Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Pets.

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Chronic vomiting and diarrhea in dogs and cats are one of the common symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease(IBD), but IBD is more of a syndrome than a disease, it is caused by a specific reaction to some occurrence of chronic irritation in the intestinal tract, characterized by chronic enteropathies which could significantly affect life quality.

Enteropathies are often thought of to be antibiotic-responsive, food responsive, and steroid-responsive. Whatever the cause is, the bottom line is, the lining of the intestine is invaded by inflammatory cells, this inflammation then interferes with the ability of the pet's body to absorb nutrients, most cases of dogs with IBD often have a history of chronic or recurrent vomiting/diarrhea, it may also be accompanied with a poor appetite.

Source

In most cases of IBD, a specific underlying cause cannot be pointed out. Still, possible causes are bacterial/parasitic infection or a strong reaction to a particular protein in a diet.IBD can take different forms depending greatly on the type of inflammatory cells involved and the GI tract. At a point where the stomach gets inflamed, the condition is called gastritis, and when the small intestine is inflamed, the condition is called colitis.

lymphocytic plasmacytic enteritis is the most common type of IBD that exists, it involves inflammatory lymphocytes and plasma cells invading the small intestine.Eosinophils is another form of inflammatory white blood cell involved in feline IBD, there are two less common forms of IBD; neutrophilic IBD which involves neutrophils, and granulomatous IBD which involves macrophages. In a few cases, IBD may be accompanied by the inflammation of abdominal organs which includes the pancreas and the liver.

The Symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Severe vomiting: when a pet's stomach is inflamed, can lead to serious vomiting, it may not seem to have a clearly identifiable cause, and there may be a specific pattern around certain treats and food to irritate the conditions.
Weight loss, your dog failed eating habits may be a result of his IBD symptoms, a decline in the dog's appetite causing weight loss means you need to speak to a vet instantly, as early intervention is a necessity for urgent treatment. The changes in your dog's bowel movement that persists beyond two days, need urgent veterinary attention.
Severe diarrhea: If an attack on the small intestine causes inflammation, your pet may have diarrhea, or they may notice mucus in their poop. Occasional diarrhea and mucus may be normal in your pet, but blood is often a sign of an emergency.

To diagnose the presence of IBD In your pet, your vet will question you about the symptoms of the dog and upon suspicion of IBD, the condition will require a biopsy of the intestine lining for diagnosis. The biopsy will help confirm the presence of inflammatory cells and show the severity of the condition. Upon the completion of a more invasive biopsy, fecal examination, and blood work may be completed, when your blood suspects IBD, x-rays, and ultrasounds are common options, this will help cancel other parasitic suspicions like cancer, illness, and parasites.

There is currently no cure for IBD, but there are available treatment options, dog responses to food/medication are different so different drugs or food types may not even be necessary. The best way to treat this condition is to identify the underlying cause very fast, and if the exact cause cannot be placed, it is called "idiopathic". The treatment of IBD are;
Diet:Depending on the specific test result and the bowel part involved, special diets will be recommended as a form of a therapeutic trial, during the procedure of the food trial however, no specific treat or other special food at all should be given, when the food trials are unsuccessful, then a high level of fiber diet may be recommended.

Medication: Depending on the outcome of the test, medications may not be initially given, certain antibiotics may be prescribed for treating anti-inflammatory effects on the GI tract, and probiotic supplements may be recommended in order to help restore the balance of normal bacteria found in the GI tract.

Deworming: Broad-spectrum deworming may be recommended because in most cases, fecal tests are not usually representations of the parasites in the GI tract.

Vitamin B12: Most pets with IBD cases are often unable to absorb very important vitamins. Supplementing with Vitamin B12 I a great consideration as most dogs are often unable to absorb these highly important vitamins.

Any dog breed can develop IBD, but there are certain breeds that will receive proper diagnosis more than others, examples are; Weimaraners, Irish setters, German shepherds, Boxers, Border collies, etc.

Conclusion.

Like I always say, it is important to pay attention to your pet, this will help you understand when something is wrong very fast and then proceed to start treatment.Although, IBD isn't curable, it can still be managed under certain treatments.