Acute and chronic cholecystitis in dogs: symptoms and treatment of inflammation in the gallbladder. Cholecystitis in dogs: symptoms, treatment and diet What to do if a dog is diagnosed with cholestasis

The reasons leading to the development of inflammation in the bile ducts in four-legged friends include:

• Errors in nutrition. Often the cause of cholecystitis is the constant feeding of a dog with dry food of dubious quality. The problem is aggravated by a violation of the water regime with this type of nutrition. An unbalanced natural feeding of a pet can also lead to inflammatory processes, especially if table products are included in the diet.

Treating sausages, sweets and flour products is a sure way to develop digestive problems, including cholecystitis. The cause of the disease can also be non-compliance with the feeding regimen, prolonged fasting or, conversely, overfeeding. According to veterinarians, a diet low in carotene and vitamin A, which promote regeneration processes in the body, can contribute to the development of the disease.

Therapists also include stress and long-term psycho-emotional experiences of four-legged friends as provoking factors. Large dog breeds are more susceptible to hereditary factors. Terriers and mastiffs are more likely to suffer from cholecystitis.

Symptoms in a dog

The clinical picture of the disease is characterized primarily by indigestion. A sick animal has the following symptoms of the disease:

In most cases, the initial stage of the disease is asymptomatic, which makes timely diagnosis and treatment difficult. Obvious clinical signs are observed during the development of an acute inflammatory process.

Acute and chronic cholecystitis

Veterinary specialists, according to the nature of the course of the disease, distinguish between acute and chronic inflammation of the biliary tract.

An exacerbation of the process is the most unfavorable course of the disease for a pet. Acute cholecystitis is often accompanied by jaundice due to the development of acholia. The most dangerous for an animal is complete blockage of the bile ducts due to inflammation of the mucous membrane, the presence of stones in the bladder, and neoplasms.

The acute course of cholecystitis is often characterized by the development of fever, signs of septicemia. One of the severe complications of the acute process is the rupture of the gallbladder with the subsequent development of peritonitis. In this case, the pet requires immediate intervention by a surgeon.

From cereals, rice and buckwheat should be introduced into the diet. Without fail, a sick dog is given low-fat cottage cheese, eggs, sour-milk products.

Food should be in a mashed form. Feed should be in small portions, but often - 5 - 6 times a day. This mode will normalize the secretory and evacuation function of the gallbladder, prevent congestion in the organ.

At the time of treatment, dry food of dubious quality should be abandoned. Your veterinarian may recommend specialized premium and super premium veterinary foods designed for animals with digestive problems.

Diet and other preventive measures

Based on many years of medical practice, veterinary specialists recommend that owners adhere to the following tips and rules to prevent the disease:

• Follow the principles of rational nutrition. Do not feed your dog cheap food, food from the table. Spicy, fried, smoked, sweet and flour foods are strictly prohibited. Dry food should only be of high quality.
• Natural nutrition must be balanced in terms of nutrients and vitamins. Particular attention should be paid to vitamin A.
• Do not allow your pet to become obese.
• Organize the dog active games, physical activity.

• Regularly carry out treatment against helminths.
• Timely treat diseases of internal organs, including pathologies of the digestive system (enteritis, pancreatitis, hepatitis).
• Conduct preventive examinations of dogs older than 6 years with a specialist with a mandatory biochemical blood test for digestive enzymes.
• Monitor stool consistency and urine color.

Cholecystitis in dogs is most often the result of a violation of the rules for feeding pets. The disease is characterized by acute and chronic course. Diagnosis is based on laboratory research methods, ultrasound examination and taking bile for bacteriological analysis.

Drug treatment is indicated for the chronic form of the disease. With the threat of peritonitis, a laparotomy is performed with the removal of the inflamed organ. An important role in the recovery and prevention of the disease is played by good nutrition and adherence to the diet of the dog.

Useful video

For information on how to diagnose and treat cholecystitis in dogs, see this video:

Do you know which internal gland in our body is also the largest? The liver, of course! The list of its functions exceeds more than a dozen positions, and scientists say that the role of the liver is still not fully understood. But everyone knows for sure that normal digestion is impossible without it, since the bile secreted by the liver is very important in the enzymatic breakdown of food. Not surprisingly, the same cholecystitis in dogs can lead to numerous problems.

Cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder. Very often it is “combined” with cholecystolithiasis, that is, stones are additionally present in the organ. Due to inflammation of the mucous membrane of the gallbladder, the latter cannot ensure the normal functioning of the biliary system, often accompanied by congestion in it, which is fraught with cholemia or even rupture of the gallbladder. In a word, it's not pleasant. So why does this pathology appear at all, what are its signs and how to treat it? Read on for all of this!

What causes it?

