Collitis

[Polkey 70]

Any one had experience of this? Dog was in kennels for a few days over bank holiday and has jelly like poop with flecks of blood since. Second trip to vets since last Friday and told collitis. Got antibiotics and Kaogel liquid plus some tins of food for intestine problems. Fingers crossed it does the job!

[BORDERSCOT 3,816]

Antibiotics and although I don't know what Kaogel is...I imagine it'll be a kaoline based medication both sound in order...but I would take the tinned food back...guaranteed to be expensive something you don't need....

 

Better with small amounts of boiled chicken....some rice....some cottage cheese and natural yoghurt....much better for the dog....

[Sirius 1,391]

Polkey, With Colitis which is often a reoccurring problem, it can take a while to get the diet right to manage the problem. Firstly feed low fat foods, so like Borderscot says Chicken with the fat off, rabbit, turkey etc. Fat often irritates the gut so its good to cut too much fat out of the diet. I expect the diet you have bought of the vet is basically that a low fat diet any how just more £££.
Feed several small meals as these will be better tolerated until the dog get back to normal. Once the dog is doing OK manage the diet and find out what it does best on and this is often a case of trial and error I am afraid.

As you say the dogs been in kennels it maybe stress induced which can have an effect or cause increase bouts if the dog is susceptible to it.
So basically get him right keep the diet plain and then slowly find out what he does and doesn't do best on.
There are various nutritional foodstuffs and medications which can help if its chronic and occurs regularly.

 

Good luck Sirius

Edited September 3, 2013 by Sirius

[mooney1 120]

one of my bitches got this bug took her to vets he told us to starve her for 24 hrs then only light meals such as chicken and scrambled eggs , Also a course of antibiotics and she was clear of it in a week or so.

[Malt 379]

My lurcher had it as a pup, came right quick enough with some stuff from the vets.. Can't remember what it was called but I know it had kaolin in it..

[northern lad 2,292]

Had a bitch that suffered with it years ago,Im presuming its Hills science diet the vets given you?I ended up keeping her on chicken and rice permanently,anything else would trigger it,loose bowels ,blood etc.As someone else has said stress definetly contributes too

[Polkey 70]

Thanks for the replys all. Had him on chicken and rice now since Friday and hopefully the meds will have him sorted soon poor lad. I think being in kennels defo stressed him out which is gutting as I have been putting so much work into him and whilst I know it's only a temporary set back its a big price to pay to have gone to a wedding. He is a lot more settled now but won't be doing it again for anybody.

[littlefish 587]

Also something to bear in mind is change in diet. Any time I have to leave mine in kennels I always send the dogs food with them - with a picture of the dogs on the front of the tub. Its not any cheaper to do this but it means there is no upheaval in diet for the dogs - they are getting what they are used to, no matter how good the kennels feed is.

[stabba 10,745]

Antibiotics and although I don't know what Kaogel is...I imagine it'll be a kaoline based medication both sound in order...but I would take the tinned food back...guaranteed to be expensive something you don't need....

 

Better with small amounts of boiled chicken....some rice....some cottage cheese and natural yoghurt....much better for the dog....

What he said

[Polkey 70]

Thing is I did send him with food but I can't be sure they used it, said they did but sadley it don't make any difference now just got to get him right. Thanks for the advice lads, will get some yogurt tomorrow to

[BORDERSCOT 3,816]

Thing is I did send him with food but I can't be sure they used it, said they did but sadley it don't make any difference now just got to get him right. Thanks for the advice lads, will get some yogurt tomorrow to

 

[sandymere 8,263]

Could well be just a bug it picked up which will settle with treatment. I've done a general bit on this in the past which I've added.

 

 

 

 

First let me say I am not a vet and this is a layman’s prospective.

 

Colitis means inflammation of the colon, the colons role is the absorption of water and salt, the production of various hormones and the fermentation of dietary fibre which produces short chain fatty acids (SCFA). It contains a large population of bacteria to carry out the fermentation process and protect against harmful bacteria. After this process the muscular colon moves the residual waste to the rectum for storage prior to emptying. Colitis is not uncommon in dogs and the reasons are not entirely known but it is thought to be generally an immune mediated reaction to such things as bacteria or parasites with dietary factors often being involved. If there is a found causative factor then treatment will be based around the diagnosis but in many cases no definitive cause can be found.

 

Some dog have functional diarrhoea often associated with stressors without physical changes to the gastric tract in line with IBS in humans. Canine IBS is most commonly found in working dogs but any highly strung animal can be at risk and removing the stress can often bring a cessation of symptoms but as this is only part of the problem a multi action treatment is often needed. Drugs are often required to bring about remission and the vet is where one needs to go as the first point of contact, as the underlying cause cannot always be found treatment is aimed a managing symptoms rather than cure and diet is also thought to play a major part. One method is the use of novel protein diets along with fermentable fibre and polyunsaturated fatty acids to give long term management.

 

Elimination diets, prepared at home, provide a new protein with an appropriate carbohydrate, usually rice fed exclusively for at least 4 weeks. Once symptoms settle other foods can be added and response noted to identify any hypersensitivity. No extras in the form of supplements should be used during this period. Over the counter hypoallergenic diets follow the novel protein route with a variety of sources available such as rabbit, fish, duck etc and come with the option of added fibre. A second novel protein can be substituted for the first after a few weeks and maintained in the longer term.

There is evidence to suggest that appropriate fibre has a role to play and that the fermentability of fibre is important in aiding nutrient absorption, colonic health and formation of the SCFA. Moderately fermentable fibre is suggested as best in producing adequate SCFA to maintain health and reduce incidence of colorectal tumours, commercial feeds use beet pulp to fulfil this role. In home prepared meals whole grain rice or the use of oats may be appropriate once symptoms are in remission. Another area with some evidence is the use of polyunsaturated fatty acids with studies showing a reduction in symptoms of some animals when fish oils is added to the diet.

Dietary intervention is not a cure but it may help but please bare in mind it is not an easy option. One of the biggest problems faced by vets in treating this type of illness is poor owner compliance in that treats, table scraps, supplements etc being introduced whilst still in the elimination phase which makes the exercise fail so if an owner is considering a dietary approach to management then I would recommend a discussion with the vet, proper plan and very very strict adherence to that plan.

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

Any time your dogs are on a course of antibiotics, be sure to have some live yoghurt to hand. I usually start adding it the food near the end of the course so their gut can start recovering, and feed it for up to a week post course - antibiotics often kill off all the good stuff as well as the bad. Obviously it's a must when working out colitis but it's good to use in general - stress, antibiotics etc. Mine get it once or twice a week anyway but more so when they've got anything else going on.

 

Colitis can be a real bugger. I would deffo not bother with the script food, stick with what you're doing. Bland food, little and often. Sure he'll come round quick