Pathophysiology and management of canine colonic diseases

Diet and infectious/parasitic agents are the most common causes of large bo wel diarrhea in dogs. A diagnosis of lymphocytic-plasmacytic colitis (the m ost common form of colonic inflammatory bowel disease) should be reserved f or patients in which an etiologic agent or dietary cause cannot be found. T he cause of constipation should be established and aggressively corrected o r controlled to prevent progression to megacolon. This article discusses th e basics of colonic physiology, reviews the diseases most commonly associat ed with colonic disease in dogs, and presents an approach to the management of these disorders.