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Veterinary Medicine vocabulary · Animal Diseases

Diarrhoea

Meaning in veterinary medicine, with examples

/ˌdaɪəˈrɪə/nounCore term

In veterinary medicine, diarrhoea means: Loose or liquid faeces passed more often than normal, a sign of a problem in the intestines. US spelling: diarrhea.

In Turkish: ishal

How it is used

Vets ask about frequency, colour, blood and mucus, and whether it is small or large bowel diarrhoea. In calves, lambs and piglets, farmers call it scour or scours.

Example sentences

  1. The puppy has had diarrhoea for two days and won't eat.

  2. Calf diarrhoea is the main cause of death in young calves on this farm.

Common collocations

  • acute diarrhoea
  • bloody diarrhoea
  • chronic diarrhoea
  • calf diarrhoea
  • watery diarrhoea
  • vomitingForcefully bringing up the contents of the stomach through the mouth. The technical word is emesis.
  • dehydrationA state in which the body has lost more water than it has taken in, often because of vomiting, diarrhoea, fever or not drinking.
  • faecal sampleA small amount of an animal's droppings collected for laboratory tests, for example to look for worm eggs, bacteria or blood. US spelling: fecal.
  • parvovirusA tough, highly contagious virus that causes severe vomiting, bloody diarrhoea and dehydration, mainly in young unvaccinated dogs. A related parvovirus causes panleukopenia in cats.

More terms: Animal Diseases

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.