Colitis

by E-NewsCast Team
August 28th, 2010

Colitis refers to inflammation of the colon (e.g., largeintestine) with any of a variety of causes. Colitis is arelatively common problem in pets and may be caused by reactionsto food, gastrointestinal parasites, bacterial or fungalinfections, benign infiltrative diseases (such as inflammatorybowel disease), and even neoplasia (cancer). The most common symptoms of colitis include straining todefecate, bright red blood on the stool, fecal mucus, andincreased frequency of defecation. Most animals are alert,active, and have normal appetites in spite of having colitis.Occasionally, they have diseases affecting both the smallintestine and colon, which may cause vomiting, alterations inappetite, and/or weight loss. Diagnosis of colitis is based on the patient’s history andfindings of the physical examination by your veterinarian andselected diagnostic tests. Puppies and kittens are particularlyprone to acute colitis caused by dietary indiscretion (eatinggarbage), parasites, and bacterial infections, which may bespread from animal to animal. Most of these disorders causeabrupt symptoms prompting veterinary attention. Parasites are easily diagnosed by your veterinarian, who can doso by examining fecal material under a microscope. Rectal swabsfor cytologic examination or bacterial fecal cultures may alsobe recommended. Other diseases, such as fungal infections (e.g.,histoplasmosis), inflammatory bowel disease, and neoplasia,occur mostly in adult animals and are characterized by symptomsthat have been present for several weeks to months. These animals usually require hospitalization and a morein-depth diagnostic evaluation to confirm a diagnosis. Carefulrectal examination is performed in all animals and may provideimportant clues to the cause of inflammation. Therapeutic trials in animals suspected of having parasitic ordietary causes of colitis are reasonable. Some parasites (suchas whipworm infestation in dogs) are difficult to detect. Yourveterinarian may treat your pet with medication to kill this orother suspected parasites. If bacterial infection caused byClostridium perfringens is suspected, treatment with anantibiotic is often useful. Pets that have dietary causes of colitis usually respondfavorably to being fed “bland” or hypoallergenic diets. Thesenutritionally complete diets are highly digestible and reducethe workload of the gut. Fiber supplementation is alsobeneficial in promoting healing and repair of colonic tissue. Avariety of prescription foods or recipes for homemade diets thatare appropriate for your pet are available from yourveterinarian. Animals that fail to respond to symptomatic therapy and thosehaving chronic symptom require additional diagnostic testing.These tests may blood work, urinalysis, radiographic imagingprocedures, and tissue biopsy. Endoscopic examination of thecolon (e.g., colonoscopy, which is an examination of the insideof the colon with a scope and light) with mucosal biopsyprovides the most definitive diagnosis in most cases. Your pet may require hospitalization before the procedure forbowel cleansing. The colonoscopy is performed while your pet isanesthetized or sedated. The results of endoscopic biopsy willguide treatment recommendations by your veterinarian and provideuseful information about the likelihood of cure or recurrence. Regardless of the cause, dietary modification with ahypoallergenic diet and fiber supplementation are beneficial formost dogs and cats with chronic colitis. The above is general veterinary information. Do not beginany course of treatment without consulting your regularveterinarian. All animals should be examined at least once every12 months.

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