What are the symptoms of colitis in a dog?

Dealing with doggie diarrhea? This common health condition may be the culprit.

If your dog is having diarrhea, it might be a case of colitis. This common condition occurs in humans, dogs, cats, and other animals and usually causes diarrhea, gas, and discomfort. While colitis can have many causes, stress is the biggest culprit. The good news is that colitis is easily detected and can often be managed through diet and medication.

What Causes Colitis in Dogs?

The term colitis simply means inflammation of the colon, also known as the large bowel. Since colitis typically causes diarrhea, it is sometimes referred to as large bowel diarrhea.

Any dog can develop colitis regardless of age, breed, or sex. This condition can happen suddenly (acute colitis) or it may be a chronic condition. Chronic colitis often occurs as a result of another medical condition.

Stress colitis is the most common type of acute colitis in dogs. This happens when stress and anxiety interfere with immune function, leading to inflammation of the large bowel. It's not unusual for dogs to develop acute colitis after a stressful event like boarding, moving, or loud noises like thunderstorms or fireworks.

Other causes of colitis include:

RELATED: Why Your Puppy Has Diarrhea & What To Do About It

Symptoms of Colitis in Dogs

In general, diarrhea may be related to the large intestines or the small intestines and will present in different ways. Dogs with small bowel diarrhea are more likely to experience vomiting, weight loss, and lethargy. If blood is present in small bowel diarrhea, then it will appear dark like coffee grounds or tar (not fresh red blood as with large bowel diarrhea).

Of course, diarrhea may be related to both the large and small intestines, but in cases of colitis, it is primarily the large bowel that is affected. Signs of colitis in dogs include:

• Soft or runny stool (often contains mucus or red blood)
• Increased frequency of bowel movements
• Straining to defecate (may look like constipation)
• Discomfort during bowel movements
• Changes in appetite
• Increased flatulence
• Discomfort in the lower abdomen (usually caused by large bowel cramping or gas)

Contact your veterinarian if your dog is exhibiting any of these signs. They can advise you on next steps to get your pup feeling better.

How to Treat Colitis in Dogs

The first step to treating dog colitis is to determine what caused it. Your veterinarian will discuss your dog's health history with you and then perform a physical examination. Next, the vet will run fecal tests to check for parasites and infections in the stool. Abdominal X-rays may be needed to look for GI foreign bodies and tumors. Blood testing may also be recommended to assess electrolyte balance, blood cell counts, and organ function.

If the colitis was brought on by stress, then it's important to do what you can to reduce your dog's stress and anxiety at home. This won't necessarily stop the diarrhea, but it can prevent it from getting worse or recurring. Of course, a trip to the vet might temporarily increase your dog's stress level, but it's usually necessary to begin treatment.

Dewormers are used to treat parasitic infections causing colitis in dogs. The exact type of dewormer will depend on the type of parasite.

Metronidazole is a medication used to treat many cases of large bowel diarrhea. This antibiotic can treat bacterial infections, but it also has anti-inflammatory properties that can ease the diarrhea itself. Metronidazole may also be used along with dewormers to treat parasites like Giardia.

Many cases of colitis can be managed with diet changes alongside medication. Vets typically recommend a  period of fasting for one to two days in order to rest the GI tract. After that, a special diet may be warranted. Your vet will help you find the right diet for your dog.

Many dog parents may try feeding their dog pumpkin to help ease their diarrhea caused by colitis, however, this home remedy doesn't always help in all cases. In general, natural supplements or home remedies can be helpful, but these can also make diarrhea worse. Be sure to talk to your vet before starting any kind of supplement, herb, or other natural remedies for colitis.

RELATED: Vet-Recommended Home Remedies for Common Dog Ailments

Dogs with severe colitis often need to be hospitalized for supportive care. These pups may need intravenous fluids to rehydrate and balance electrolytes. During hospitalization, dogs are sometimes treated with anti-diarrhea drugs to provide relief.

What's the Outlook? Future Care for Dogs with Colitis

Most cases of acute colitis clear up quickly with basic treatment. However, dogs with chronic colitis—especially those with inflammatory bowel disease—may experience flare-ups throughout their lives. These dogs may need to remain on a special vet-recommended diet at all times. Medications are often used to help with flare-ups. Dogs with chronic conditions like this may need to see the vet for frequent check-ups.

