Section: Overview
Colitis is an inflammation of the colon, or large intestine. It may be acute, with sudden onset and short duration, or chronic, that is present for at least two to three weeks or exhibiting a pattern of episodic recurrence. In cats, there is no age or gender association with colitis.
There are many potential causes of colitis. These include:
Specific inflammatory disorders of the colon. Lymphocytic-plasmacytic, histiocytic, granulomatous, suppurative, and eosinophilic are terms that describe colitis on the basis of the predominant type of cell present in the inflamed colon.
Infectious agents, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites
Dietary intolerance or allergy
Dietary indiscretion
Cancer of the colon
Trauma, internal or external
Intussusception, which is a mechanical problem characterized by telescoping of the bowel into itself.
Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (HGE), which is an inflammatory disorder of the intestinal tract characterized by hemorrhage and production of a "raspberry jam" appearance to the stool
Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
Antibiotic-associated colitis
Most often, colitis causes some combination of fresh bright red blood in the stool, mucus in the stool, straining to defecate, and increased frequency of defecation, often many times per day. With acute colitis, the cat usually does not show signs of systemic illness, but cats with chronic colitis can experience clinically important weight loss.
What To Watch For
An occasional bout of acute colitis is not uncommon in the small animal patient. However, it is important to watch for frequent recurrence or worsening of signs, especially if they include systemic signs of illness. Although occasional vomiting occurs in otherwise healthy cats, repeated vomiting, poor appetite, weight loss and general lethargy should be reported promptly to your veterinarian.
Diagnosis
Your veterinarian will recommend diagnostic tests in order to recognize colitis and confirm the diagnosis. Tests may include:
A complete medical history and thorough physical examination
Fecal examination to evaluate for the presence of disease-causing bacteria or parasites
A complete blood count (CBC or hemogram) to evaluate for anemia, systemic inflammation, and presence of inflammatory cells (i.e., eosinophils) that may indicate an underlying allergic cause
Serum biochemistry tests to evaluate the general health of your cat and to identify problems in other organ systems
Urinalysis to evaluate kidney function
Abdominal X-rays to look for tumors or enlargement of abdominal organs
Serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity (TLI) in cats to evaluate for pancreatic disorders
Colonoscopic examination to identify the presence of colitis or colon cancer and biopsy to determine the type of inflammation (eosinophilic, granulomatous, lymphoplasmacytic) or neoplasia (adenocarcinoma, lymphosarcoma). This procedure requires anesthesia, adequate cleansing of the bowel by enemas, and special equipment (a flexible fiberoptic endoscope) that may only be available at veterinary specialty referral centers.
Treatment
Treatment for colitis is most effective when directed at the underlying cause. Your veterinarian may recommend several symptomatic treatments for an animal with signs of colitis before recommending an extensive diagnostic evaluation.
These treatments include:
Dietary modification
Empirical de-worming medication (because whipworms are a common parasitic cause of colitis and they only intermittently shed their eggs in the feces)
Antibiotics
Anti-inflammatory drugs
Motility-modifying drugs
Home Care and Prevention
Administer as directed any medications prescribed by your veterinarian and follow recommendations for dietary modification. Also, observe your cat's general condition, watching for worsening of symptoms and bringing any changes to the attention of your veterinarian.
Although some causes of colitis cannot be prevented, try to avoid exposure of your cat to infectious agents or abrupt dietary changes.
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