Pet of the Month: Jack

Jack came in to see us at Drovers Vet hospital as he had chronic diarrhoea that just was not responding to numerous previous treatments at his regular vet. Clinical examination was normal and tests were run to try and determine the cause of his diarrhoea. An abdominal ultrasound was scheduled which showed severe thickening of his small and large intestinal walls as well as enlargement of his lymph glands which drain the intestinal tract.

One of the most common cause of these findings in young dogs is IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome) – a condition which causes inflammation of the intestines which ultimately causes chronic diarrhoea. Surgery was scheduled to obtain biopsies of the intestines as well as the lymph glands and these were sent to a laboratory for histopathology examination. The pathologist is able to look very closely at these biopsies under a microscope and give us information right down to what cell type is causing the inflammation.

Jack’s diagnosis came back as Inflammatory Bowel disease with his lymph glands purely reactive to the inflammation. During his time visiting us, Jack also managed to steal many hearts with his bundle of enthusiasm and tail wagging happiness no matter what his situation was. There certainly aren’t too many patients who come to the vet gloriously happy to be there – but Jack was certainly one of them! It certainly is fantastic to be able to have all the equipment, resources and expertise available in one place to be able to assess, diagnose and help Jack. Having advanced ultrasound and surgical expertise available to be able to act quickly on results and ultimately arrive at a diagnosis quickly, meant that Jack could start treatment as soon as possible.

We placed Jack on treatment that would not only help his diarrhoea, but that would also reduce the inflammation in his intestines. Treatment for this condition is ongoing and uses many approaches including diet and medical drugs. Most cases respond well to treatment and there are different levels of treatment should response not be optimal. Jack, so far, has responded well and we hope he continues to improve and we also hope he continues to bring absolute joy and happiness into our hospital each time he walks through the door.