Gastritis in Dogs: An Overview

Gastritis is the irritation and inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders in domestic dogs and occurs in acute, chronic and toxic forms.There are many causes of gastritis in dogs. Acute gastritis almost always involves intense abdominal pain and is most commonly associated with poisoning, overeating, eating “the wrong thing” or a bacterial or viral infection. Acute-onset gastritis commonly occurs when dogs eat garbage or have

Causes of Gastritis in Dogs

Gastritis refers to inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It is one of the most common stomach disorders in dogs and can present in acute, chronic or toxic forms. There are many causes of gastritis in dogs. Clinically, the first sign of gastritis usually is vomiting; food and bile, and even blood, may be vomited. Anorexia is also common, probably from nausea.Acute gastritis (which is a sudden onset of conditions associated with disruption of

Symptoms of Gastritis in Dogs

Gastritis refers to irritation and inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It can come on suddenly or develop slowly over time. Either way, it is an uncomfortable condition with fairly classic clinical signs.The hallmarks of canine gastritis are vomiting and intense abdominal pain. Owners of affected dogs may notice one or more of the following symptoms:Most dogs with gastritis produce a frothy, bile-tinged vomitus, and in many cases there are flecks of blood in

Diagnosing Gastritis in Dogs

Canine gastritis is normally diagnosed based upon the dog’s history, clinical signs, physical examination findings and response to treatment. The diagnosis typically is made by ruling out possible causes of the dog’s vomiting and abdominal discomfort.Gastrointestinal discomfort can be caused by a number of things, including foreign body obstruction of the bowels, parvoviral infection, bacterial overgrowth, uremia, diabetic ketoacidosis, hypoadrenocorticism (Addison’s disease), hepatic (liver) disease, hypercalcemia and pancreatitis, among other things. Most cases of gastritis

Treating Gastritis in Dogs

Treatment options for dogs suffering from gastritis include restricting food intake, avoiding contact with whatever caused the condition to develop in the first place, and in some cases stopping administration of certain prescription medications. Of course, if cancer or some other systemic illness is causing the gastrointestinal discomfort, treatment options are more limited.Owners of affected dogs should discuss the appropriate treatment protocol with their veterinarian. It is important to identify the actual cause of gastritis,