INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE - (IBD)

The German Shepherd Dog is prone to gastro intestinal diseases. Why this is, no one knows for sure. Among some of the diseases that this breed can have is a condition called Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD.

IBD is a when one or more sections of the gastrointestinal tract have been invaded with inflammatory cells. Left untreated, this inflammation can cause the intestinal tract to become less efficient at absorbing nutrients from their food. The result can be a dog that loses weight, vomits and has diarrhea. Many times this condition develops slowly and can go on for several months or even years before a real problem presents itself.

There are several types of IBD. These different types affect different parts of the gastro intestinal tract and the different cells that are affecting it. Because there are many different things that can inflame the dog’s intestinal tract, other diseases must be ruled out before a true diagnosis of IBD can be confirmed.

The four different types of IBD are: The most common type is Lympho plasmacytic. The second most common type is Eosinophilic which is also the most severe form of IBD. Food allergy and parasites must be ruled out for the inflammation before a diagnosis of IBD is made. Then there is the rarer form of IBD known as Neutrophilic. Bacterial infection must be ruled out for a proper diagnosis. And lastly another rare form of IBD is Granulomatous. Foreign bodies and fungal infection must be ruled out for this diagnosis.

The cause of IBD is not truly known although genetics, intestinal infections, food and abnormalities of the dog’s immune system can all play a role. The intestines produce a large amount of food and bacterial particles called antigens. It is these antigens that can cause an allergic immune type response. Bottom line, when these inflammatory cells invade the intestines, it interferes with the body’s ability to absorb and digest nutrients.

Some common antigens are proteins and preservatives from the dog’s food, parasites, virus’s and bacteria, and ingested foreign materials (garbage, toys, etc.). These things can start the abnormal immune response and even when the antigen is no longer present, the inflammation continues. When an exact reason cannot be found for the inflammation, this is call idiopathic, or true IBD.

The most common signs to look for are vomiting and diarrhea. Putting the dog on antibiotics and changing his food may help for a short time, but eventually the symptoms return. Usually the signs will slowly progress and then can become severe and sudden as the disease progresses. With IBD, the stomach, colon and small intestines may be involved.

When a dog has stomach inflammation, this is called gastritis. Typical of this condition is loss of appetite and vomiting. The dog may vomit undigested food, partially digested food, a clear or brownish liquid and sometimes a small amount of blood.

When the inflammation is in the small intestines, this is called enteritis. This can cause vomiting, weight loss and diarrhea. The dog may be lethargic and doesn’t look like he’s thriving very well. The diarrhea is usually a large amount and can happen one to three times a day.

When the colon is inflamed, it’s called colitis. This condition causes diarrhea in smaller amounts, but can happen up to ten times a day. The dog many times will strain while defecating and have blood or mucus in his stools. These dogs usually remain active, eat well and don’t lose weight.

Many conditions can cause a dog to vomit and have diarrhea and this can be the most difficult part in diagnosing IBD. After all testing is done which may include, a complete blood count, chemistry panel, urinalysis, fecal examination and culture, ex-rays of the chest and abdomen and sometimes an ultrasound, intestinal parasites, bacterial, viral and fungal infections, dietary allergies, foreign bodies and cancer. To determine intestinal malabsorption, specialized blood tests such as colbalamine and folate are often recommended to determine the severity.

If all tests fail to reveal another disease that’s causing the intestinal malabsorption, then IBD is suspected and a biopsy of the intestines is required to make a definite diagnoses. Once the biopsies are performed, then they are sent to a lab for a microscopic examination. A diagnosis will confirm if the IBD is mild, moderate or severe. This will help your veterinarian determine the best treatment for your dog.

Most dogs will require medication and dietary management to treat their IBD. Highly digestible diets are usually recommended for these types of dogs because nutrients are more easily digested and will reduce the amount of diarrhea. Usually it will take 8 – 12 weeks to see a positive change in the dog. If the dog’ colon is inflamed, then the vet may advise the dog get more fiber in his food.

The medicines that are usually used to treat this condition are: Corticosteroids (steroids, cortisone, and prednisone). These medications help reduce the inflammatory process and inflammation in the intestines. Since steroids can have potentially serious side effects, your vet will usually start at a lower dose until the dog can be helped by dietary measures alone. Another medicine that sometimes can be used is called Metronidazole which is an antibiotic that helps restore the normal balance of intestinal bacteria and has anti-inflammatory properties. Sometimes dogs with more severe IBD may be treated with Azathioprine, chlorambucil and cyclosporine that reduce inflammation by suppressing the immune system. Sometimes your vet will recommend treating the dog that vomits and has diarrhea with an antacid, anti-nausea, and anti-diarrhea medicine.

Although dogs with IBD can be treated and controlled, it is a condition that can not be cured. These dogs will require a strict diet and anti-inflammatory medicines to manage their disease. Unfortunately some dogs will not respond to dietary changes or medications. These severe cases can sometimes lead to intestinal cancer.

If a dog is diagnosed with IBD, it is wise to have your veterinarian check him over a few times a year to make sure the disease has not progressed to a worse condition.

My rating: early diagnosis of symptoms: (4), importance of dietary changes; (4), medical attention: (4)

Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Your Dog; Canine Chronic Diarrhea And Vomiting

What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease ?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a catch-all term. It is used to describe many conditions with similar signs but different causes. It can be quite confusing to owners and veterinarians alike because IBD is also called, Chronic Colitis, Colitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lymphocytic-plasmacytic Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Regional Enteritis, Granulomatous Enteritis or Spastic Bowel Syndrome depending on what symptoms predominate. Basically, any time your dogs intestine remains irritated over long periods of time, some form of IBD is present. The signs of intestinal parasites can be similar to IBD. The classification is too complicated for anyone to agree on. This always happens when several poorly understood diseases cause similar signs. If you got to this page and you are uncertain if your pet has IBD, go here.

