Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is one of the biggest causes of
gastrointestinal problems in dogs and cats. In IBD, the lining of
the bowel becomes thickened and interferes with the body's
ability to move food through the digestive system and absorb
nutrients. When this thickening reaches the stomach or higher areas
of the small intestine, chronic vomiting occurs. If it's in the
lower area of the small intestine, the result will be watery
diarrhea.
Thickening in the large intestine results in diarrhea with mucus
and fresh blood. If the entire digestive tract is involved, both
vomiting and diarrhea will occur. If the problem lasts for weeks or
months, weight loss could occur.
Causes of IBD
The exact cause of IBD in any particular case is very rarely
pinpointed. Some theories are that IBD is caused by a food allergy
or a parasite. Another line of thought is that it is caused by
normal bacteria in the intestine that start acting differently
because of problems with the immune system.
Proper Diagnosis and Identification
The
difficulty for veterinarians is in distinguishing vomiting and
diarrhea caused by IBD from those signs caused by other illnesses.
Except for vomiting and/or diarrhea, most animals with IBD
don't appear to be sick.
IBD is often a diagnosis of rule-outs. Your veterinarian will
conduct blood and urine tests to look for other potential problems,
such as liver or kidney disease. A radiograph may also be taken
to
eliminate the possibility of tumors in the abdomen. If basic
prescribed medications don't provide relief, your veterinarian
may order a biopsy of tissue from the intestinal system.
The biopsy sample is gathered through a same-day procedure called
endoscopy, which involves the use of a small tube with a tiny
fiber-optic or video camera at the end (an endoscope). The tube
is
passed down the throat into the stomach and then into the small
intestine. Once there, small forceps are used to collect a sample.
The procedure is similar if the large intestine is being
sampled;
the only difference is that the tube is inserted through the
rectum.
In extreme situations, your veterinarian may recommend surgical
exploration, which will allow him or her to take samples of tissue
from other areas as well.
Treatment
IBD is treated by suppressing the inflammation associated with the
disease. This is often done with steroid treatment. Some animals
can stop receiving drugs once the inflammation disappears, whereas
others need to continue treatment for life to stop IBD from
returning.
A change in diet can also help manage IBD. Hypoallergenic diets,
also known as 'novel protein' diets, are often used.
Reducing the amount of fat that is ingested can also help because
fats prolong the length of time that food stays in the stomach,
which tends to encourage nausea. Therefore, reducing fats reduces
the threat of vomiting and bowel irritation.
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