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Canine histiocytic ulcerative colitis
1North Shore Veterinary Hospital, New South Wales.
Objective:
To assess prevalence, breed predilection, response to therapy and prognosis of canine histiocytic ulcerative colitis (CHUC).
Design:
A retrospective study of cases of CHUC seen at Sydney University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (SUVTH) over a 20-year period (1975-1994).
Procedure:
Case records of all dogs in which colitis was suspected were reviewed. Dogs were diagnosed with CHUC based on colonorectal biopsy and histopathological examination.
Results:
CHUC was diagnosed in 8 of 57 dogs presented for colitis. All affected dogs were Boxers and six were female. Dogs with milder clinical signs showed moderately good response to therapy. Four dogs were still alive 1 to 7 years after diagnosis. Three dogs were euthanased, one for reasons other than CHUC, and one was lost to follow-up.
Conclusions:
Young boxer dogs with relatively mild signs of CHUC may respond moderately well to medical and dietary therapy with fair prognosis. Euthanasia early in the course of the disease may be unwarranted. Prevalence may be increasing within the SUVTH referral population.