To further confuse matters, Irritable Bowel Syndrome in dogs, a stress-caused problem in dogs with similar signs to IBD , is often confused with IBD.

Occasional intestinal and stomach disorders are very common in dogs . Most cases are caused by eating things your pet shouldn’t – like spoiled foods, spicy treats, or trashcan waste. These usually cause a big mess and then correct themselves in a matter of days. But dogs with IBD have loose stools and diarrhea day after day.

In all forms of IBD, defense cells, accumulate in the walls of your pet’s digestive system. Sometimes this occurs because the pet is consuming things that do not agree with it or shouldn’t have been eaten. But just as frequently or more so, it is just that the pet’s body defenses have gotten out of whack and are mistakenly attacking compounds in the intestine that are really not a threat to the dog.

What Happens In Inflammatory Bowel Disease

When things irritate the lining of your pet’s intestine, they cause food to move through it faster. With time, this irritation causes the lining to thicken and become inflamed. Blood and tissue cells that normally fight bacteria and other invaders, accumulate within the lining of the inflamed intestines causing cramping, pain, colic, diarrhea and distress. These fragile intestines are more likely to bleed and they allow unhealthy intestinal organisms to proliferate and displace the healthy ones. These changes also make it harder for your pet to absorb nutrients from its food. When the beginning portions of the intestine are involved, the pet may also vomit or loose its appetite. When the final portions of the intestine are involved, the stool is loose, frequent, watery and sticky with mucus. Bright blood is often present when the lower intestine is involved (colitis).

These problems can be occasional or continuous. When they are continuous, pets often loose weight. It is also common for dogs with this condition to eat or chew on unusual items (pica) and it can be difficult to decide if pica is the cause or result of the problem.

Flatulence is also a common problem and so is a dull hair coat and heavy shed. When the lower intestine or colon is inflamed, the pet may strain and defecate more frequent, mucous-covered, stools.

Some types of IBD are genetic and are associated with certain breeds. The lymphocytic/plasmacytic form is one of these. It is most common in German Shepherd and Shar Pei dogs. Basenjis have their own form of the disease called immuno-proliferative IBD. Boxers suffer from a form called histiocytic ulcerative colitis while Irish setters have a wheat gluten-sensitive form of the disease.

The second most common form of IBD is Eosinophilic IBD. It tends to be more severe than the lymphocytic form, but it often gets better when diet changes are made. Eosinophils are blood cells involved in allergies – so food allergies are a suspected cause.

What Are The Signs Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease ?

The most common complaint is persistent loose stools, straining and diarrhea leading to accidents in the house. This occurs because the intestine is moving too fast and not given time to remove enough water from the things your dog ate. Irritation of the colon and anus causes the straining. We all know what that is like.

Dogs with this problem can also vomit. Some veterinarians include conditions that cause stomach irritation and vomiting in the IBD complex. I prefer to call those conditions gastritis . When vomiting occurs with IBD, it is due to inflammation in the upper small intestine just below the stomach. It is possible for a pet to have both conditions simultaneously.

Certain things hint as to what portion of the digestive tract is most inflamed. When vomiting and infrequent, bulky loose stools and weight loss predominate, we tend to think of a problem high in the intestine. When frequent smaller stools, straining, blood or mucus-flecked stools occur, we tend to think of a problem lower down in the intestines. Most often, a bit of both is occurring but one predominates.

Dogs with the high form may run low fevers. The may also have secondary bacterial intestinal infections. In general, pets with the high form of IBD look more ill.

WHAT CAUSES INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE ?

The most common form of IBD in dogs is the lymphocytic/plasmacytic form (LPIBD). This describes the type of cells that pathologists see when they examine biopsies from the pet’s intestine. Some of these cells are always there, but it is abnormal when they are found in large numbers. Since we rarely find anything present that should have drawn these cells to the area, we currently consider it similar to a false fire alarm. IBR is a common disease in humans, and physicians are just as stumped. When we find better treatments for pets, it will come through research designed to help humans with similar problems.

The second most common form of IBD is the form where pathologists see mainly eosinphils in unusually high numbers in the intestinal wall. These cases of Eosinophilic Inflammatory Bowel Disease are probably caused by food allergies. They can also be called food hypersensitivities. These are the cases where changing the protein sources in your pet’s diet helps most. Some dogs are not really allergic to food ingredients that bother them. It is their inability to digest or absorb certain nutrients (maldigestion-malabsorption) that leads to intestinal upset every time they are exposed to the ingredient(s). This is sometimes called mal-assimilation syndrome as well.

Chronic intestinal infections with bacteria, fungi or protozoa can also cause chronic diarrheas. Although pets get better when given the correct antibiotics, they often have an underlying intestinal problem that gave the organisms the opportunity to get out of control. However, salmonella and campylobacter infections can cause chronic IBD-like symptoms without underlying disease.

Granulomatous enteritis is another condition said to cause IBD in dogs. Granulomas are nodules of the body’s defense cells that accumulate around infectious organisms or foreign particles within the body. It is a specific disease in horses, but it may not represent any specific disease of dogs.

Dogs, especially older dogs, sometimes develop tumors of the intestines. When these tumors involve large segments of the intestine, they can cause symptoms similar to IBD.

To further confuse you, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is not the same as Inflammatory Bowel disease (IBD). IBS has many of the same symptoms. But in IBS, the intestines are hyperactive, not from irritation, but from excessive nerve stimulation. The stimulation is usually psychological and due to stress, fear or nervousness. It occurs in dogs and is similar to what occurs in humans.
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