Colitis in a dog: causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

You can often hear from veterinarians that diseases in animals are the same as in humans, and they also need to be treated. And it's true - dogs can suffer from the same pathologies as humans.

Colitis is considered a serious disease of quadrupeds. And many owners really strive to help their pet so that he is he althy and that nothing hurts him. But how to cure colitis? Modern medicine will come to the rescue.

Inflammatory causes of appearance

Causes of colitis in dogs can vary. Veterinarians have created a special classification, according to which they look at what became the pathogen. The course of the disease will also depend on this.

Often, inflammatory processes in the intestines become the causes of colitis. In this case, the disease takes many forms:

1. Lymphocytic-plasmacytic. Thisthe form has not yet been fully studied by specialists, therefore, animals that fall ill with it, unfortunately, do not live long. It is characterized by the occurrence in the body of a pathological reaction of the immune system. Also, after some time, the number of plasma cells and some blood components, in particular, lymphocytes, increases in the mucous membrane.
2. Histiocytic. This form is more often observed in such breeds of dogs as a boxer, bulldog and others - a strong physique. Experts have noticed that this process is more of an autoimmune origin, but it still carries inflammation after itself.
3. Granulomatous. A clear example of the fact that animal diseases are very similar to human pathologies. Granulomatous colitis is very similar in its symptoms to Crohn's disease. Pathology is characterized by an inflammatory process, the cause of which is the appearance of foreign cells in the body, namely, in the walls of the large intestine.
4. Eosinophilic form. The reason for the appearance of the inflammatory process of the walls of the colon and rectum is an increase in eosinophil cells in the body. They are formed as a response to a parasitic lesion, and can also indicate an animal's allergy.

Infectious causes of disease

In this case, experts diagnose that the dog's colitis was due to the penetration of infectious agents. This means that the disease was caused by the ingestion of various foreign substances into the body, in particular, pathogenic cells that are trying to rebuild the digestive system.system. But since the dog's immunity resists, the animal experiences pain, the walls of the organs are destroyed. These microorganisms include:

1. Bacteria. The most commonly found are E. coli, salmonella and others that have at least some effect on the digestive system.
2. Viruses. Coronaviruses and parvoviruses are more common in dogs.
3. Mushrooms. The fungus begins to gradually corrode the body from the inside, bringing severe pain to the animal. If such cells (in dogs they cause histoplasmosis) enter the digestive system, they immediately attach to the walls of organs and destroy their membranes. As a result, the animal stops eating and soon dies.
4. Parasite. For dogs, all nematode worms are terrible, the defeat of which leads to colitis.
5. Protozoa. Among the simplest organisms that harm the animal, there are amoeba, Giardia, Trichomonas, Balantidia.

It is very important to monitor the nutrition of your pet. After all, it is with food that foreign substances enter the body, causing colitis and any other diseases. So, you need to make a list of proper nutrition, which will not contain any digestive additives, will not cause too much protein, fat and carbohydrates. Everything should be in moderation.

Disease forms

Specialists distinguish several types of colitis in dogs:

• Fibrinous - the initial stage of necrosis, characterized by the formation of fibrin strands on the mucous membranes.
• Ulcerative - the formation of a largenumber of ulcers. Can lead to cancer.
• Catarrhal - the digestive tract turns red, bloating appears. Most often this is the initial stage of the disease. It is characterized by a superficial mucosal lesion.
• Idiopathic is a genetic pathology.
• Necrotic type of colitis is already cell death.
• Hemorrhagic colitis in a dog - there is a large amount of blood in the feces.

Symptoms and manifestations of the disease

The main sign, after which you already need to go to the veterinarian, is the appearance of bloody impurities in the feces, as well as constant indigestion. Intermittent diarrhea is the leading symptom of spastic colitis in dogs.

Many dogs also begin to whine, because the disease is accompanied by great pain for the animal itself. In addition, the dog's torso becomes like a stone, because absolutely all the abdominal muscles come into tension in order to minimize pain as much as possible. Other symptoms of colitis also appear:

• appearance of belching, both short and long;
• gray plaque on the tip of the tongue, if the initial stage, and on everything if the disease progresses;
• constant rumbling and no hunger;
• the appearance of bad breath (although the smell from the mouth is already quite unpleasant, it is much worse with colitis);
• vomit;
• appearance of bloating and gas from the body;
• palpitations (tachycardia);
• appreciable weight loss of the animal;
• the dog refuses the usual and even favorite food, but alwayswalking time chewing grass.