As with humans, nutrition is the main factor. This is especially well manifested in those dogs that have been eating exclusively dry food throughout their “conscious” life. There is also nothing good in eating "from the master's table." When a dog (especially for small breeds) is constantly fed with peppered sausage, smoked fish and other delicacies, nothing good happens. Obesity often occurs, even more often it is accompanied by the same cholecystitis. Oddly enough, but many ordinary people and even veterinarians believe that the main cause of the disease is some kind of infectious disease (both acute and chronic).

Read also: Hyperthyroidism in dogs is a disorder of the thyroid gland.

Once again returning to the topic of infectious etiology of cholecystitis. We emphasize once again that it rarely occurs as a result of infectious diseases ... but due to inflammation in the intestines, this happens quite often. The reasons are simple: if the bile ducts remain open, germs can enter directly into the bladder directly through them. In particular, this is how chronic cholecystitis occurs in dogs. More precisely, in old dogs, which in some cases almost without exception suffer from chronic enteritis.

Read also: The main paw diseases in dogs: description, symptoms, treatment

Finally, we have already talked about stones. If the dog has them, but no treatment has been carried out, then cholecystitis will occur with a probability of almost 100%. The fact is that the edges of neoplasms are rarely smooth. Rolling in the cavity of the organ, they injure its shell. This causes not only wild bouts of pain in dogs, but also leads to the fact that bile simply begins to corrode the damaged mucous membranes. The result is acute cholecystitis in dogs.

Contributing factors

Oddly enough, but the diet can be not only the direct cause of the development of the disease, but also the main predisposing factor. It's all about the vitamins. More precisely, in carotene. If there is not enough of this substance in the diet, all the mucous membranes in the body (including the gallbladder) can undergo degenerative changes, since vitamin A is essential for their timely regeneration.

Clinical signs

What are the symptoms that indicate the development of the disease? In general, they are fairly typical of all liver diseases. First, the dog becomes lethargic, eats little and reluctantly. He drinks well, but he does not feel much joy from this. Urine very often can become like orange juice (a lot of bilirubin), but feces, on the contrary, are pale, since stercobilin simply does not get into it. In addition, there are constant digestive disorders, up to severe profuse diarrhea. By the way, what does dark feces mean in a dog with cholecystitis? In general, this indicates the preservation of the patency of the bile ducts (which is good), but suggests that the cholecystitis was "initiated" by enteritis, which has now worsened. Simply put, you can suspect the presence of intestinal bleeding (which is very bad). Get to the vet immediately!

Cholecystitis in dogs is a disease that affects the bile ducts and is accompanied by inflammation in the gallbladder.

Since this disease is quite rare in animals, it is very difficult to detect it in a timely manner.

In dogs, cholecystitis occurs for several reasons. The main causative agent of the disease is a microbe. It enters the animal's body (namely, into the gallbladder) from the intestines, through the hepatic artery or through the biliary tract. In addition, it can be transported by the lymphogenous route.

The disease is complex in that it is almost asymptomatic. However, there are signs that can symbolize problems:

• the dog's appetite may drop sharply,
• frequent diarrhea will appear.
• the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth may turn yellow
• the animal looks lethargic, depressed, and when probing the area of ​​​​the liver and abdominal cavity, severe pain appears
• for a short time may
• often due to obstruction of the outflow of bile, signs of obstructive jaundice appear

An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a qualified veterinarian and only after a detailed examination and analysis. A laboratory study of blood shows leukocytosis, it increases the content of bilirubin, which is also found in the urine.

Treatment of cholecystitis in dogs

First of all, the treatment consists in a complete dietary nutrition (if you feed the animal with dry diets, then only specialized ones should be given), although at times of exacerbation a three-day fast is possible.

In more severe cases, therapeutic procedures are prescribed. They are aimed at removing inflammatory processes, improving digestion and bile secretion.

For disinfection of the biliary tract and a better outflow of bile, appoint:

1. magnesium sulfate,
2. hexamethylenetetramine,
3. holagon,
4. allochol,
5. tincture of corn silk.

In order to relieve spasm of the gallbladder and bile ducts, appoint:

• but-shpu,
• atropine sulfate,
• other antispasmodics

To relieve pain use:

• baralgin,
• analgin,
• bellalgin,
• besalol and others

At the final stage of treatment, the condition is improved by thermal physiotherapeutic procedures, the purpose of which is the resorption of exudate, improving blood circulation and relieving pain.

Disease prevention

So that the dog never learns what cholecystitis is, it is necessary to monitor the usefulness of its nutrition, pay special attention. All feed and products must be fresh. It is also necessary to treat in time all invasive and infectious diseases that can lead to inflammation of the bile ducts and gallbladder.

The digestive system of dogs is notable for its short length, due to which the “requirements” for its work are especially high. If at least some processes go wrong, the dog runs the risk of not receiving the necessary amount of nutrients and trace elements, which threatens with exhaustion and metabolic diseases. Gallstone disease in dogs is very dangerous.

