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WHAT IS ENTERITIS ?

First broadcast on www.provet.co.uk.


This information is provided by Provet for educational purposes only.

You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Enteritis is a commonly used term in veterinary medicine - but what does it mean ?

Enteritis literally means inflammation ("-itis) of the intestines ("enter-" ). If inflammation of the stomach is present the term gastroenteritis  ("gastro-" meaning stomach) is used. The primary sign of enteritis is :

  • Diarrhoea

Other signs include :

  • Weight loss -particularly if the enteritis lasts a long time.
  • Vomiting

There are many causes of enteritis - some of which can be prevented by vaccination, and determining the underlying cause may require detailed investigative tests, XRays, examination of biopsies taken from the intestine wall,  and so on. Some of the more common causes include :

  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) - specific cause unknown
  • Microorganisms including 
    • Bacteria - pathogenic (eg salmonella) or bacterial overgrowth
    • Protozoa
    • Viruses
      • Panleukopenia virus (cats) - vaccine available
      • Canine parvovirus (dogs) - vaccine available
    • Yeasts
  • Liver disease
  • Pancreatic disease eg pancreatic insufficiency
  • Parasites 
    • Roundworms
    • Tapeworms
  • Stress - eg in nervous dogs
  • Toxins

Enteritis may be of short duration - such as the acute gastroenteritis which often occurs in dogs that scavenge food from bins, OR it may be prolonged (chronic) such as occurs in IBD.

Treatment of enteritis depends upon the underlying cause, but may include :

  • Intravenous fluids if a lot of fluid has been lost with diarrhoea and vomiting.
  • Antibiotics - if indicated
  • Dietary management. Often a short period of gut rest is recommended - so only fluids may be given initially followed by a "bland" highly digestible complete ration. The animal should not be starved for any length of time.

 

Updated October 2013