What is colitis and what causes this condition?
Colitis refers to inflammation of the colon (also known as the large bowel or large intestine). It is a fairly common problem in dogs. Diarrhea is the most common sign of colitis.
Three key characteristics of colitis are:
- Straining to excrete solids (with little stool volume produced)
- A sense of urgency to defecate
- The presence of mucus and/or blood on the stool (not in)
Some dogs demonstrate a low level of energy (lethargy) and a lack of appetite, but most dogs with colitis appear bright and alert.
Colitis can be acute or chronic, caused by a single gastrointestinal insult, or caused by ongoing issues that require medical or nutritional management. Something as simple as a diet change can cause a bout of acute colitis, as can infection from parasites, bacteria, or a virus. Stressful events may also be a trigger, such as changes in the home environment, fireworks, car rides, meeting new dogs at a dog park, or any disruption of the daily routine.
How can diet and nutrition help manage colitis?
The goal with dietary management of acute or chronic colitis is to provide an appropriate nutrient balance that meets the dog's needs, while also providing for normal gut movement and normal colonic water absorption to produce normal stool texture.
With all the factors to consider, it is best to work with your veterinarian to assess your dog's clinical and nutritional history, create a nutritional plan, and then evaluate the success of that plan. It may take more than one attempt to find the right nutrient profile for an individual dog, so patience on the part of pet owners is important.
When a veterinarian suspects colitis, they may recommend several diagnostic tests to rule out potential causes. One diagnostic tool to identify the possibility of a food allergy (or food intolerance) is an elimination diet trial. Elimination diet trials are usually done using either a hydrolyzed protein diet or a novel protein diet.
Hydrolyzed proteins have already been broken down into individual amino acids. You can think of it as the first step in protein digestion. For dogs with colitis related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a modified protein may be an important part of symptom management. The process of breaking down the protein makes it unrecognizable, so it does not cause the immune system to go on “high alert”. The animal can still use the amino acids to meet their nutritional needs without having an adverse reaction in the gut. During this type of diet trial, which can last 2 to 4 weeks or 8 to 12 weeks, nothing but the veterinary therapeutic hydrolyzed food should be given to the dog.
Novel protein diets contain intact proteins (rather than individual amino acids). To be successful, a novel protein diet should not contain any protein ingredients that the dog has eaten in the past – not from food or from treats. It can be very difficult to determine which proteins a dog has eaten without a complete diet history from the pet owner. If you forget or can’t recall some food brands or treat brands, then the novel protein diet trial may not be 100% successful.
What are some of the key nutrients involved in managing colitis?
Water is the single most important nutrient, and good hydration lays the foundation for good colon health. Make sure you provide plenty of fresh, clean water each day. Maintain good hygiene habits by washing, rinsing, and drying your pet’s water and food bowls each day. One of the colon’s primary functions is to absorb water, and this function may be impaired by colitis; diarrhea can cause dehydration due to excessive fluid loss.
“Water is the single most important nutrient, and good hydration
lays the foundation for good colon health.”
The protein content in veterinary therapeutic hydrolyzed protein diets is in the moderate-to-low range (compared to most other adult dog foods on the market). The amount and type of protein has been studied and is a key nutrient that veterinary nutritionists pay attention to, along with dietary fat and fiber.
Depending on the dog's calorie needs, a nutrient profile with low to moderate fat content may help control diarrhea from colitis. Calories in any food come from the ingredients that deliver protein, fat, and carbohydrates. These key nutrient components should have high digestibility so they can be easily absorbed from the small intestine, leaving less residue for bacterial fermentation in the colon.
Finally, dietary fiber may benefit the large bowel of dogs with chronic colitis. Benefits of fiber include:
- Normalizing the time it takes everything to move through the colon
- Protecting the gut against toxins
- Holding excess water in the stool and reducing the risk for diarrhea
- Supporting growth of normal colon bacteria
- Supporting healthy colon cells
Fiber can be soluble, meaning it dissolves in water (e.g., fruit pectin); it may be insoluble, meaning it does not dissolve in water (e.g., peanut hulls); or it may be mixed (e.g., beet pulp, bran). Insoluble fibers form a gel-like substance to help push feces through the gastrointestinal tract, while insoluble fibers provide bulk to the stool. When your veterinarian assesses the amount of fiber in the diet, they look at total dietary fiber, which accounts for both soluble and insoluble.
Low-fiber, moderate-fiber, and high-fiber diets have all been used successfully to manage canine colitis. It is also possible to offer a fiber supplement to help reach the desired total fiber in a pet’s diet. Your veterinary healthcare team is the best resource for determining an appropriate nutrient profile and products to test with your dog.
Some diets that your veterinarian may suggest include Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets HA Hydrolyzed®, Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets® Gastroenteric Fiber Balance ® Royal Canin® Hydrolyzed Protein HP®, Royal Canin® Gastrointestinal High Fiber® or Hill's® Prescription Diet® i/d®, Hill’s Prescription Diet® Gastrointestinal Biome® or Hill's® Prescription Diet® w/d™.
