The Fresh Feed

News, views, and advice on cat and dog wellness, nutrition, and health, plus what’s going on in the pet food industry.

Digestion, Dog, Food, IBD

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Dogs

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), sometimes called chronic enteropathy, is a syndrome rather than a disease. Most dogs with it have a history of recurrent or chronic vomiting and/or diarrhea, sometimes with weight loss and poor appetite. What Causes it? The cause of IBD—and there may be several—is poorly understood. But what happens is this: Due to a chronic irritation of the intestinal tract, the lining is invaded by inflammatory cells, which prompts an allergic-type response that interferes with the dog’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients. This may happen because of: A parasitic or bacterial infection (e.g., Salmonella, E. coli,...