Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline inflammatory bowel disease
- Journal:
- Medycyna Weterynaryjna
- Year:
- 2019
- Authors:
- STĘGIERSKA, DIANA et al.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Feline inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common issue in cats that leads to ongoing problems in their digestive system, often showing signs of inflammation in the intestines. The exact cause of this inflammation isn't fully understood, but it likely involves a mix of environmental factors and the cat's immune system, especially in those that are genetically prone to it. Diagnosing IBD typically requires ruling out other possible causes of gastrointestinal issues and confirming inflammation through tests on tissue samples. Treatment usually includes medications to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune response, along with dietary changes and possibly other supplements. While many cats respond well to treatment, they may need to continue taking anti-inflammatory medications for the rest of their lives to keep their symptoms under control.
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is one of the most common causes of chronic clinical signs from the gastrointestinal tract, associated with histological evidence of inflammation in the lamina propria of the small and/or large intestine in cats. The underlying etiopathogenesis of this inflammation remains unclear. IBD is probably caused by a combination of environmental and immune factors in genetically susceptible individuals. The process of diagnosing IBD involves several steps and is based on the exclusion of other causes of gastrointestinal signs and on the confirmation of the presence of inflammatory infiltration in the intestinal wall by histopathological assessment of biopsies. The treatment is based on anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs. In addition, dietotherapy, antibiotics, antiparasitic drugs, prebiotics, probiotics and supplementation of vitamin b12 are also used. For most patients, the response to treatment is satisfactory, but the maintenance of clinical remission in most of them may require anti-inflammatory drugs for the rest of their lives.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://doi.org/10.21521/mw.6293