Hystiocytic Ulcerative Colitis

Hystiocytic ulcerative colitis is fortunately rare. It is primarily a disease which affects young boxer dogs with the first signs of disease becoming apparent before the dog is two years old.

The symptoms of this form of colitis are similar to other forms of the disease; these include bloody, mucoid diarrhoea, with increased frequency of stool production and straining to pass stools. The dog may lose weight and become debilitated later on in the disease.

This form of colitis will often be diagnosed by taking a biopsy of the colon or by colonoscopy. Other tests may also be performed to rule out other causes of colitis such as bacterial infections. Unfortunately this type of colitis tends to recur and it is often a progressive disease which is ultimately uncontrollable. Treatment often involves the use of corticosteroids such as prednisone. Drugs such as sulfasalazine, metronidazole and tylosin may also be used. It may be worth trying complimentary treatments in conjunction with these drugs.