Chronic Diarrhea in Dogs - Retrospective Study in 136 Cases

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Canine Gastroenterology
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• Chronic diarrhea (CD) is a prevalent condition in dogs.
• Limited data exists on the frequency and distribution of primary and secondary causes of CD.
• Understanding these causes is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the underlying causes of chronic diarrhea in dogs.
• To determine predictors of treatment outcomes in dogs with CD.
• To evaluate the frequency of different etiologies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of medical records from 136 client-owned dogs with CD (duration ≥3 weeks).
• Classification of diagnoses into primary enteropathies and secondary causes.
• Comparison of clinical and clinicopathological variables between dogs with and without clinical remission.

Main Results:

• Ninety percent of dogs had primary enteropathies, with inflammatory conditions being most common (71%).
• Dietary-responsive enteropathy was the most frequent diagnosis (66% of inflammatory cases).
• Predictors of poor outcome included increased disease severity, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, and hypocobalaminemia.

Conclusions:

• Inflammatory enteropathies, especially dietary-responsive ones, are the leading causes of chronic diarrhea in dogs.
• Hematocrit, serum albumin, and serum cobalamin concentrations are valuable prognostic markers for canine CD.
• This study highlights the importance of identifying specific causes for better therapeutic strategies.