inflammatory bowel disease in a dog - causes, signs and treatment

Inflammatory bowel disease in a dog - causes, signs and treatment

Every day, I am grateful for having my dogs Pepper and Harley. Our pets bring joy, friendship and laughter to our lives. On occasion, however, they get ‘sick’ – sometimes we see vomiting, sometimes diarrhea, sometimes both! Our lives get turned upside down and we spend hours cleaning and wondering what went wrong?

There are countless reasons for our pets developing vomiting and/or diarrhea; sometimes the problem is transient and goes away after some supportive care, but other times it persists and becomes a long standing condition (a chronic disorder). One of the causes for chronic vomiting and/or diarrhea in dogs and cats is called Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Yes, humans get this too!

Inflammatory bowel disease is a condition where inflammatory cells and immune-response cells infiltrate the lining of the Gastro-intestinal Tract (GIT). Certainly there are several causes for inflammation of the bowels (diet change, food intolerance, parasites, etc.), but The World Small Animal Veterinary Association specifically defines IBD as an inflammatory infiltration
for which NO specific cause can be found.

The invasion of the inflammatory cells causes thickening of the walls of the GIT, which in turn interferes with normal absorption of nutrients and normal motility, leading to chronic vomiting and diarrhea. If the inflammation is primarily infiltrating the stomach, or higher areas of the small intestine, we will see chronic vomiting.
If the infiltration occurs in the lower small intestine we will see a watery diarrhea with weight loss. If the inflammation affects the large intestine then a mucoid diarrhea, possibly with blood, may occur. However, in some instances the entire GIT is involved!

The definitive diagnosis of IBD is obtained by inspecting the affected section of the GIT under a microscope, and identifying inflammatory cell infiltration. This means that diagnosis requires a biopsy; a costly and invasive procedure. Therefore, the search for a diagnosis begins with non-invasive tests first in order to ‘check off the list’ and to rule out more common conditions. To begin the pet’s diet should be assessed for abrupt changes, indiscretion or food intolerances. Testing for intestinal parasites should be performed and positive results treated accordingly. The pancreas should be inspected for enzyme deficiencies. Metabolic conditions should be screened for and identified with appropriate blood work. In cats, thyroid testing is necessary as well.

If further testing is needed an abdominal ultrasound may be useful in identifying abnormalities in the stomach or intestines; including thickening of the walls or enlarged lymph nodes.
Unfortunately simply seeing a thickened wall on ultrasound is not definitive for IBD, but
it does move it to the top of the list. If this kind of non-invasive testing is not revealing, then the definitive test for IBD is needed, a biopsy. IBD must be differentiated from other possible diseases such as Intestinal Lymphoma before treatment is started.

Treatment for IBD is focused on suppressing the inflammatory cells invading the GIT, and therefore immunosuppressive drugs along with supportive treatments. Certain diets, novel protein and hydrolyzed protein, have been shown to improve IBD in some pets.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is sometimes confused with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Both conditions lead to GIT upset, but IBS produces a mucoid diarrhea, and is mostly related to stress and anxiety (for example pets during boarding). The treatment for IBS is completely different from IBD, and a biopsy taken from a pet with IBS would likely come back normal

Always seek medical advice from your veterinarian when your dog or cat is having vomiting/diarrhea, but particularly if it has been ongoing; IBD unfortunately won’t go away on its own and can lead to devastating health effects. Contact your veterinarian for more information on IBD.

By Dr. DeVilbiss - Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine