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| Author unknown Colitis is an inflammation of the large bowel (colon). This inflammation may be acute (sudden onset of brief duration) or chronic (long-term), disrupting your cat's normal bowel habits. Acute colitis occurs most commonly in dogs and frequently responds to one to three weeks of therapy. Chronic colitis can go on for several years or perhaps a lifetime. SIGNS OF COLITIS: Some animals may have minor clinical signs; others have severe and sometimes disabling or fatal signs. Dietary therapy and certain medications can help control the inflammation and most signs, but they general do not provide a cure. The inflammation in chronic colitis leads to excess in your cat's stool. This is manifested as diarrhea; you most likely will see the frequent passage of small quantities of mucus and/or blood-streaked stools. The diarrhea may be intermittent or continuous. Abdominal pain, depression, fever, weight loss, and a dull coat may also be present. CAUSES OF COLITIS: Many things can cause colitis, as can be seen from the following chart. IN many cases, the exact cause of colitis may never be known. Acute: 1-Whipworms 2-Spastic colon 3-Bacterial colitis 4-Fungal colitis 5-Food-induced Chronic: 1-Whipworms 2-Eosinophilic colitis 3-Ulcerative colitis 4-Histoplasma 5-Prototheca 6-Polyps 7-Tumors 8-Allergies (including food allergies) 9-Foreign body 10-Spastic colitis 11-Histocytic ulcerative colitis 12-Plasmacytic lymphocytic colitis I13-mmunoproliferation enteritis DIAGNOSIS OF COLITIS: If your veterinarian suspects that your cat has colitis he or she may perform some, most, or all of these diagnostic tests: abdominal palpation, rectal exam, white and red blood cell counts, blood chemistry profile, urinalysis, multiple fecal examinations, bacteriologic cultures of feces, x-rays of the digestive tract (possibly with barium), colonoscopy (examination of the colon through a small, lighted tube inserted through the anus), biopsy of the colon, and exploratory surgery of the abdomen. To evaluate how your cat is responding to therapy, your veterinarian will periodically repeat some of these lab tests. MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC COLITIS: Few cases of colitis can be cured. The goal of therapy for a chronic colitis, therefore, is to enable your pet to maintain as normal a lifestyle as possible. Diet and drugs can generally suppress the inflammation in your pet's colon and help prevent recurrences. DIET: Many cases of chronic colitis respond to one of two dietary approaches: 1) Increasing the amount of fiber in the animal's diet (see Importance of Fiber) or 2) Feeding a diet that is not likely; to stimulate an allergic reaction (hypoallergenic diet). There is no way to predict which approach might be better for your pet but cats don't accept added fiber as readily as dogs. Based on experience treating colitis, your veterinarian will recommend one approach or the other. Follow the directions explicitly - feed no other foods or treats. If your pet is taking any other medicine, tell your veterinarian about it so that interactions between the diet and medicine can be controlled. A trial with a therapeutic diet usually takes three to six weeks before your veterinarian will be able to accurately assess the results of the trial. Be patient, and remember, diarrheas in some pets may worsen for a few days while the pet's digestive tract is becoming accustomed to the new diet. Your veterinarian may recommend one of the following diets or a homemade diet. NUTRITION FOR THE PET WITH COLITIS * - Editor's note: -- This is prepared and presented by Hill's Science Diets. There may be other similar, suitable prescription diets available of which I am not aware. ** (Dry is available formulated only for dogs at this time. However, IAMS does have a lamb and rice dry food which may be a suitable substitute; discuss with your own veterinarian.) * w/d - A fiber-rich, fat reduced diet for the dog or cat with chronic colitis. * r/d - A high fiber, low fat diet for animals that need more fiber than w/d provides. * d/d - a hypoallergenic diet made from mutton and rice (canned) or egg and rice (dry). [Dry is available formulated only for dogs at this time. However, IAMS does have a lamb and rice dry food which may be a suitable substitute; discuss with your own veterinarian.] IMPORTANCE OF FIBER: Fiber is a carbohydrate in our diet that cannot be digested by enzymes. There are two kinds of fiber; one is soluble in water; the other is not. Insoluble fibers provide bulk to the diet and help food and water move through the digestive tract. It is well established that fiber-rich diets can be used to manage constipation in pets because fiber increases water retention in the intestines which softens the stool. The increased bulk also increases the propulsive movements of the intestines, helping to alleviate the constipation. Amazingly enough, fiber also an be used to treat some diarrheas. In diarrheic animals fiber normalizes intestinal transit time, which increases water absorption from the colon. Therefore, there is less water lost in the stool. That's why high fiber diets have a place in the treatment of colitis. DRUGS: Many drugs used to control chronic colitis have side effects and may even be dangerous - your veterinarian will prescribe them with caution. Drug therapy involves five categories of medications: Drugs that relieve diarrhea: * 5-aminosalicylic acid * Steroids for relief of inflammation * Drugs that suppress the immune system * Antibiotics Downloading, copying and printing any article or picture from this site is allowed only for private use. 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