Histiocytic Ulcerative Colitis
In general, colitis is inflammation of the colon. Histiocytic ulcerative colitis (HUC), also called granulomatous colitis or boxer colitis, is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that occurs predominantly in the Boxer breed, but can also occur in other breeds and in cats. It causes inflammation and ulcers in the lining of the large intestine. The inflammation makes the colon empty frequently resulting in diarrhea. Ulcers form in places where the inflammation has killed the cells lining the colon. The ulcers bleed and produce pus. The disease is similar in many ways to Whipple's disease in humans. The cause of this disease is unknown, although infections have been suspected. The disease is believed to be genetic and is best avoided by studying breed lines that have tracked the disease's occurrence.
Signs
Affected dogs, which are usually less than 2 years of age, pass soft tan feces which are often mixed with blood, with great frequency (up to 15 times a day). Profuse diarrhea does not occur and throughout the course of the disease the affected animal has no fever and its weight is maintained. In advanced cases, lymph nodes may be enlarged.
Treatment
Young boxer dogs with relatively mild signs of HUC may respond moderately well to medical and dietary therapy with fair prognosis. Sulfasalazine and corticosteroid therapy is the treatment of choice for histiocytic ulcerative colitis. High-fiber diets should be avoided.
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