How to Treat Dog Colitis

Colitis is an inflammation of the colon (large intestine). There are various factors that can bring on colitis in dogs including bacteria, stress, allergies, parasites and colon cancer. The tricky part is that most dogs with colitis look and feel normal. The most common signs are frequent bowel movements and a mucousy stool and/or diarrhea with maybe occasional red blood (not black and tarry). In more severe cases vomiting may occur. Dogs with chronic colitis may experience weight loss due to frequent bowel movements or a suppressed appetite due to discomfort. In some instances there may be severe pain during bowel movements causing the dog to hold it in, which can lead to constipation. In any case, the following are ways to treat a dog with colitis.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Observe the type and frequency of your dog's stool if you suspect colitis. Also be aware of other factors including your dog's diet, environment, stress factors and if there's straining involved.

2. Gather a stool sample from your dog or have your vet extract a stool sample to detect colitis. Depending on the results, a blood test may be ordered and in certain instances further testing may be done by way of radiography, colonoscopy or a biopsy.

3. If your dog is diagnosed with colitis, follow your vet's recommended treatment, which will depend on the cause of the colitis.

4. Special dog foods or foods that are easily digested such as chicken, rice, eggs and cottage cheese are often recommended for dogs with colitis. For chronic colitis, veterinarians will often prescribe a lifelong diet of these types of foods or a prescription dog food formulated specifically for dogs with colitis such as Hill's Prescription Diet i/d or w/d and Royal Canin Waltham Veterinary Diet Canine Intestinal formulas.
   
   For dogs with colitis attributed to food allergies, veterinarians may recommend a lower fat, limited-ingredient, dog food such as Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance fish and potato, duck and potato or venison and potato or vegetarian formula. Many dogs are allergic to grain and do better with these types of foods than a formula such as Hill's Prescription Diet, which contains corn and chicken meal.

5. Antibiotics such as Metronidazole (Flagyl) are normally prescribed to help control bacterial causes and sulfa-containing drugs such as Azulfadine are often used long term to treat chronic colitis. In certain cases, steroids such as prednisone may be used.

Tips & Warnings

• Websites such as RXPETFOOD.com and animalhousemagazine.com (see links in Resources below) deliver prescription dog foods to your home. This is helpful for people who aren't able to transport the food from their vet's office or live in an area where the food isn't available. RXPETFOOD.com requires a pet owner's confirmation that the food was recommended by their veterinarian.
• Dogs with colitis should be examined thoroughly before undergoing a course of treatment-if the actual cause turns out to be something other than the assumed cause, the treatment can cause more harm than good.

Resources

• RXPETFOOD.com
• Animal House Magazine

[ruby789]

on 12/13/2009 I have a 4 year old black lab that was diagnosed with Colitis 2 years ago. I have been feeding her Science Diet lite. It works very well for the most part. She still gets sick every couple of months and I can hear her stomach gurgling. Those days I feed her boiled hamburger and white rice. By the next day she can go back to the Science Diet Lite.

[crc70]

on 11/16/2009 boxerdog111, have you had your puppy tested for Exocrine Pancreatic Insuffciency (EPI)? It can wreak havoc on your dog's digestive system, cause loose stools and ultimately cause your dog to slowly starve. You might also want to ask your vet about the possibility of allergies. Boxers are very prone to allergies - I've had two with pretty bad allergies myself - and food allergies can cause a lot of these symptoms. I am currently working with my vet to treat my boxer, who has had a lot of the same symptoms your pup is having. We did a digestion and malabsorbtion panel of tests, which can help rule out a lot, including EPI. Good luck and hope your pup is feeling well soon.

[diggitydogg]

on 10/30/2009 I would definitely forget about the low-grade dog foods and try a limited ingredient diet like Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance fish, duck or venison and potato or the vegetarian formula. Aside from grain, many dogs have allergies to chicken and beef. A teaspoon or two of pumpkin pie filling mixed in with the dog food will help solidify the stool. And a product I recommend to mix in with the food which aids in digestion and helps when you switch foods is Enzymes and Probiotics by NaturVet. It comes in a powder and you can order it at 1-800-PetMeds for much less than you find it at the stores. Good luck. Email me if you have more questions.

[boxerdog111]

on 10/25/2009 Dog Colitis. My Boxer has had this condition since he was 8 weeks old. I have always raised my other dogs on a RAW diet, and this just did not work for my puppy. I have see the Vet about every 3 weeks...and it usually results in a week or so of Flagyl (antibiotic), and some probiotics and always a new food. I really was thinking that the Vet just wanted to sell some food, but now I he and I are trying anything (mostly horrible low grade pet food from the grocery store corn based). When given new food, he is always transferred slowly. I know there are people out there...I am hoping to hear from...that can give some solid advice...solid being the "key" word. Poor little guy...has had this condition for 7 months now and I am now trying slippery elm and different probiotics , with only a few days of solid and the rest is just pudding or worse...I would like anyone to contribute to...