Angus, our 12 3/4 year old rescue GSDx has been diagnosed with colitis. We have had dogs all our lives (both of us late-middle age).
We realise now he may have been suffering intermittently for some time but, as he is a scavenger, put earlier attacks down to horrible stuff he'd eaten. Is wormed with Advocate because of his scavenging.
He has a course of anti-biotics and a tube of paste to 'bandage' his intestine and has otherwise recovered within 24 hours.
We wondered what was the best way to manage things now. We're going to a regime of 'little and often' senior diet and thought about probiotic yoghurts and things. Any other tips?
S & J Munroe
It sounds to me as if you are feeling guilty at not spotting that Angus had problems before now. If that is the case, please do not feel guilty because colitis can be hard to diagnose. I suspect that whatever he was eating when scavenging was indeed triggering bouts of colitis but standard treatment for an upset stomach was sufficient. This time, however, he needed additional help with antibiotics and a gut protectant.
Colitis means an inflamed colon. It may develop following a bout of diarrhoea, or it may occur in its own right in response to a particular food or titbit, scavenging or dietary indiscretion, or stress, for example. You may well have some of your own ideas for what is triggering Angus’s colitis. Many dogs prone to colitis do very well on a low fat diet, or a high fibre diet, or a diet with one particular protein. It ishowever, important to stick to a dietary strategy once you have found what suits Angus. That is the key to reducing the risk of further bouts of colitis.
A simple change in the water Angus is drinking can also act as a trigger, such as when you go away. If you suspect this is the case, then try Angus on bottled water at home and if he is fine then give him the same bottled water when you go away. There may also be an element of stress involved since he will be out of his home environment, in which case a pheromone plug-in or spray would be worth considering.
Supplements such as pre- and pro-biotics are certainly worth trying. Above all, though, I cannot over-emphasise how important it is to try to avoid changing Angus’s diet once you have found what suits him. Having needed antibiotics this time, Angus will have been examined by a vet who will be willing to advise on a suitable diet for him, prescription or otherwise, and any other ways of reducing the likelihood of Angus having colitis again.
Colitis is not a pleasant condition for Angus and it is distressing for you as his owners. I do hope you find a simple way of managing it so that he only has rare bouts.
Alison Logan, vet
Dear Monroes - I see colitis all the time at my practice Holisticvet in Bath. The fundamental cause is immunological reaction to food, so getting the diet right is the most important thing. You can give drugs, probiotics, aloe vera all you like, but if the diet is wrong, you are contstantly stoking the colitis fires! I use a raw food diet as a foundation - can be very easy to give e.g. Darling's Real Dog Food or Natural Instinct do ready prepared, or you can do your homework and make the diet yourself very easily. Until you get the diet right, you'll be chasing your tails, in my experience.
ReplyDeleteYou do need to get the diet right, my old girl suffered from colitis as a pup and I did put her onto raw which improved matters a lot - I also found out she couldn't tolerate wheat. She was also happy on Naturediet wet feed, which might be worth considering if you don't want to change such an elderly dog onto raw.
ReplyDeleteI suggest you ring Dorwest Herbs and order some of their Tree Barks powder, it's brilliant stuff (slippery elm) and can be added to each meal, and have a chat with them about anything else that might help they are very helpful!