There have been many times where I have been described as a “sensitive” dog. At first I thought that this meant I was caring, thoughtful, prone to moments of deep inner reflection where I ponder such things as “why am I not fed chicken every meal of every day?” The term is actually used to describe my tummy.
I have tummy troubles and I will be the last to admit it. I like to pretend I have a lab’s steel stomach and can in fact eat the few-days-old piece of steak I finagled out of the trash. Sadly, that usually winds up with me experiencing a bad bout of diarrhea and sometimes vomiting.
Dr. S says that I have something called colitis. Colitis is an inflammation of the lower part of the intestine know as the colon and is a term that can cover a multitude of conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, parasitic infections, bacterial infections, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Pancreatitis, and food allergies. Frequent diarrhea (look for mucus and/or blood as well), vomiting, weight loss, and sometimes and overabundance of gas (something my mother is never happy about).
My first bout with colitis happened when I ate a bad marrow bone. It had been given to us by a friend who didn’t inform my mother that it had been sitting in their fridge for a while. After delightfully snacking away I had multiple bouts of diarrhea and vomiting. My mom immediately called up Dr. S and I was seen right away. A bad bacteria had gotten into my system through the yummy snack I had eaten making me succumb to bacterial colitis.
Colitis can be diagnosed through fecal exams, a colonoscopy, abdominal palpation, x-rays, rectal exams, urinalysis, blood chemistry profile, and sometimes even exploratory surgery. Don’t start fretting though! I was diagnosed just through a fecal exam and abdominal palpation (Dr. S felt around my belly a bit). No surgery needed.
Depending upon the type of colitis that is present, there are different forms of treatment. In the case of my bacterial colitis, I was given some antibiotics along with some prebiotics to promote the growth of good bacteria in my intestinal tract. Some dogs experiencing colitis may have to be hospitalized due to dehydration from having diarrhea. If a parasite, autoimmune reaction, or bacteria are the cause than medication might be prescribed. Sometimes a dog’s diet is the culprit. For awhile I had to eat a bland diet of chicken breast and rice so my system had a chance to calm itself down. Of course I wasn’t complaining! Except for the rice bit, I didn’t like that very much. Your vet might have you put your dog on a similar diet and have you slowly incorporate other foods to see if an allergy is present.
I also experience colitis when stressful situations occur. This can be any situation ranging from the time a bunch of fire-humans were in my house (something happened in our apartments basement that I am not allowed to investigate) to the time when I was passing a very loud crowd on one of my walks. The training my mom and I are doing are helping to lower my stress levels and I have been having less stress induced bouts of diarrhea.
To also combat any diarrhea I do have, because I still occasionally have my moments, I am given a sprinkling of probiotic on my food. Probiotics contain the good bacteria my intestines need to help digest food, something that can get wiped out when I have my tummy troubles or am stressed. I also get some sweet potato, a good source of dietary fiber, added to my food. It cuts my occasional gasiness and helps keep everything moving in my digestive system. Fish oil is another useful additive as it contains Omega-3 fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory properties.
If you think your dog is experiencing a form of colitis please contact your vet immediately.
Happy tail wags!
Sources: The Honest Kitchen, AboutVetMed, PetMD
It has often been said that poinsettias are incredibly toxic when ingested by cats or dogs. While it’s true that we pets are apt to chew on plants that we should and that there are, in fact, plants that can really harm us, poinsettias aren’t all that bad. They aren’t exactly as harmless as grass, but if nibbled upon, they only cause mild irritation to the stomach, like indigestion, or skin if your pet comes in direct contact with the plant’s sap. The same can be said for American mistletoe which also has quite a bad reputation. It is often confused with English mistletoe which is the toxic one of the two. If a cat or dog were to eat American mistletoe leaves or the berries, they may get some tummy troubles but will not be deathly poisoned.
