Dog Colitis

Colitis in dogs can be very frustrating for pet owners
because it often involves the dog having fecal accidents in
the house.  Dog colitis specifically refers to an inflammation
of the colons.  Dr. Sam discusses possible causes and how
he goes about working up a dog colitis case.  Treatment of
dog colitis is also discussed.


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Colitis in Dogs

Dog Colitis is diagnosed when a dog comes in with
symptoms of diarrhea that have the following
characteristics: accidents in the house, a sense of urgency
when about to have a bowel movement, mucous or blood in
the diarrhea, and/or straining after having the bowel
movement.

Often, the exact cause of the colitis in dogs can be difficult
to ascertain.  Stress can certainly play a role and when a
dog is placed in a stressful situation (new member of the
household, going into boarding, other illness, etc), dog
colitis can occur.  In addition, if a dog has recurrent bouts of
dog colitis, a food or preservative sensitivity may be the
cause.  Often, trying different types of food may be part of
the cure.  At our hospitals, we may try less rich foods (less
fat) and higher fiber diets.  Sometimes, we may even have
to try preservative-free, hypoallergenic foods.  Whipworms,
a form of intestinal parasite, can also be the cause of dog
colitis.  Therefore, a fecal floatation test should be
performed when a dog presents with symptoms of dog
colitis.

We treat dog colitis by first treating the colitis directly with
antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatories, as well as with food
rest and then a bland diet for a few days.   If an underlying
cause can be determined, the cause is treated as well.

- Sam Meisler DVM

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