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Colitis

Colitis is an inflammation of the large intestine or the colon. It may be acute, with sudden onset and short duration, or chronic, where is lasts at least two to three weeks. Sometimes there is a pattern of episodic recurrence.

Colitis may be caused by the following:

Specific inflammatory disorders of the colon

Cancer of the colon

Dietary intolerance or allergy

Pancreatitis

Antibiotic-associated colitis

Trauma, internal or external

Dietary indiscretion

Infectious agents, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites

Most dogs with colitis, look and feel normal, they, however, have frequent mucous and occasional flecks of blood in their feces. In severe cases, vomiting may occur. Some dogs and cats will experience severe pain when defecating because of inflammation of the colon, and may actually try and stop the defecation process, resulting in constipation.

The diagnostic tests to confirm if a dog has Colitis may include:

Urinalysis to evaluate kidney function

Serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity (TLI) in dogs to screen for pancreatic disorders

A complete medical history and thorough physical examination

A complete blood count, to screen for anemia.

Antibiotics will help control bacterial causes of the disease. Sulfa-containing drugs (such as Azulfidine) can be used long-term to control or treat chronic colitis. In some animals, steroids may be used.

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