Several etiological agents can be responsible for diarrhea in small animals.
However, primary bacterial pathogens are not common causes of diarrhea in dogs and cats.Some of the bacterial agents and their associated disease are described below. Often definitive diagnosis can be elusive due to the similarity of clinical disease syndromes.
Keep in mind, though, that these are listed for completeness, not because these are common causes of diarrhea in small animals.
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Image: Clostridium perfringens under a light microscope (Copyright Dr. R. Carey, Loyola University Medical Center).
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Image: Scanning electron microscope image of Campylobacter jejuni (Source: Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, Virginia).
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Image: Salmonella (Chi Aizawa, Teikyo University).
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Image: E. coli (David Boozer)
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