In the chronic form, the symptoms are not so pronounced, but it is simply impossible not to pay attention to them.

Important to know

It is not recommended to treat the dog yourself. If intestinal colitis is suspected in a dog, symptoms and treatment should only be determined by a qualified veterinarian. After all, due to the wrong selection of medicines, the animal can die from poisoning. It is also worth remembering that colitis can hide a more serious disease, such as inflammation and swelling of the colon or intestines, and an experienced doctor will immediately notice this.

Also, there is no need to delay going to the doctor, because during this period of time the disease can progress and capture a larger area, if not transferred to another organ. In addition, pathology begins to appear in the intestines - flaws, holes and other deformations that cause significant harm to the body.

Diagnosis of disease

Treatment depends entirely on the nature of the colitis. Therefore, it is very important to contact the veterinarian to accurately tell the location of the disease. So, if there are blood or any other substances in the feces that should not be, then this means that the colitis is localized in the large intestine.

If the inclusions are not present, then the doctor detects the place by palpation, and some blood and urine are taken from the animal for analysis. All these methods give an exhaustive result for the diagnosis. However, the cause of the pathology cannot be determined.succeeds.

We need to send the animal to the delivery of feces. They can be used to see if parasites and fungi are present in the body. By bacterial culture, you can see the microorganism that has become the causative agent of infectious colitis. Only on the basis of all this, it is possible to prescribe special drugs, in particular, antibacterial ones, which will stop the development of the disease.

X-ray and ultrasound

By X-ray and ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, you can see a number of the following disorders in the body:

• intestinal volvulus;
• presence of foreign substances in the digestive system, in particular, in the walls of the large intestine;
• enlarged lymph nodes;
• fecal excretion problems;
• tightening of the torso and muscle tension.

You also need to pay attention to whether the animal has gas and other substances or not, because this cannot be seen through examinations. To find out, you need to have the owner of the dog watch him, especially during a walk.

Performing a colonoscopy

If at least some deviation from the norm was found during the research, then a colonoscopy is performed. The essence of this analysis is that by taking a laxative, the intestines are emptied as much as possible, and a probe with a camera is inserted into the anus, through which they look at the state of the digestive system, in particular, the large intestine.

They can also introduce special probes that allow you to also collect material forconducting additional tests that will give more information.

Treatment

Treatment is based on the nature of the pathology. If the dog has acute colitis, then doctors prescribe a two-day fast, during which the dog gets rid of diarrhea and possible overeating.

Next, a special diet is prescribed, during which the animal fills its body with nutrients, thereby gaining weight lost due to illness. It is important that the dog does not take anything fatty and fried while eating. It is better to diversify the diet with vegetable oils - they will help speed up the healing process of the affected organ membranes. It is recommended to boil the animal chicken, turkey and rabbit meat.

It is forbidden to buy a variety of food for the dog at this time, because due to their adoption, the condition of the body may worsen. This is due to the fact that they contain many chemical elements, digestive additives and dyes. And during the diet, they are forbidden to take.

If a dog has chronic colitis, then the animal is given enemas. It is difficult to cure an animal if the dog has ulcerative colitis. This is due to the fact that many drugs are simply useless, and the only one that really helps is Enrofloxacin. This is a very rare drug and not available in all pharmacies.

Balanced diet

Treating colitis in a dog at home includes following a special diet. It is prescribed after the elimination of inflammation and exacerbation of the disease. According to the diet, the dog should eat medicated food. If this approach does not suit the owner, he cooks a variety of cereals and mixes them with oils. That is, it replenishes the dog's body with the same substances that are contained in feed, only natural food.

Forecasts

If the cause of colitis in a dog is detected in a timely manner and appropriate treatment is prescribed, then the prognosis for recovery is favorable. The pet will completely get rid of the disease. Proper dog care and regular visits to the veterinarian will reduce the risk of colitis.