Section: Overview
Veterinary Care
Veterinary care should include diagnostic tests and subsequent treatment recommendations.
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 dog 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 dogs 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
Administer as directed any medications prescribed by your veterinarian and follow recommendations for dietary modification. Also, observe your dog's general condition, watching for worsening of symptoms and bringing any changes to the attention of your veterinarian.
Preventive Care
Although some causes of colitis cannot be prevented, try to avoid exposure of your dog to infectious agents or abrupt dietary changes.
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