Spending time with your pet could be the most satiating thing to do after a stressful day. Just like you foster him like your baby; it’s equally important to pay attention to any medical condition that your dog might develop. Colitis is one such common condition that could affect your dog’s health. This refers to the inflammation or irritation of the large intestine manifested as diarrhea in your four-legged canine friends.
Colitis can be either acute or chronic in dogs. In the case of the former, your dog might develop the symptoms suddenly while dogs living with chronic inflammation might have been suffering from this condition for long. Being a treatable condition, the latest research on Colitis indicates successful treatment with CBD products. Appropriate treatment, right diet, care, and compassion can aid in helping your pets with this condition live with a healthy gut.
Causes of colitis
Here are a few reasons that can help you understand what could have caused your doggy colitis. Intestinal parasites are a common cause of this ailment. This could include roundworms, giardia, hookworms, or other worms. Stress, allergy to certain food items, ingestion of grass or garbage, bacterial or viral infection, and irritable bowel syndrome could be among other causes of the disease. However, in some older dogs, bowel cancer or pancreatitis could lead to colitis.
Signs and symptoms
Your hound could show symptoms if he develops colitis. Some of these include defecating more often, presence of mucus or red blood in his stool, diarrhea or constipation, weight loss, lethargy, etc. Your vet should be able to diagnose the problem with proper clinical tests. Endoscopy, fecal tests, and several other tests could be recommended by the medical expert based on the symptoms.
In severe cases, your furry friend could need hospitalization to control diarrhea although in less severe cases medication and a healthy diet would work. To read more on inflammatory bowel diseases in dogs, click here.
Can colitis be prevented?
Watching what your dog eats can make a world of difference to his health. Try to keep him away from parasites. This can be done by giving him preventive medicine after consultation with the veterinarian. Also, make sure he is regularly vaccinated as this could safeguard him from a host of viral and bacterial infections.
When taking your pooch out for a walk, make sure he doesn’t feed on trash as this could potentially increase the risk of landing up with intestinal inflammatory diseases. If you wish to offer your dog home-cooked food, make sure you choose only items that are friendly to your canine’s digestive system.
Colitis is not always caused by foreign components but could emerge from nutritional deficiencies. And yes, it could also sometimes be a symptom of an underlying chronic disease.
Just like you eliminate the toxic substances from the environment that your dog is exposed to, it’s essential to evaluate his diet as well. Make sure to keep the house carpets and rugs clean, you can also use flea sprays or dips to keep your dog clean. When planning his diet, you can chart out food that offers the right balance of all food groups, such as carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
After consultation with the vet, you can supplement his diet with digestive enzymes or probiotics. You can always make his mealtime fun by providing him with healthy innovative recipes. Check out homemade recipes for dogs suffering from colitis and irritable bowel syndrome at YouTube
You can do a few basic things to keep your pup safe from developing colitis.
While we discussed a plethora of physical conditions that could cause colitis in your furry buddy, do you know that his emotional health plays an equally significant role in promoting his gut health? Experts say that often a dog’s emotional stress could cause digestive malfunction although this can be treated with proper intervention and affection.
Ensure that the food and water utensils used for your dog are free of bacteria by washing them daily with soap and water. Wet and filthy areas are habitats of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites.
Avoid strolling with your dog through such areas although you don’t need to be paranoia. Clean his paws with warm water after returning from a walk or dusting his coat regularly and bathing him go a long way in ensuring better hygiene and fewer chances of developing stomach disorders.