| |
What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)?
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a syndrome that occurs when the
gastrointestinal tract becomes chronically inflamed. The cause of the
inflammation can be related to the presence of intestinal parasites, a
reaction to a component of the food (most often the protein source of
the diet) or for unknown reasons. The inflammation brings white blood
cells into the wall of the intestine or stomach, which interferes with
its proper functioning. This results in any combination of the following
symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea and/or weight loss
How do we diagnose IBD?
There are many diseases that can share the symptoms of IBD.
Therefore, the diagnosis of this syndrome begins with blood testing,
stool examinations for parasites, radiographs (x-rays) and abdominal
ultrasound. These tests are run to rule out many of the other diseases
that can mimic IBD such as intestinal foreign bodies, intestinal cancer,
disease of the kidneys, liver or pancreas etc. Unfortunately, these
tests cannot prove or fully disprove the presence of IBD. In order to
fully define the problem (and this is necessary to initiate appropriate
treatment), we must get biopsies of the gastrointestinal tract. This can
be accomplished through the use of endoscopy (a long flexible fiber
optic camera system with a port to allow biopsies to be taken) or
through an exploratory surgery. Each method has its pros and cons and
your veterinarian can discuss these options with you should the need
arise. The biopsies are sent to a laboratory where pathologists can
define the problem and characterize the nature of the inflammation to
help in the choice of treatment.
How do we treat IBD?
IBD is generally treated with drug therapy and modification of the
diet. We use drugs to suppress the immune response in the intestines. As
such, they can depress the immune system as a whole and so must be
monitored closely by your doctor. The drugs used most commonly are
prednisone (a derivative of cortisone), metronidazole (an antibiotic
that also has anti-inflammatory effects) and azathiaprine (an
anti-inflammatory anti-cancer drug).
Researchers believe that some form of food hypersensitivity is the cause
of IBD in many cases. Most of the time, the protein source of the diet
is the source of the inflammation. There are several types of diets that
may be tried to help your pet. Most of them will contain novel proteins
(one that your pet has not been exposed to previously) such as venison,
rabbit, turkey etc. A new and novel approach to dietary modification is
found in Hill’s Prescription diet Z/D ultra. The components of this diet
have been partially pre-digested so that when your pet eats them, the
size of the protein particles that are left after digestion are so small
(less than a molecular weight of 10,000 daltons) that the immune system
tends to ignore them which leads to less inflammation..
What is the prognosis for IBD?
The prognosis for IBD is very variable. In general, this is a
syndrome that can be controlled but not always cured. This means that
your pet will probably have to be on a very strict diet and possibly
drugs for the rest of his/her life. We try to slowly taper off the dose
of drugs over the course of a number of months, but generally stick with
a diet that works continuously. We judge the success of therapy based on
corrections of the symptoms. That is to say, reduction in the frequency
of vomiting, diarrhea and weight gain. Some pathologists believe that
IBD may develop into intestinal cancer over time. If standard
therapeutic regimens fail to bring about remission of symptoms, repeat
biopsies may be indicated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
