Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Exercise program helps sedentary dogs with chronic diarrhea
By Huang, H-P & Lien, Y-H·Published in The Veterinary record·2017·Institute of Veterinary Clinical Science·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effects of a structured exercise programme in sedentary dogs with chronic diarrhoea.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 22 dogs with chronic diarrhea were treated with a steroid medication called prednisolone for 10 weeks. Half of the dogs also participated in a structured exercise program that included low to moderate-intensity workouts three to five days a week. After 10 weeks, the dogs that exercised showed a significant improvement in their symptoms, with their diarrhea scores dropping dramatically, while the dogs that did not exercise showed no improvement. This suggests that regular exercise can help improve the health of dogs suffering from chronic diarrhea.
People also search for: dog chronic diarrhea treatment · exercise for dogs with diarrhea · prednisolone for dogs side effects
Abstract
The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of a structured exercise programme in sedentary dogs with chronic diarrhoea. Twenty-two dogs were enrolled in the study. All dogs received oral prednisolone (1 mg/kg/day for 14 days, followed by a tapering dosage) for 10 weeks. After four weeks of prednisolone treatment, dogs were assigned to either the exercise or control group (n=11 each). Owners of dogs in the exercise group were instructed to guide their dogs in structured exercise training (low-intensity to moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance exercise three to five days per week). After 10 weeks of prednisolone treatment with concomitant 6 weeks of complementary exercise, the Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index (CIBDAI) score had decreased significantly in the exercise group (from 8.8±1.5 at the start of the exercise programme to 2.4±1.5; P<0.001); no such change was observed in the control group (from 9.2±0.9 to 9.2±1.1). CIBDAI scores differed significantly between the groups at the end of the 10-week study period (P<0.001). The exercise programme affected all six CIBDAI parameters significantly; bodyweight (P<0.001, adjusted r=0.722) was most affected. A structured exercise programme may have positive effects on clinical symptoms in sedentary dogs with chronic diarrhoea.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27941060/