Acute Colitis in Dogs

By Yvette Marie

Instructions

Symptoms

Step 1:
Watch for the following symptoms in your dog: repeated vomiting, mucus tinged/bloody diarrhea, straining to defecate while producing no stool, lethargy and loss of appetite. If your dog exhibits these signs, call your veterinarian.

Causes

Step 1:
Acute colitis can be caused by trauma, infection, parasites, a foreign body, food allergy, an inflammatory disorder or a more serious illness like colon cancer or pancreatitis.

Treatment

Step 1:
Your veterinarian will probably recommend symptomatic treatments for your dog including antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-motility drugs, deworming and a bland diet.

Further Diagnosis

Step 1:
If your dog does not improve in a few days, your veterinarian will probably recommend a battery of tests including lab work, X-rays, fecal analysis, urinalysis and a colonscopic examination to look for secondary illnesses.

Prevention

Step 1:
You can't always prevent acute colitis. To help stave it off, avoid exposing your dog to infectious agents, protect her from worms and parasites and never make an abrupt dietary change.

Resources

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