Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

276 •DOG OWNER’S HOME VETERINARY HANDBOOK
be related to a specific immune deficiency. In the majority of cases the cause of
the bacterial overgrowth is unknown. In many cases the cause of malabsorption
can be identified through special diagnostic tests, including stool analysis
and an intestinal biopsy.
Treatment: Treatment is directed toward the specific disease. Dogs with
villous atrophy are managed with gluten-free prescription diets. Small intestinal
bacterial overgrowth usually responds to one or more courses of an oral
broad-spectrum antibiotic. The addition of probiotics and live culture yogurt
products may help in treatment.
COLITIS
Colitis is an inflammation of the colon. It is responsible for about 50 percent of
cases of chronic diarrhea in dogs. The signs of colitis are painful defecation, prolonged
squatting and straining, flatulence, and passing many small stools mixed
with blood and mucus. These signs can easily be mistaken for constipation.
The usual cause of colitis is one of the inflammatory bowel diseases (see
page 273). Whipworms are another frequent cause. Fungal colitis is uncommon.
It targets dogs with immune deficiency and lowered resistance.
Prototheca colitis is a rare disease caused by an algae. It produces a severe
form of colitis and can become systemic. Treatment has not been successful.
Colitis is diagnosed by colonoscopy and colon biopsy. Stool specimens are
examined for parasites and fungi.
Irritable bowel syndrome describes a diarrhea motility disorder often associated
with stress. It tends to occur in high-strung, nervous dogs. Dogs with
irritable bowel syndrome have frequent small stools, often mixed with mucus.
The diagnosis is based on the exclusion of other causes of colitis.
Treatment: Treatment is directed toward the underlying condition, often
an inflammatory bowel disease. Irritable bowel syndrome can be helped by a
high-fiber diet (see Constipation, page 280). Bacterial causes of colitis, such as
salmonella, campylobactor, and clostridium, will respond to appropriate
antibiotics.
GASTROINTESTINAL FOREIGN BODIES
Dogs have been known to swallow bones, toys, sticks, stones, pins, needles,
wood splinters, cloth, rubber balls, rawhide, leather, string, peach pits, and
other objects. With string, one end often knots up while the other gets caught
in food. Tension on the string then causes it to cut through the wall of the
bowel. Swallowing pennies will not usually cause an obstruction, but can lead
to zinc toxicity as the metal leaches out of the coins. Batteries can also cause
toxicity when swallowed.