Gastritis in Dogs

Gastritis in dogs is a condition that results in the inflammation of your pet dog’s stomach along with an inability to digest food properly. It can occur in dogs in an acute or chronic form. This can be caused due to any of the multiple dog health problems including food allergies, sudden diet changes, foreign bodies, parasites or other health issues.

Gastritis in Dogs Symptoms

The most common symptoms of your dog being affected by gastritis include vomiting, pain in the abdominal area, lethargy and loss of appetite in dogs. The frothy bile in the vomit may also contain flecks of blood caused by bleeding in the stomach. Upon display of these symptoms, steps need to be taken to identify whether it is just a simple case of an upset stomach in dogs, or if it is indeed gastritis.

While acute gastritis in dogs may result in the sudden onset of severe gastritis symptoms, which may increase drastically in a matter of hours, chronic gastritis in dogs is generally associated with milder symptoms. However, this chronic condition can affect the dog for a long period of time usually causing damage to the inner lining of the stomach.

Gastritis in Dogs Causes

Gastritis can occur from a variety of causes, including exposure to certain types of viruses and bacteria or a reaction to certain types of foods. The other causes of gastritis in dogs include:

• Immune-mediated
• Dietary allergy or intolerance
• Toxins present in fertilizers, herbicides and cleaning agents
• Dietary indiscretion; This can be caused by consuming plant material, foreign objects or chemical irritants
• Metabolic/endocrine disease such as chronic liver disease, Addison's disease, pancreatitis
• Dog cancer
• Parasitism
• Certain drugs such as NSAIDs and glucocorticoids
• Viral infections
• Mast cell tumor
• Kidney diseases in dogs

In addition to this it has also been found that certain dog breeds which include Miniature Poodles, Lhasa Apsos, Maltese, and Shih Tzus and other small dog breeds are much more susceptible to the condition as compared to other breeds. Dogs may also develop acute gastritis if they eat foods they do not normally eat, or if they ingest foul meats whereas, chronic gastritis in dogs is often associated with bacteria and viruses, the wrong type of diet or certain medications. In most cases dogs respond well to treatments for the condition, and majority of cases can be treated at home.

Gastritis in Dogs Treatment and Diagnosis

Since most of the cases of gastritis in dogs occur when a dog ingests the wrong type of food, the veterinarian will ask if the dog has possibly eaten anything, perhaps from a recent trip to the garbage can, which could be causing the symptoms. For the severe or chronic gastritis further diagnostic tests in the form of blood tests are needed to rule out any disease such as parvo or conditions like kidney disease. If an undigested material is stuck in the dog's stomach then x-rays may be used to identify it, or an endoscopic examination of the dog's stomach may be done for further tests and cultures.

Treatment options for gastritis in dogs include food restrictions, and in some cases prescription medication or supportive therapies. For treatment of acute gastritis in dogs, you may need to withhold food for at least 24 hours to allow the stomach time to recover and heal from the irritant. Also, though water is not restricted, it should be offered multiple times in smaller quantities. This is because of the tendency in dogs affected by gastritis to drink large amounts of water at one time, thus causing further vomiting and irritation to the stomach. Read more on harmful foods for dogs.

In severe or chronic gastritis, if the condition is being caused by bacteria, antibiotics will help to treat the condition. However, if the cause is a certain medical condition, then addressing it can help resolve the gastritis symptoms. In a case where gastritis is caused by an undigested object in the dog’s stomach, surgery is the only treatment option. Read more on bacterial infections in dogs.

Although gastritis in its mild form, is relatively easy to remedy, the chronic form can quickly become life threatening because of the dehydration and electrolyte imbalance caused by the vomiting. The best course of action is thus to act quickly and treat your dog's symptoms, so that it can return to its healthy, happy self in a short period of time.