Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Boxer dogs with ulcerative colitis get better after killing invasive
By Mansfield, C S et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2009·School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Remission of histiocytic ulcerative colitis in Boxer dogs correlates with eradication of invasive intramucosal Escherichia coli.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Seven Boxer dogs suffering from histiocytic ulcerative colitis (HUC), a serious intestinal condition, were treated with the antibiotic enrofloxacin after tests showed they had invasive E. coli bacteria in their intestines. All dogs showed improvement within two weeks of starting the medication, and six of them remained healthy for an average of nearly four years after treatment. Follow-up tests indicated that the E. coli was no longer present in most dogs, suggesting that eliminating the bacteria was key to their recovery. However, one dog that relapsed had a strain of E. coli that was resistant to enrofloxacin.
People also search for: Boxer dog colitis treatment · enrofloxacin for dogs · Boxer dog diarrhea causes
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Historically, histiocytic ulcerative (HUC) (or granulomatous) colitis of Boxer dogs was considered an idiopathic immune-mediated disease with a poor prognosis. Recent reports of dramatic responses to enrofloxacin and the discovery of invasive Escherichia coli within the colonic mucosa of affected Boxer dogs support an infectious etiology. HYPOTHESIS: Invasive E. coli is associated with colonic inflammation in Boxer dogs with HUC, and eradication of intramucosal E. coli correlates with clinical and histologic remission. ANIMALS: Seven Boxer dogs with HUC. METHODS: Prospective case series. Colonic biopsies were obtained at initial evaluation in 7 dogs, and in 5 dogs after treatment with enrofloxacin. Biopsies were evaluated by standardized histopathology, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with probes to eubacteria and E. coli. RESULTS: Intramucosal E. coli was present in colonic biopsies of 7/7 Boxers with HUC. Clinical response was noted in all dogs within 2 weeks of enrofloxacin (7 + or - 3.06 mg/kg q24 h, for 9.5 + or - 3.98 weeks) and was sustained in 6 dogs (median disease-free interval to date of 47 months, range 17-62). FISH was negative for E. coli in 4/5 dogs after enrofloxacin. E. coli resistant to enrofloxacin were present in the FISH-positive dog that relapsed. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The correlation between clinical remission and the eradication of mucosally invasive E. coli during treatment with enrofloxacin supports the causal involvement of E. coli in the development of HUC in susceptible Boxer dogs. A poor response to enrofloxacin treatment might be due to colonization with enrofloxacin-resistant E. coli.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19678891/