during the stomach flu incubation period will depend on which stomach flu virus the person is infected with. For example, with a rotavirus infection, the person is contagious during the stomach flu incubation period. This person is also contagious while experiencing stomach flu symptoms. Once the diarrhea has ended, a person with rotavirus gastroenteritis is no longer contagious.