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Harry called me asking me to send him information regarding holistic treatment of his dog that had been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. The dog had symptoms for quite some time and had not responded to the prescription diet so the veterinarian had started the dog on prednisone about a month previous to Harry’s call. The dog had not been helped and in fact was not eating and had lost 1/3 of it’s body weight. Unfortunately for Harry and his family the dog died 2 days later.

Crohn’s disease usually occurs in the lower part of the small intestine, but it can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus.

There are several different Crohns Disease signs and symptoms that will vary in severity from animal to animal and are usually chronic in nature. Let’s take a closer look at some of the common Crohns Disease signs and symptoms.
Rectal Bleeding
Diarrhea
Other Symptoms
Abdominal pain and cramping
Ulcers in the intestines, as well as other parts of the body.
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Malnutrition

Crohns Disease signs and symptoms are often confused with ulcerative colitis symptoms, which is why making an accurate diagnosis is sometimes difficult.

Many veterinarian recommend a bland diet and often prescribe Prescription Hills Science Diet I/D which is essentially chicken, rice and egg. This is very easy to make at home and will be less expensive and free of preservatives. Refer to the video found at Dogsdiarrhea.com for directions.

It is my opinion, as well as many others within the holistic community, that good whole food supplements and probiotics are critically important for these animals. For a free consultation, please click here. Please don’t wait until it is too late.

In an article from www.thoroughbredtimes.com
Colitis X cited in death of Sailor’s Cap

by Jeff Lowe
“An initial necropsy showed Poker Stakes (G3) winner Sailor’s Cap died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday from an underlying condition of Colitis X, principal owner Barry Irwin said.
Sailor’s Cap won the Poker three days earlier at Belmont Park in his first start of the year.
Colitis X is an intestinal condition that was cited in the death of Grade 2 winner Freedom’s Daughter in 2002 and as the probable cause in the death of champion Landaluce in 1982. Seattle Slew, the sire of Landaluce, suffered a near-fatal bout of Colitis X in 1978.”
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer

What is Colitis X?
Below is a portion of an Abstract by:
Author: Diakakis, N.
Source: Journal of the Hellenic Veterinary Medical Society, Volume 59, Number 1, January-March 2008 , pp. 23-28(6)
Publisher: Hellenic Veterinary Medical Society

“Colitis X is an acute or peracute colitis of unknown origin, which is characterized by a sudden, watery diarrhea that is usually accompanied by symptoms of hypovolemic shock and leads to death in less than 24 hours. Although colitis X has been studied extensively, the causative factor has not been clarified yet and prognosis is average to poor, as mortality could reach 90-100%. Still, mortality rate could fall to 75%, if treatment is imminent and aggressive. Occasionally the disease has been attributed to viruses, parasites, bacteria, use of antibiotics and sulfonamides and heavy metal poisoning. Stress is considered as an aggravating factor for colitis X. The clinical signs are similar to those described for other forms of acute- peracute colitis. … The treatment of colitis X should be dire and aggressive, including administration of fluids, electrolytes and blood plasma, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs and antibiotics. Preventing dehydration is of paramount importance. The application of nutritional measures is important. More specifically, parenteral or normal feeding could be used to address the exacerbated metabolism of the sick horse. Finally, the use of probiotics is considered beneficial in the restoration of the normal intestinal flora. The most common probiotics contain Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. “ (emphasis mine)

As posted on EQUID BLOG May 19, 2009 by Scott Weese
“The latest issue of the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation contains a case report by Dr. Glenn Songer’s research group about a 14-year-old Quarterhorse that had been treated with ceftiofur (an antibiotic) because of suspected salmonellosis, and subsequently died of severe colitis (sometimes called colitis X…). This pattern is all too familiar when it comes to horses: antibiotic treatment for an undiagnosed infectious disease results in death due to colitis (diarrhea). It’s even more frustrating when you consider there is very little indication to treat adult horses with salmonellosis with antibiotics.

The colitis in this case was caused by Clostridium difficile. …Antibiotic use is a well known trigger for C. difficile infection in people. While disease in horses can occur even when antibiotics are not given, it is widely suspected that antibiotic use is a major risk factor for severe colitis due to C. difficile… “

According to The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia® Copyright © 2007
“colitis, inflammation of the colon, or large intestine

The term “colitis” may be used to refer to any of a number of disorders involving the colon. Symptoms include diarrhea (often with blood and mucus), abdominal pain, and fever.
Ulcerative colitis is a serious chronic inflammation and ulceration of the lining of the colon and rectum. Another form of colitis, called Crohn’s disease, has similar signs and includes thickening of the intestinal wall. The disease typically occurs in the small intestine near the point where it joins the colon, but the colon and other parts of the gastrointestinal tract may be affected as well. The term “inflammatory bowel disease” has been used to refer to both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, the causes of which are unknown. A less severe disorder, known as irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, was formerly called mucous colitis.
…. Prolonged use of antibiotics can also cause colitis, either by direct irritation of the colon or by killing bacteria that normally live in the intestine, allowing the toxin-producing bacterium Clostridium difficile to proliferate.” (emphasis mine)

For information on the importance good bacteria such as Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp play in the gut of your companion animal, please fill out the free consultation form at http://www.dogsdiarrhea.com/free_consultation