When diet and medications are not helping, it may be time for advanced diagnostic testing. Your vet may recommend a colonoscopy and/or MRI to check for more serious issues. This may include a referral to a veterinary internal medicine specialist.

Jack Russell with full tummy as a rest.

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Canine colitis is an inflammation of the colon in dogs. It’s responsible for some 50 percent of cases of chronic diarrhea in dogs, and while it doesn’t demand a trip to the emergency room, it certainly requires the input of your veterinarian.

The condition can lead to painful, frequent trips to the backyard for your dog, often to pass watery, bloody stool. And, like many conditions that frustrate an easy diagnosis, colitis can also have the opposite effect and cause constipation.

Here’s everything you should know about the colon and colitis in dogs.

What And Where Is The Colon?

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The colon is another name for the large or lower intestine. As food travels through the dog’s body, most of it is absorbed and used as fuel or stored as fat. The remaining food, composed mainly of indigestible fibers, enters the colon.

There are three functions of the colon: storing stool, absorbing water, and further digestion of unabsorbed nutrients. The colon’s bacteria count is approximately ten times denser than the bacteria in the small intestine.

The bacteria take the left-over fibers and break them down into three bio-chemicals: acetate, propionate, and butyrate.

These nourish the cells of the colon — which have a life expectancy rate of one week — and control the pH balance so that the toxins that are excreted will not be reabsorbed, as well as producing gasses and pigments used in creating stools.

What Are Symptoms Of Colitis In Dogs?

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Since your dog can’t tell you what they’re feeling, you must rely on outward signs to gauge their health. A major obvious symptom of colitis is diarrhea, though it can also result in constipation.

To properly classify and treat colitis-related diarrhea, it must be determined whether the problem is in the small intestine — which is the more serious of the two — or in the large intestine.

The following characteristics are commonly found in diarrhea of the large intestine:

• Straining during defecation and a sense of sudden urgency
• Fresh blood found in the stool
• Mucus in the stool
• Stools that start normal and finish loose
• Stool is often gooey or slimy as opposed to watery
• Passing gas
• Dehydration from loss of fluids

While your veterinarian can diagnose colitis based on symptoms, treatment depends on the nature of the diarrhea. Is it acute (i.e., has it appeared suddenly), chronic (ongoing for several weeks), or episodic (recurring time after time)?

Sudden (Acute) Colitis In Dogs

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If your dog suddenly develops colitis, it may be induced by stress from events such as boarding, moving, severe weather, or some other change in lifestyle, or it could be from a dietary indiscretion, such as eating from the garbage can, consuming too many treats, or having a sudden change in diet.

These cases can usually be cleared up with proper medication and diet therapy. The veterinarian should also check for parasites, as they can cause colitis.

Chronic Or Episodic Colitis In Dogs

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If your dog’s colitis symptoms persist for over a month, your veterinarian will run tests to discover the cause. The tests will include evaluating your dog’s blood chemistry, a red and white cell profile (called a CBC), and a fecal test for parasites.

They may also need to test the pancreas for its ability to produce digestive enzymes. A veterinarian should perform a fecal smear or cytology test under the microscope to check for pathogenic bacteria that can cause colitis, especially the Clostridial organisms.

Whipworms are a common cause of colitis in dogs, but they are difficult to detect. If your veterinarian suspects whipworms, they may suggest treatment for the whipworm and see if that resolves the problem.

Other parasites in different parts of the digestive tract can usually be treated readily with medicine, but whipworms can be difficult to eradicate, and a multistep deworming process is usually necessary.

If the problems return after treatment, your veterinarian may recommend a colonoscopy with a biopsy in order to reach a diagnosis.

Other Causes Of Colitis In Dogs

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There are many possible causes of colitis in dogs, and it’s important that your veterinarian run tests to determine how to proceed with treatment and how to deal with underlying factors that may worsen the condition.

