31 Dec Gastritis in Dogs: Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment (Part 2)

In the first part, we talked about gastritis in dogs. Various symptoms can cause gastritis, the most important of which is vomiting. We talked about it in detail before. There are different types of this disease that are caused by different causes. Recovering from this disease is a complex task that you must talk to your veterinarian about. In this section, we will explain about the treatment and diagnosis of this disease in dogs.

Detection of gastritis in dogs

It would help if you diagnosed gastritis by eliminating possible irritants. The veterinarian seeks to eliminate other conditions that show similar clinical signs before the final diagnosis. The first step in determining symptoms is to review your pet’s medical history. Through your dog medical history and the information you provide below, your veterinarian will be able to assess specific cases, including:

• History of diarrhoea and vomiting
• Supplements consumed in the last month
• Any severe illness for a month or more
• Exposure to a new dog at home
• Existing diets, such as how you feed the dog and how often
• All the foods your pet has eaten in the last two days.
• Exposure to medications, pesticides or household cleaners

Having a medical history and learning more about your pet, your veterinarian will perform a physical examination. He will look for any evidence of abdominal tenderness or pain, dehydration, gas, fever, bloating or swelling. Diagnostic tests for gastritis can include the following:

• CBC or complete blood count to check for infection and dehydration
• Ultrasound or endoscopy to get an accurate view of the stomach
• Urine analysis to diagnose urinary tract infection, diabetes or kidney disease
• Abdominal radiograph to look for anything abnormal in the stomach such as intestinal obstruction

Treatments

In many cases, acute gastritis is considered a restrictive diet, in which case the animal may recover without any medical attention. If your dog starts vomiting, stop feeding the animal immediately for 24 hours. But let your dog have access to a small amount of water.

If your dog vomits only water, see a veterinarian immediately. If your dog doesn’t vomit after 24 hours, try giving him a diet such as chicken or turkey ground with white rice or white potatoes. Could you give them a small, frequent meal? Gradually mix your dog’s regular food after a few days of gentle diet so that he can return to his original food. Consult your veterinarian again if your dog develops symptoms at any stage.

Veterinary medical care includes therapeutic fluids to replace the dog who has lost fluids due to vomiting. The vet can give therapeutic fluids subcutaneously or, if your dog’s case is more severe, can be given intravenously. In general, the first choice of treatment for gastritis is to restore blood electrolyte levels and rehydrate the dog. In this case, the vet prescribes IV fluids or antibiotics if your dog has severe clinical signs of infection.

The vet prescribes some drugs (antiemetic) to combat vomiting. If your dog has a condition such as chronic colitis, your veterinarian may prescribe a locomotor agent to correct the situation. In the first stage of treatment, it’s better to stop consuming water and food in the pet, and then you can gradually start the diet again. In the meantime, ice chips are used to begin drinking liquids orally. You can give your dog a light diet in small amounts.

Gastritis is inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It can be short-lived (acute) or long-term (chronic) and associated with severe conditions. External influences such as food and toxins or metabolic disorders, intestinal parasites and even cancer can cause this problem. Stomach tests may include blood, urine or stool tests, abdominal x-rays, abdominal ultrasounds, and endoscopies. Only minimal diagnostic tests such as blood and urine tests are needed in acute cases. If the gastritis is chronic, the vet will do more tests to determine the exact cause of your dog’s vomiting. Treatment is based on a specific reason. Most acute cases resolve without medical intervention. To have a healthy and lively dog, you need to pay attention to nutrition, activity, health, grooming and much more. You can prevent the disease and have a healthy dog in this case. In all these steps, you can count on the specialized team of MishkaGrooming. Our experienced and precise groomers have groomed your dogs carefully and accurately to count the moments for the next session.