Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Canine inflammatory bowel disease: retrospective analysis of diagnosis and outcome in 80 cases (1995-2002).
- Journal:
- The Journal of small animal practice
- Year:
- 2004
- Authors:
- Craven, M et al.
- Affiliation:
- University of Edinburgh · United Kingdom
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
This study looked at the medical records of 80 dogs diagnosed with idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is a condition that causes inflammation in the intestines. The researchers found different types of IBD in these dogs and noted that common treatments included medications like prednisolone and metronidazole. At follow-up, about a quarter of the dogs were in remission for an average of 14 months, while half had some ongoing symptoms for an average of 17 months. Unfortunately, some dogs had to be euthanized due to severe or unmanageable disease, although a few had experienced a period of remission before their condition worsened. Overall, the treatment worked for some dogs, but many continued to have issues, and the outcome was often linked to the owner's assessment of their pet's quality of life.
Abstract
The case records of 80 dogs in which idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) had been diagnosed were reviewed, and owners were contacted for follow-up information using a telephone questionnaire. The types of IBD encountered were lymphocytic (n=6), lymphocytic-plasmacytic (n=38), eosinophilic (n=6) and mixed inflammation (n=30). Prednisolone, sulphasalazine, metronidazole and tylosin were the most frequently prescribed medications. At follow-up, 21 dogs (26 per cent) were classified as being in remission (for a median of 14 months), 40 dogs (50 per cent) had intermittent clinical signs (for a median of 17 months) and three dogs (4 per cent) had uncontrolled disease (for a median of 19 months). Ten dogs (13 per cent) had been euthanased due to refractory IBD and four of these had entered remission for a median of 21 months prior to developing severe relapse and refractoriness to further treatment. Six dogs (8 per cent) had been euthanased or had died for reasons unrelated to IBD. Hypoalbuminaemia at the time of diagnosis was significantly associated with a negative outcome (P=0.0007). No association was found between the site (P=0.75), type (P=0.44) and severity (P=0.75) of disease. Dietary change to single protein and carbohydrate commercial diets had no association with outcome (P=0.12). Owner assessment of quality of life at follow-up was significantly associated with outcome (P=0.006).
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15266855/