Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pneumatosis coli in a dog.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
- Year:
- 2008
- Authors:
- Russell, Nicholas J et al.
- Affiliation:
- School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences · Australia
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 17-year-old male Maltese dog was brought to the vet because he had been eating a lot but was losing weight, and he had been straining to poop, having diarrhea with blood, and passing thin, ribbon-like stools for two weeks. The vet found that he had a condition called pneumatosis coli, which means there were gas-filled pockets in his colon. They also suspected he might have another condition called hyperadrenocorticism, which affects hormone levels. After starting him on a special diet and giving him a medication called metronidazole, his symptoms improved significantly within just two days. Overall, the treatment worked well for him.
Abstract
A 17-year-old, castrated male Maltese was presented with chronic polyphagia and a 2-week history of tenesmus, diarrhea, hematochezia, weight loss, and ribbon-like feces. Pneumatosis coli was diagnosed by abdominal radiography. Concurrent hyperadrenocorticism was suspected. The clinical signs of colorectal disease resolved within 2 days of initiating a lowresidue diet and oral metronidazole. Pneumatosis coli should be considered as a differential diagnosis for colorectal disease in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18175797/