Colitis in Dogs

What are the clinical signs of colitis?

The most common signs are increased frequency in passing small volumes of semi-formed to liquid faeces. Many dogs will exhibit straining during and after passing a motion, and small amounts of blood will often be passed near the end of defecation. Mucus or fat in the faeces is seen in many cases of chronic colitis. Vomiting occurs in less than a third of colitis cases and weight loss is rare.

What causes colitis?

The causes of colitis include stress, infections (including Salmonella, Clostridium, and E. coli), parasites (including, Giardia and Cryptosporidium), trauma, allergic colitis and primary inflammatory bowel disease. Colitis may also occur after ingesting contaminated food.

Inflammation in the colon results in reduced water absorption and decreased ability to retain faeces within the colon. This results in the characteristic symptom of frequent small amounts of diarrhoea, often with mucus or blood.

How is colitis diagnosed?

A tentative diagnosis of colitis is often based simply on your pet's clinical signs and history. Additionally microscopic evaluation of the faeces, rectal examination, cytology and blood tests may be undertaken. Sometimes radiographs to examine the colon and intestinal tract, colonoscopy and colon biopsies, faecal cultures, barium enemas or ultrasound evaluation of the abdomen may be necessary. These tests are important to rule out other conditions such as colonic tumours or polyps and irritable bowel syndrome.

How is colitis treated?

Specific treatment will depend on identifying the underlying cause of the colitis. Non-specific treatment includes fasting for 24-48 hours, feeding a low residue or hypoallergenic diet and increasing dietary fibre content. Antibiotics may be indicated, depending on your dog's diagnosis. Anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive drugs may be used in cases of inflammatory or immune-mediated colitis. Drugs that modify the colon's motility may provide symptomatic relief, decreasing the frequency and straining associated with colitis

What is the prognosis if my dog has colitis?

For most dogs diagnosed with colitis, the prognosis is excellent for a speedy recovery. Stress colitis is one of the leading causes of colitis in dogs and with a simple change in diet and medication to resolve the inflammation or infection in the colon most dogs are back to normal within three to five days. Chronic, severe or recurrent cases should have further diagnostic tests performed to determine the exact cause and proper treatment. For many dogs with chronic colitis, strict dietary control and judiciously used medications keep the condition under control.