Chronic diarrhea in dogs – retrospective study in 136 cases

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Authors

Volkmann, M.
Steiner, J.M.
Fosgate, Geoffrey Theodore
Zentek, J.
Hartmann, S.
Kohn, B.

Journal Title

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Volume Title

Publisher

Wiley

Abstract

BACKGROUND : Chronic diarrhea (CD) is common in dogs, and information on frequency and distribution of primary and secondary causes is lacking. OBJECTIVES : To evaluate underlying causes and predictors of outcome in dogs with CD. ANIMALS : One hundred and thirty-six client-owned dogs with CD (≥3 weeks duration). METHODS : Retrospective review of medical records (Small Animal Clinic, Freie Universit€at Berlin, Germany, 09/2009-07/ 2011). Quantification of final diagnoses and comparison of clinical aspects including disease severity and clinicopathological abnormalities among dogs with clinical remission (either complete [gastrointestinal signs absent] or partial [clinical improvement of gastrointestinal signs and reduced episodes with shortened duration]), and those without recovery. RESULTS : Ninety percent of dogs were diagnosed with a primary enteropathy: inflammatory (71%; of those 66% dietary responsive, 23% idiopathic, 11% antibiotic responsive), infectious (13%), neoplastic (4%), and in one dog each mechanical disease or systemic vasculitis. Secondary causes were diagnosed in 10% of dogs: exocrine pancreatic (6%), endocrine (2%), and in one dog each hepatic, renal, and cardiac disease. In total, 87% of dogs had clinical remission, whereas 13% died or did not respond to treatment: Lack of recovery was frequently recorded for dogs with primary inflammatory (idiopathic) or neoplastic disease and was significantly associated with increased disease severity scores (P = .005), anemia (hematocrit < 40%, P < .001), severe hypoalbuminemia (serum albumin <2.0 g/dL, P = .008), and severe hypocobalaminemia (serum cobalamin concentration <200 pg/mL, P = .006). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE : Inflammatory enteropathies and particularly those of dietary origin were the most common causes of CD in dogs. Findings support the usefulness of hematocrit, and serum albumin and cobalamin concentration as prognostic markers in dogs with CD.

Description

Parts of this manuscript were presented as an abstract at the 2015 and 2011 DGKDVG congress in Berlin/Germany, the 2015 and 2012 InnLab Forum in Leipzig and Gottingen, Germany, the 2014 ECVIM Forum in Mainz, Germany, and the 2012 ACVIM Forum in New Orleans, LA, USA.

Keywords

Enteropathy, Epidemiology, Inflammatory bowel disease, Outcome, Chronic diarrhea (CD), Dogs (Canis familiaris)

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Citation

Volkmann, M., Steiner, J.M., Fosgate, G.T. et al. 2017, 'Chronic diarrhea in dogs – retrospective study in 136 cases', Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 1043-1055.