Grant Amount: $12,960

Dr. Caroline S Mansfield, BVMS, The University of Melbourne

July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013

Sponsor(s): Siberian Husky Club of America, White Shepherd Genetics Project, Yorkshire Terrier Club of America

Breed(s): German Shepherd Dog

Disease(s): Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Research Program Area: Gastrointestinal Disease

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causes diarrhea, vomiting and weight loss, and occurs commonly in dogs worldwide. The pathogenesis of IBD is not completely understood. Although it is widely accepted that IBD may be triggered by different factors such as food sensitivity, intestinal bacterial alterations (dysbiosis) or exaggerated auto-immune response, no guidelines exist on how to differentiate between these underlying causes in a prospective manner. Current treatment recommendations are non-specific as clinical signs, standard blood testing or patterns of intestinal inflammation appear to have no relationship to the underlying cause. Treatment is therefore a case of trial and error in individual dogs. The objective of this study is to compare changes in immune mediators (cytokines) in the intestine before and after successful treatment of dogs with IBD. Dogs will be classified upon successful resolution of their diarrhea as having dietary, antibiotic or steroid responsive diarrhea. The pattern of cytokine profile will be compared between these groups. A secondary aim of the study is to determine if non-invasive methods (fecal testing of cytokines) can aid in identifying the etiology and enable monitoring of therapy success. This could lead to more targeted therapeutic options and prospective determination of treatment plans for dogs affected with IBD.