Vol. 8, Special Issue 8, Part J (2024)

Abstract: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in dogs is primarily marked by persistent or recurring gastro-intestinal symptoms persisting for over three weeks without a known etiology associated with histologic evidence of inflammatory infiltration of the intestinal mucosa. Endoscopic examination of the intestinal mucosa, along with histologic analysis of biopsy samples, is considered as the gold standard for identifying and measuring intestinal inflammation in IBD. Histologic evaluation helps differentiate between healthy and affected tissue, identify the main cell types involved in the inflammation, assess the severity of the inflammatory response and tissue alterations and offer a precise morphological or etiological diagnosis. This process aids in making an accurate diagnosis and developing an effective treatment strategy and prognosis in canine IBD. Colonoscopic evaluation of the study group showed mild granularity, erythema, and a few erosions associated with the ongoing inflammatory process. The present study revealed lymphocytic-plasmacytic infiltrations in the lamina propria of dogs affected by large intestinal IBD, as observed in histopathological examination. These findings also showed a significant association with the clinical disease activity as determined by the Canine IBD Activity Index (CIBDAI) scoring system.