# Intussusception in dogs



## FEWill (Sep 2, 2009)

Intussusception in dogs is an extreme medical emergency and if it is not indentified and treated very quickly could rapidly take the life of your dog. In most cases of this very deadly condition, the original signs and symptoms that you will see may be very mild at first and than retreat. Although these symptoms are common to several other conditions, they should never be treated lightly. If they are the beginning stages of this killer they can turn deadly very quickly.

What is it?

Intussusception in dogs is the sliding of your pets intestine within itself and it most commonly will affect the small intestines, but it can also affect the large intestine. When this killer attacks your dogs small intestine, it is extremely dangerous, but if it attacks the large intestines, your dog may have very little chance of surviving it.

The best way of describing the condition would be comparing it to a collapsible telescope that slides into the next piece by design, however, in this case, it is certainly not by design. When this does occur, the blood supply to the affected section is reduced or completely cut off and as a result, the tissue will begin to swell and within hours start to die. In most every case it will start out by waxing and waning and causes several symptoms, but as it moves back and forth, it may become normal again.

Once it is back to normal, the symptoms will stop almost immediately. However, once the process starts, sooner or later it will not move back into place, and now it has become acute and life threatening. It is literally one of the most dangerous situations that your dog will face in their lifetime. If it is not treated very quickly, there is only one prognosis for your dog; death.

Causes:

Intussusception in dogs has several potential causes, but what makes this condition so very frustrating for the medical community as well as affected owners, is that the number one cause is idiopathic, meaning the exact cause will never be known. However, there is a growing consensus that the actual cause in most cases is the result of intestinal parasites. For this reason it is more common in puppies but it can and does affect dogs of all ages and all breeds.

Puppies or dogs that are not properly vaccinated for worms are at a much greater risk of developing intussusception. If a puppy or dog has a large number of intestinal parasites that include round worms, hook worms, or whip worms, they not only carry their own dangers, but they have a huge negative impact on the mobility of both the small and large intestines in your dog. If your puppy or dog has had any viral infection, especially parvovirus, they are also at risk of developing intussusception in dogs.

However, the causes do not end there as bacterial infections can also lead to this condition. All dogs like to chew things and for this reason you should be both very selective and protective when your dog chews something. Small pieces of plastic, bones, or even wood can splitter off and can lead to the development of intussusception in dogs. If your dog has recently had any type of abdominal surgery, you should also be on high alert for any developing symptoms as they are also at a greater risk of contracting this condition.

Symptoms:

Intussusception in dogs has several symptoms that you can watch for and if any of them are in conjunction with a parasite infection or after a surgery, they are real warning signs. The first symptom that will occur will be vomiting, which is never a good sign, but is also not that abnormal. However, what is not normal is blood in the vomit. Diarrhea almost always comes directly after the vomiting starts and it will also show signs of blood.

But the two most telling symptoms will be a sudden weight loss that is almost always accompanied by abdominal pain in your dog. The other signs may develop and than suddenly stop, which is characteristic of intussusception, but these signs will not stop. In fact, in most cases your dog may be on the verge of shock. If they suddenly collapse, you only have hours before you will lose your dog as it is now life threatening as the blood supply has stopped.

Treatments:

The major problem with Intussusception in dogs is that it is not a well known condition to most owners, and as a result, is very seldom recognized until it has become an emergency. Because of this, it now has to be treated very aggressively if your dog has any chance of surviving it. Your dog will have to be hospitalized as soon as possible and rapidly be given intravenous fluid therapy treatments. Once this is completed, surgery will have to be done.

However, it will be extremely important for any owner to discuss everything in detail with your veterinarian as each dog must be treated individually. In most cases, your veterinarian will know the history of your dog, but if they do not and your dog has had a parasite infection or any of the other potential causes, they will need to know that and the quicker the better.

Surgery will usually involve relieving the telescoping that is occurring as quickly as possible and it may involve removing the affected parts of the intestines. Antibiotics will also be given to prevent further infections for occurring.

Summary:

Intussusception in dogs usually happens so fast that you will have very little to time to react as it will literally scare you to death. However, remaining calm and discussing everything with your veterinarian is critical. But once that does pass, the next critical step for your dog is up to you. You will need to watch your dog extremely close for any signs of re-occurrence.

The prognosis of your dog will all depend of the amount of blockage that has occurred, the amount of time it was blocked, and the actual underlying root cause if it can be determined. Most dogs will recover fully, but unfortunately, many do not. This is a killer and it should be treated for what it is.

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## Dirky47 (Oct 20, 2009)

wow! You give an effort to detailed things about "Intussusception". Great! Additional knowledge for me.


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

Very American! You dont 'vaccinate' against worms. And neither do we get the same parasites in this country.- good article though.

I dont think it is something anyone needs to worry about though. If your dog is that sick then you will be at the vets and then it is their job to diagnose it and suggest whether the dog is well enough to stand surgery. Humans can get it too and it is also a cause of colic in horses.


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## FEWill (Sep 2, 2009)

Hi Blitz,

I appreciate any and all feedback rather constructive or critical. But the Quite America comments I find not only insulting but rather immature. Last time I looked in the world scheme of things the UK and the US are on the same side and usually against most of the world. 

The vaccinations your dog receives may vary with the area of the country and the philosophy of your veterinarian. 

From the Animal Health Center:

At Animal Health Center the following vaccinations and health checks are given beginning at 6 weeks of age and continuing until 4 months. 
Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza - at 6, 9 , 12 and 15 weeks of age
Parvovirus - at 6, 9, 15 weeks of age
Rabies - at 3 months of age then annually
Intestinal worm checks - at 6 and 15 weeks, then twice yearly
Neutering or Hysterectomy - at 5-6 months of age
Heartworm preventative - begin between 8-15 weeks of age and continues for life
Annual booster vaccinations given along with an intestinal parasite checks twice yearly and annual heartworm blood tests 
Copyright © 1996-2009 Animal Health Center. All Rights Reserved.


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

FEWill said:


> Hi Blitz,
> 
> I appreciate any and all feedback rather constructive or critical. But the Quite America comments I find not only insulting but rather immature. Last time I looked in the world scheme of things the UK and the US are on the same side and usually against most of the world.
> 
> ...


MOST of the posters are from the UK, not all though but it is a UK site. Nothing immature about stating it is American.
on your list - none of them are actually what is done in this country
Distemper etc, there are only two primary vaccinations.
Rabies is not vaccinated against.
We do not do worm checks, we worm our pups 2 weekly from about 4 weeks then monthly up to 12 months then 3 monthly.
Rather emotive on the neutering and spaying - but never done as early as 5months and most people and a lot of vets recommend much older (as in a year minimum).
No such thing as heartworm in this country. 
Some vaccines are boosted annually but most do not need to be. Again we dont do parasite checks but do routine worming and do not have a need for heartworm checks.

So as I said Quite American. A statement of truth. We obviously have very different pet health care needs.


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## bevstretton (Jan 12, 2010)

Thank you FEWiLL for all your helpful information, l am sure that many pet forum members look forward to your wonderful reports.

You certainly cover alot and give your time free in passing on your information


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

bevstretton said:


> Thank you FEWiLL for all your helpful information, l am sure that many pet forum members look forward to your wonderful reports.
> 
> You certainly cover alot and give your time free in passing on your information


As I said I thought it a good report, but just be aware that not everything is the same here.
And yes, I have seen intussucsception and helped with surgery on it. Horrible thing.


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