Here are a few other possible causes of canine colitis:

• Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease: This is a group of diseases of the small and large intestines in which the dog’s immune system, reacting to an allergen or infection, attacks the lining of the intestine. Although treatable, it’s seldom curable.
• Foreign bodies: Grass and straw contains lots of indigestible fiber that can irritate the colon. Dogs who eat any nonfood material are always at risk of suffering from periodic bouts of colitis.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Most commonly found in stressed or highly excitable dogs, this condition often has a neurological or psychological cause.
• Allergies or dietary intolerance: Food allergies can especially cause inflammation in the digestive tract that leads to symptoms of colitis. Intolerance to certain types of food such as wheat or lactose can also cause inflammation.
• Infection: Viral or bacterial infection usually causes an immune system response which results in inflammation.
• Bowel cancer: This is especially the case with older dogs.
• Reaction to medication: Some antibiotics can interact poorly with your dog’s digestive system and kill off good bacteria that aids the digestion process, resulting in upset.

Preventing, Managing, And Treating Colitis In Dogs

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You can’t prevent every cause of colitis — sometimes it’s just out of your control. You can, however, be sure your dog gets a high-fiber diet and plenty of water.

Also, try to keep them from eating any nonfood materials. Grass, fabric, and table-scrap bones all are very hard on the digestive system and can trigger problems.

The best way to manage colitis is to get an accurate diagnosis and use the specific therapy designed for that condition. If this is not possible, your veterinarian may try to treat the symptoms as they arise to control the problem.

Listed below are medications and strategies that can be useful in the management and treatment of your dog’s colitis.

Metronidazole

This is an anti-inflammatory medication helpful in the large intestine, and it’s able to kill harmful organisms such as Clostridia and Giardia.

Sulfasalazine

This medication is a sulfa antibiotic surrounding a salicylate anti-inflammatory. The sulfa bond keeps the anti-inflammatory medication intact through the stomach until it reaches the large intestine.

While it is an effective medication, some pet parents have trouble medicating their dogs three times a day, which is necessary.

Dietary Fiber

There are three types of fiber: soluble, insoluble, and mixtures. In general, vets believe colitis is a fiber-responsive disease. The fibers are broken down into food for beneficial colon bacteria and to provide nutrients for colon cells.

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)

Some dog food manufacturers make a prescription diet that emphasizes the addition of FOS to its formulation. FOSs are carbohydrates connected with fructose (fruit sugar) units that attach to glucose (starch sugar) units.

While the bacteria of the small intestine digest most carbohydrates, FOSs, while not fibers, break down the same way in the large intestine and yield the same bio-chemicals as fibers. Tests have shown that this substance helps remove pathogenic (disease causing) bacteria from the large intestine and promote the growth of good bacteria.

Diets containing FOSs may help control colitis.

Elimination Diet

Colitis can result from food intolerance, either to a specific food or to preservatives, dyes, fillers, contaminants, or even the natural proteins in the food. Your dog could also have an allergy to a certain food, such as wheat or corn.

The best way to pinpoint these allergies is by feeding a pure diet, one that contains no food product in your dog’s current diet. You can make your own home cooked food or you can buy one of the many allergy specific diets available today, such as duck, rabbit, or sweet potato to name a few.

During the eight to ten week test period, the dog can only eat the special food, with no treats or goodies allowed. This is an easy way to determine a food allergy in your dog, and less expensive than the standard skin testing.

Treating Clostridium

Clostridial organisms are a group of anaerobic bacteria, meaning they cannot survive in the presence of oxygen. They’re responsible for such diseases as tetanus, botulism, and gangrene.

While some Clostridial organisms normally live in the large intestine, they don’t cause problems unless the dog becomes stressed or has a diet change that allows them to overgrow. Once they have grown to a large number, the high level of toxins they produce can cause colitis.

Diagnosis of Clostridial disease is complicated since a fecal smear may show its presence, but it’s not certain that the organisms are producing toxins.

Your vet may suggest additional tests, such as the reverse passive latex antigen testor the ELISA test, although some vets dispute the accuracy of these tests.

Sometimes a course of a Clostridium-killing antibiotic, such as amoxicillin, tylosin, clindamycin, and metronidazole, which has other properties to battle colitis, will be administered as a test.

Prednisone

This is still the leading weapon in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, which must be diagnosed by biopsy. Your vet will sometimes suggest a trial course of prednisone to treat the colitis.

Has your dog ever suffered from colitis? How did you treat it? Let us know in the comments below!

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