Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Frequency of signs of chronic gastrointestinal disease in dogs after an episode of acute hemorrhagic diarrhea.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary internal medicine
- Year:
- 2022
- Authors:
- Skotnitzki, Elisabeth et al.
- Affiliation:
- Clinic of Small Animal Internal Medicine · Germany
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
This study looked at 151 dogs, comparing 80 that had previously experienced a serious bout of diarrhea with blood (called acute hemorrhagic diarrhea) to 71 healthy dogs without that history. The researchers wanted to see if the dogs with a history of this severe diarrhea showed more signs of ongoing gastrointestinal (GI) problems later on. They found that 28% of the dogs that had experienced acute hemorrhagic diarrhea showed signs of chronic GI disease, compared to only 13% of the healthy dogs. This suggests that the severe damage to the intestines from the acute diarrhea could lead to long-term GI issues. So, if your dog has had a serious case of diarrhea, it might be worth discussing any ongoing symptoms with your vet.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Acute enteropathy is a trigger of chronic gastrointestinal (GI) disease in humans. OBJECTIVE: To report the prevalence of and explore possible risk factors for signs of chronic GI disease in dogs after an episode of acute hemorrhagic diarrhea (AHD). ANIMALS: One hundred and fifty-one dogs, 80 dogs with a historical diagnosis of AHD, 71 control dogs with no history of AHD. METHODS: In this retrospective longitudinal study, data were collected from dogs with a historical diagnosis of AHD and healthy controls matched by breed, age and sex, aged between 1 year and 15 years of age, for which a follow-up of at least 12 months after enrolment was available. Dog owners responded to a questionnaire to determine the history of signs of chronic GI disease. RESULTS: There was a higher prevalence of signs of chronic GI disease in the dogs with a previous episode of AHD compared to control dogs (AHD 28%; controls 13%; P = .03; odds ratio = 2.57; confidence interval [CI] 95% 1.12-6.31) over a similar observation time (median 4 years; range, 1-12 years). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Severe intestinal mucosal damage and associated barrier dysfunction might trigger chronic GI disease later in life.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34894013/