Is your pup having excessive or frequent diarrhea? While this could point to a variety of health issues, more often than not it’s a sign of colitis. Colitis is inflammation of the colon. The colon, or large intestine, is responsible for the final stages of digestion. It does things like pass stools and stores them temporarily.
The colon absorbs water and makes stools ready for passage. When inflamed, the colon does not absorb water. As a result, it produces diarrhea.
Acute colitis is when a dog suddenly develops symptoms of colitis. Acute colitis is often stress-related. Stress occurs for some dogs when they travel, board, or visit the groomer. It can also develop when a dog eats something they shouldn’t. Sometimes acute colitis resolves on its own, but it’s important to visit the vet regardless.
If your dog’s colitis symptoms repeatedly occur over the course of a month or more, they likely suffer from chronic colitis. Chronic colitis does not resolve on its own and needs vet assistance.
The causes of colitis can vary. For the most part, the causes of acute and chronic colitis are similar. Stress is one of the primary causes of acute colitis while chronic colitis typically occurs due to ongoing health issues.
Causes of colitis include:
If you have a Boxer dog, you might notice that they start displaying colitis signs at a young age. This is a specific type of rare colitis called histiocytic ulcerative colitis. It happens more to Boxer dogs than other breeds. It causes ulcers to form in the colon’s lining. This condition surmounts in response to a poor immune response to bacteria like E. coli.
The symptoms of chronic and acute colitis are the same for the most part. The primary difference in symptoms is the fact that signs of acute colitis arise out of the blue while the symptoms of chronic colitis are ongoing.
The symptoms of colitis include:
👉 The stool of a dog suffering from chronic colitis may look like this.
When diagnosing both acute and chronic colitis the vet will carry out specific tests. After discussing your dog’s clinical signs of colitis, the vet will have a look at your dog’s other medical history.
Then they will likely do one or more of the following tests:
The specific cause of colitis informs how it’s treated. Therefore, getting your pup to the vet for diagnosis is very important.
When the vet identifies the underlying cause of colitis, they can begin looking at treatment options:
Treatment also includes things like adjusting your dog’s diet and stress levels. The vet will give you instructions for ongoing colitis treatment at home.
There are several day-to-day habits that you should adopt when taking care of a dog with colitis.
In more mild cases of colitis, the vet might prescribe a new temporary diet for your pup. This diet may include temporary fasting, increasing fiber intake, bland foods, or a hypoallergenic diet. Diet is also important for dogs dealing with ongoing or chronic colitis.
In general, dog owners should be aware of some diet do’s and don’ts:
Focus on making sure your dog’s diet supports overall nutrient balance.
🚨 The vet is the best person to consult when it comes to structuring your dog’s diet plan for colitis management.
Stress puts pressure on a dog’s immune system. This makes dogs more prone to colitis and flares of the digestive tract. Managing your dog’s stress is super important when they’re suffering from colitis.
The do’s and don’ts of preventing high stress levels for your pup are as follows:
Sometimes a bout of colitis is inevitable (especially in acute cases). There are a few reliable colitis prevention methods:
Keep an eye on your dog — Make sure your dog does not go scavenging.
Watch their diet — Feed your pup a healthy diet.
Visit the vet — Your vet will provide regular deworming, vaccinations, and other routine tests.
Make sure your pup is happy — Keep stress levels low at all times.
Dog owners often have a lot of questions when it comes to their pup and colitis.
While there is not one most prevalent cause, stress can be one of the main causes of a dog’s colitis. This comes down to the way the immune system depletes under stress. Anything that causes the immune system to falter may cause a colitis flare-up.
Yes! Colitis is not a death sentence for your pup. Depending on the cause, it’s both treatable and manageable. It’s still very serious, however, and can cause irreparable damage if ignored.
