An ongoing state of inflammation in your dog’s intestine or digestive tract is known as “inflammatory bowel disease” (IBD). Their digestive tract’s lining is damaged by the ongoing inflammation, which makes it difficult for food to be properly digested. If nutrients are not absorbed as they ought to be, it can also result in other health issues. Â.
IBD and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) share some symptoms, but the two conditions are very different. An excessive growth of abnormal inflammatory cells is a physical abnormality that characterizes inflammatory bowel disease. The large intestine is primarily affected by irritable bowel syndrome, which is typically brought on by stress, dietary changes, or infection.
IBD in dogs does not have a single cause, and veterinarians do not fully comprehend the condition. They think that the body’s response to other underlying conditions may actually be IBD. Causes may include:
How is IBD in dogs treated?
Although there is no known cure for IBD, it can usually be controlled with dietary changes and anti-inflammatory medications. Any additional medical conditions causing or aggravating the problem will also be treated by your veterinarian. For instance, your dog will require antibiotics if they have a bacterial infection.
Additionally, probiotics may lessen some of your dog’s stomach discomfort. This supplement aids in better digestion and the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Before giving your dog any type of supplement, consult your vet. Make sure you’re giving your dog a dosage that is both secure and efficient.
To find a course of treatment that is effective for your dog, some trial and error may be necessary. Additionally, it might take a few weeks before you notice any real progress. Be patient and consult your veterinarian to adjust the strategy as necessary. To keep tabs on your dog’s progress at home, it can be helpful to record how much they eat and make note of changes in their mood and behavior.
What are the clinical signs of IBD?
IBD can affect any part of the GI tract, but the stomach and/or intestines are most frequently affected. Chronic vomiting will occur in your dog if the stomach is affected. If the intestines are involved, chronic diarrhea will occur. In some canines, both the upper and lower digestive tracts are affected, resulting in both vomiting and diarrhea.
Poor appetite and weight loss are typical if the syndrome persists for longer than a few months. However, due to their inability to break down and absorb the food they are eating, some dogs grow to have an insatiable appetite.
Tissue biopsies are used to definitively identify the specific type of IBD. Obtaining these samples is a surgical procedure requiring general anesthesia. Your veterinarian might advise either an endoscopic procedure or a full abdominal exploratory surgery, depending on where the IBD is thought to be located.
Exploratory surgery will be necessary if the small intestine or upper large intestine are thought to be involved, primarily because an endoscope cannot access these areas. It is common practice in this situation to collect samples from all layers of the affected organ’s wall. An endoscope can be used to collect tissue samples if the stomach or colon are the main areas affected. The lining of the affected organ will be sampled using a tiny biopsy tool when an endoscope is used. Full-thickness biopsies, which are frequently performed after exploratory surgery, often yield better samples for diagnosing conditions.
To make a diagnosis, a veterinary pathologist will receive the tissue samples. Depending on the primary type of inflammatory cells found in the biopsies, the pathologist will describe the syndrome. IBD’s ongoing irritability prompts the body to send immune system cells to the affected area. When these cells are found in the tissue in abnormal numbers, IBD is diagnosed.
Other tests that may be performed are:
Examination of the feces to check for infectious organisms, measurement of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) levels in the blood to check for signs of decreased nutrient absorption, and measurement of folate levels in the blood to check for signs of an imbalance in the normal bacterial populations in the GI tract
IBD cannot be cured, but it can be managed. A variety of drugs and/or foods may be required because not all dogs react the same way to the same food or medication. Finding the underlying illness that is causing the reaction is the best course of action for treating this issue. The disease is referred to as “idiopathic” if a precise cause cannot be identified. Many cases of IBD are considered idiopathic.
Diet. Special diets may be used as a therapeutic trial, depending on test results and the part of the bowel that appears to be affected. These diets either include a single protein source that is novel to the dog or a hydrolyzed protein, which has been broken down into smaller pieces so that the body does not recognize it as a particular protein. For a true food trial, the recommended diet must be consumed only for eight to twelve weeks. No treats or other foods may be given during any food trials. A high-fiber diet may be suggested if these food trials are unsuccessful.
Medication. Depending on the specific circumstance, medication may or may not be administered at first. Antibiotics with an anti-inflammatory effect on the GI tract, such as metronidazole (Flagyl), may be prescribed. To help the normal bacteria in the GI tract return to balance, probiotic supplements may also be suggested.
Prednisone (Deltasone®, Meticorten®), budesonide (Entocort®, Uceris®), and dexamethasone (Decadron®), among other immunosuppressive drugs, are sometimes required to control the clinical signs in many patients. These medications should only be used under careful supervision due to the risk of side effects or, if biopsies have not yet been performed, of obscuring the disease’s diagnosis.
If corticosteroids are unsuccessful on their own, other medications, such as chlorambucil (Leukeran®) or azathioprine (Imuran®), are tried.
Deworming. Given that fecal tests are not always representative of the parasites in the GI tract, broad-spectrum deworming may be advised.
Vitamin B12. Most dogs with IBD are unable to absorb Vitamin B12 (cobalamin), so supplementation with this vital vitamin may be an option. This is most often given by injection under the skin.
What causes inflammatory bowel disease in dogs?
Although the precise cause of IBD in dogs is not fully understood, there are a number of things that can lead to digestive tract inflammation. A food allergy, a parasitic or bacterial infection, or an unusual immune response are some examples of these.
There may also be a hereditary component to IBD. Certain breeds, such as German Shepherds, Boxers, Shar-Peis, and Yorkshire Terriers, are more likely to suffer from this condition.
Your dog’s overall health history and the current situation will be the first things your veterinarian asks you about. Using diagnostic procedures like blood work and urinalysis, they’ll want to rule out other illnesses that can produce comparable symptoms. If IBD is suspected, they might advise a fecal examination and imaging tests like an X-ray or ultrasound.
A biopsy of the intestine’s lining must be done in order to identify IBD with certainty. With the dog under general anesthesia, this is carried out using an endoscope. It enables the veterinarian to obtain digestive tract samples in order to look for inflammatory cells and gauge how serious the condition is.
Dogs can’t express their problems or let us know when they’re not feeling well. Due to this, it’s critical to watch out for symptoms of illness in your dog, such as fever or reddish eyes.
FAQ
How long can a dog with IBD live?
Complete recovery is only possible in a small percentage of patients (typically young dogs with diet-responsive disease), but it is still treatable and manageable in most cases. Despite this, some IBD patients can benefit from effective treatment, have a good quality of life, and have a normal life expectancy.
How can I soothe my dogs IBD?
Veterinarians frequently recommend antibiotics to treat canine IBD. In your dog’s GI tract, antibiotics may help to reduce inflammation and reestablish the microbiome’s normal balance. Steroids may occasionally be useful in fighting inflammation.
Can IBD be fatal in dogs?
IBD is typically not a life-threatening condition in dogs. When the condition is managed through diet and medication, dogs with IBD can thrive. Unfortunately, some canines don’t respond to treatment, and in rare cases, intestinal cancer can result from the condition.
What causes an IBD flare up in dogs?
Stress is a very important factor in inflammatory bowel disease. Patients frequently experience symptom flare-ups during stressful situations, such as when moving into a new home, welcoming a baby or a new pet into the family, boarding at a kennel, or when they have any other physical disease.