As it is easy to understand from the name, this is the name of the pathology in which stones (they are stones) are formed in the gallbladder or directly in the bile ducts of the liver. The danger of the disease is twofold. On the one hand, stones can have sharp and uneven edges, with which the mucous membrane of the organ will be constantly injured. On the other hand, the same stones very often plug the bile ducts, which causes cholestasis(stagnation of bile). In addition, with cholelithiasis, the most important functions of the liver are violated:

• violated assimilation fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

• getting worse absorption of vitamins.

• Several times slows down glycogen synthesis(animal isomer of starch, a source of fast energy for the body).

• Maybe bleeding disorder, since many of the proteins necessary for this process to occur are synthesized in the liver.

• Serious digestive problems, since bile is necessary for the digestion and absorption of lipids.

• Finally, intoxication. This is due not only to the entry of bile into the blood: many toxic substances from the intestines, binding to bile acids, become insoluble and do not harm the body. When there is no or little bile, toxins are absorbed into the blood.

Important! Gallstone disease in advanced cases sometimes leads to rupture of the gallbladder and subsequent death of the animal from the most severe In a word, the disease is dangerous, and it must be treated immediately, as the first symptoms of gallstone disease in dogs appear.

Why is this happening?

The causes of the disease are very diverse. Perhaps you should start with feeding. For dogs living in rural areas, this is not so typical, but their urban relatives often spend their whole lives Eat only prepared dry food. Of course, this is very convenient, but such a diet does not affect the health of the animal in the best way.

Read also: Heart attack in a dog: symptoms and care of a sick animal

If you live in an area with very hard, alkaline water, there is reason to be concerned about your pet's health: dogs rarely drink boiled water, and therefore the risk of developing stones is very high. Some veterinarians believe that a lack of vitamins (especially group B) and trace elements can lead to the development of the disease. There is also an opinion that stones are the result of some kind of chronic poisoning and eating poor-quality feed.

Another common cause of "rockfall" are various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and, in particular, the small intestine. The infection can rise directly from the bile duct outlets directly into the gallbladder. In this case, inflammation develops, which significantly increases the risk of gallstone disease.

Clinical picture

But with this, difficulties may arise ... The fact is that with a mild course of the disease, the clinical picture does not appear at all for a long time. Even in severe cases, symptoms appear only at a time when it is time to drop everything and urgently take the dog to the veterinary surgeon. But still, an attentive owner can notice something is wrong if he regularly monitors his pet.

It's no secret that our pets can get sick not only with their special breed diseases (more on), but also suffer from completely human ailments. So, for example, your dog may be diagnosed with cholecystitis. And, this is where a lot of questions arise - how to treat cholecystitis in a dog, and how to prevent a recurrence of the disease...

Our publication will try to help you with the answers to these questions ...

Cholecystitis in dogs - a description of the disease

A disease in which the bile ducts are affected in an animal, and such lesions are accompanied by inflammatory processes localized in the gallbladder, is called cholecystitis. It is quite difficult to identify this disease in a timely manner, so when your pet is diagnosed with this disease, it is most often already in a state of neglect.

Causes of cholecystitis in dogs

Of course, after you hear such a diagnosis, you are interested in answers to questions about why your pet got sick, what caused the development of cholecystitis in a dog, could you somehow prevent the development of this disease ... Well, like disease in animals can occur as a result of several causes. And, above all, microbes are the main causative agent of cholecystitis. Penetrating into the body of an animal from the intestine, through the hepatic artery or through the biliary tract, they enter the gallbladder. Also, microbes that cause cholecystitis can be carried by the lymphogenous route.

As you can see, there are many reasons that can lead to the development of the disease, however, it is not always possible to determine exactly what caused the development of cholecystitis in a dog in each case.

Symptoms of cholecystitis in dogs

As a rule, the initial and middle stages of the disease are asymptomatic in the body of the animal, only against the background of an exacerbation in dogs does the appetite decrease, vomiting, indigestion begin, the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose may turn yellow, the dog itself looks lethargic and depressed, and upon palpation of the area liver and abdominal cavity, the animal begins to whine, as there is a pronounced soreness in this place. Also, in sick animals, a periodic increase is observed. And, as a result of difficulties with the outflow of bile, signs of obstructive jaundice may manifest themselves.

Diagnosis of cholecystitis

Treatment of cholecystitis in dogs

• If the disease is advanced, and the condition of the animal is severe, the dog is prescribed a number of therapeutic procedures aimed at removing the inflammatory process, normalizing the processes of bile secretion and digestion.
• To disinfect the biliary tract and improve the outflow of the bile itself, allochol, tincture of corn stigmas, cholagon, magnesium sulfate are prescribed.
• To relieve spasms of the gallbladder and bile ducts, antispasmodics, atropine sulfate, no-shpa are prescribed.
• For pain relief, analgin, baralgin and other painkillers are used. However, the prescription of these drugs, as well as the determination of their dosage, depending on the weight of the dog of its age, and its general condition, should be handled by a doctor.
• The final stage of treatment involves conducting thermal physiotherapy procedures to improve the resorption of exudate, relieve pain and improve blood circulation.