Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Colitis In Dogs

Question:
I've got a 1 yr. old Dalmatian that is frequently getting diarrhea and vomits.  This does not go away until he is treated by the vet with medication and is put on a bland food for several days. This has occurred 5 or 6 times, and the vet is now thinking he may have chronic colitis, which is only treatable with steroids.  She wants to wait to give him these until he is older, however, since it will be a long-time treatment. Has anyone ever experienced this with their dog? When he gets this I cannot link it to anything he has eaten that would give him these symptoms.

Answer:
What part of the country do you live in?   A friend recently lost a 2 y/o Dobe to a fungal infection of the colon (histoplasmosis).  Chronic ulcerative colitis or inflammatory bowel disease was suspected, but when the diarrhea (no vomiting) continued for over 4 months, a biopsy was done and revealed the fungal infection.  But by that time, a severe systemic bacterial infection had set in and the dog could not be saved. This organism (a soil fungus carried in pigeon/bird droppings) has usually been more common in the Ohio River valley/Midwest area, whereas other fungi were usually found in the Mississippi River/Gulf Coast area (where the above dog lived), but the history seems to be diagnosed more and more in our area. You might talk to your vet about fungal mycoses, just in case.  Steroids given to the above dog for the presumed ulcerative colitis probably allowed the fungal infection to rage out of control.  So don't take a chance.  The fungal mycoses seem to be on a rise (or maybe they're just diagnosed more now!).  Just wanted to mention this so you don't go through what my friend went thru.  A fungal infection might be a long-shot, but it's worth at least discussing the possibility with your vet.