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Frequent vomiting and loss of appetite could be signs of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in your dog.
When your dog is frequently vomiting or suffering from bouts of diarrhoea, it’s natural for pet owners to be concerned. One possible cause for these symptoms is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). In this article, we’ll distil the key facts about IBD in dogs and explain how you can manage this digestive condition.
IBD stands for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It’s a chronic inflammation of the intestines that affects both dogs and cats, and its exact cause remains unknown.
The condition flares up in episodic bursts. However, with proper treatment, the long-term outlook for affected pets is generally favourable.
Which Dogs Are Particularly Affected by IBD?
Any dog can develop Inflammatory Bowel Disease. However, studies have shown that middle-aged dogs and German Shepherds have a heightened risk of contracting the illness.
Symptoms: How Does IBD Manifest in Dogs?
As IBD progresses, inflammation occurs in both the small and large intestine. This leads to the intestinal mucosa swelling and causing recurring bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea, which in turn prevents the body from absorbing enough nutrients from food, resulting in gradual weight loss.
Alongside weight loss and diarrhoea, depending on the severity, dogs with IBD can experience:
Abdominal pain
Decreased overall well-being
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Flatulence
Diagnosis: How is IBD Detected in Dogs?
Since there is no established cause for IBD, diagnosis is made by exclusion. This means your veterinarian will rule out other potential differential diagnoses that could explain the IBD-like symptoms.
Thus, your vet will assess not only your dog’s stomach and intestinal function but other organs such as the heart and lungs. A blood test can provide insights into the condition of the liver and kidneys.
Imaging techniques like X-rays or ultrasound can also detect foreign bodies in the digestive tract or rule out life-threatening gastric torsion.
If no cause is identified through these methods, it’s likely your furry friend is suffering from IBD.
As constant vomiting and diarrhoea deplete fluid reserves, infusions can help get the circulation of IBD patients back on track.
Treatment: How is IBD Treated in Dogs?
Constant vomiting and diarrhoea cause your ailing dog to lose too many electrolytes and fluids. To stabilise its circulation, it typically needs intravenous fluids over several days.
Dogs with severe cases are often kept in the vet practice for observation for multiple days or recommended to stay at an animal clinic.
In addition to infusions, medications help improve your dog’s condition. Vets frequently use immunosuppressive drugs such as glucocorticoids (cortisone preparations) to alleviate intestinal inflammation.
What Can a Dog with IBD Eat?
Your pooch will also require a long-term change in diet. The aim is to relieve the intestines. The appropriate dietetic food for your four-legged patient depends on various factors.
Discuss with your vet how to design a gentle diet for your dog.
Causes: How Does IBD Develop in Dogs?
What’s peculiar about IBD is that scientists have yet to pinpoint a definitive cause. Researchers suspect, as with humans suffering from Crohn’s disease, dogs with IBD may have a genetic predisposition, although no gene defect has been identified yet.
Moreover, factors suspected of triggering IBD in dogs include:
Allergies and intolerances like food hypersensitivities or food allergies
Immune system disorders
Prognosis: How Long Can a Dog with IBD Live?
Inflammatory Bowel Disease in dogs is incurable to date. However, if you adhere to your vet’s instructions and strictly follow the diet plan set out for your dog, the illness will barely impinge on your companion’s quality of life.
Thus, there’s a chance to provide your pet with a comfortable life while minimising the impairment caused by IBD.
Prevention: Can IBD be Prevented in Dogs?
IBD cannot be prevented. However, the better your four-legged friend’s overall health, the higher the likelihood of a long and healthy life. You can contribute by ensuring your pet is fed a species-appropriate and balanced diet.
Adequate exercise and appropriate portion sizes also reduce the risk of obesity and subsequent underlying diseases.
Regular veterinary check-ups, vaccinations, and good parasite prevention further help protect your dog from diseases and IBD.
This article from zooplus Magazine is purely informative. If your pet is experiencing discomfort, contact your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.
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Franziska G., Veterinarian
At the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen I was extensively trained as a veterinarian and was able to gain experience in various fields such as small animal, large animal and exotic animal medicine as well as pharmacology, pathology and food hygiene.
Since then, I have been working not only as a veterinary author, but also on my scientifically driven dissertation. My goal is to better protect animals from pathogenic bacterial organisms in the future.
Besides my veterinary knowledge, I also share my own experiences as a happy dog owner and can thus understand and enlighten fears and problems as well as other important questions about animal health.
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