Study Notes on Canine Gastritis

Overview of Gastritis in Dogs

  • Definition of Gastritis
    • Gastritis is characterized as an inflammation of the stomach lining.
    • It can manifest in two primary forms: acute (brief incident) or chronic (long-lasting condition).

Clinical Indications of Gastritis

  • Most frequently encountered clinical signs include:
    • Abrupt vomiting
    • Decreased appetite (anorexia)
    • Dehydration
    • Apathy or sadness
    • Increased thirst
    • Presence of blood in vomit or feces
    • Abdominal pain

Types of Gastritis

Acute Gastritis

  • Characteristics:
    • Frequently self-limiting with a typical duration of less than 24 hours.
    • Cause often unknown since symptoms may resolve before diagnostic tests can be performed.
  • Common Causes:
    • Dietary indiscretion: consumption of
    • Damaged or uncooked food
    • Non-food items (e.g., rubbish, cat litter, foreign objects)
    • Plants, poisons, molds, mushrooms
    • Improper foodstuffs (table scraps or leftovers).
  • Recovery:
    • Most dogs recover within 1 to 3 days with supportive therapy.
    • Supportive therapy may involve a short-term food restriction.
    • Prognosis is typically favorable even if the underlying cause is unknown.

Chronic Gastritis

  • Characteristics and Considerations:
    • Diagnosis often requires more extensive testing to discern the actual cause of vomiting.
    • Prognosis depends on the underlying etiology.

Common Disorders Associated with Canine Gastritis

  • Principal disorders leading to gastritis include:
    • Use of antibiotics
    • Fungal infections
    • Liver disease
    • Use of anti-inflammatories
    • Mushroom toxicity
    • Mast cell carcinoma
    • Bacterial infections
    • Gastrinoma
    • Exposure to chemicals
    • Gastric granulomatous disease
    • Overeating
    • Chemotherapy drugs
    • Heavy metals toxicity
    • Pancreatitis
    • Addison's disease
    • Ingestion of poisonous plants
    • Diabetic ketoacidosis
    • Consumption of spoiled food
    • Dietary indiscretion
    • Immune-mediated diseases
    • Stress and bowel inflammation
    • Food intolerance
    • Intestinal parasitism
    • Pyometra
    • Kidney disease
    • Intestinal foreign bodies
    • Viral infections

Diagnosis of Gastritis

  • Diagnostic tests may include:
    • Blood tests
    • Urinalysis
    • Fecal tests
    • Abdominal x-rays
    • Abdominal ultrasound
    • Endoscopy
    • Note: In cases of acute gastritis, only routine diagnostics such as blood and urine tests may be used initially.

Treatment of Gastritis

Non-Medical Therapy for Acute Gastritis

  • Recommended instructions:
    • Abstain from meals for 24 to 48 hours.
    • Throughout the first 24 hours, deliver tiny amounts of water periodically.
    • If fluids cannot be given orally without inducing vomiting, seek immediate veterinary treatment.
    • After 24 hours of no vomiting, provide a small amount of highly digestible, low-fat diet.
    • Reintroduce feeding with small, frequent meals (4 to 6 meals per day).
    • Gradually increase food intake over the next two to three days.
    • Notify a veterinarian if vomiting returns.

Medical Treatment Options

  • Available medications for managing gastritis in dogs include:
    • Anti-emetic drugs such as
    • Moropotent
    • Metoclopramide
    • If the patient is dehydrated, fluid therapy is necessary.
    • Proton pump inhibitors (e.g., Omeprazole) may be used in severe cases involving stomach ulcers.
    • Digestive protectants such as sucralfate.
    • H2 receptor antagonists like famotidine or ranitidine may be utilized for suspected stomach ulcers.

Prognosis

  • Acute Gastritis:
    • Generally has a favorable prognosis.
  • Persistent Gastritis:
    • Prognosis hinges on the underlying etiology determining the continuous gastritis.