Gastritis, Acute

Craig G. Ruaux, BVSc, PhD, DACVIM (Small Animal)

BASIC INFORMATION TREATMENT AND FOLLOW-UP Description Acute gastritis occurs when the stomach becomes inflamed. Treatment Options Inflammation of the stomach makes the stomach less able to As long as other diseases have been ruled out, the treatment of handle food and water. The stomach produces acid and digestive acute gastritis is usually uncomplicated. The disease is typically enzymes that begin the breakdown of proteins and fats; when the self-limited; that is, the clinical signs usually resolve quickly, and stomach is inflamed, these processes are disturbed. supportive treatment is all that is necessary. Causes The stomach usually needs a period of rest to allow the inflam- The most common cause of acute gastritis in dogs and cats is mation to settle down. Withholding solid food for a period of 24 dietary indiscretion (eating something that does not agree with hours allows the stomach to rest. Medications (given either by them or is foreign to the stomach). Some parasites of the gastro- injection or by mouth) are often prescribed for 2-3 days to stop intestinal tract and drug reactions can also cause acute gastritis. vomiting and control nausea. While off solid food, most animals Bacterial infections are extremely uncommon causes. Some drugs still tolerate liquids. It is important that adequate hydration be used to treat cancer can lead to acute gastritis and nausea; your maintained, and if your pet can not tolerate liquids your veteri- veterinarian will warn you of this if those drugs are being used. narian may recommend giving subcutaneous (injected under the skin) fluids. Clinical Signs After a period of stomach rest, food is gradually reintro- The most important clinical sign is vomiting. Acute gastritis develops duced. It is best to start with a low-fat, relatively bland diet. rapidly. Your pet may appear normal in the morning yet have frequent Commercial diets specifically made for gastrointestinal diseases vomiting in the afternoon. Loss of appetite is common, and some ani- may be recommended, or your veterinarian may suggest recipes mals develop a mild fever. If there is excessive loss of body fluids for homemade diets. Small meals are given over the first few from repeated vomiting, signs of dehydration (sunken eyes, lethargy, days, followed by a gradual return to the pet’s normal diet over skin that does not slide around easily) can be seen. Affected animals several days. sometimes seem to be in pain when you feel their abdomen. Animals with more severe dehydration or loss of electrolytes such as sodium or potassium may need to be hospitalized to allow Diagnostic Tests administration of intravenous (IV) fluids. Insertion of an IV line Acute gastritis is not the only cause of vomiting. Many other dis- also allows antivomiting and antinausea drugs to be given by eases, particularly of the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, can lead to injection, which helps if the patient cannot keep oral medications sudden onset of vomiting. For this reason, your veterinarian is down. likely to recommend blood tests to make certain these other diseases are not present. Blood tests are also useful for gauging the Follow-up Care degree of dehydration that may be present. Some of these tests can If all signs resolve within 24-48 hours (most cases of acute gastritis), be done quickly; others must be sent to specialized laboratories, there may be no need for specific follow-up. If vomiting has not and it may take several days for the results to become available. stopped completely within 3-4 days, if your pet becomes increas- The presence of a foreign body, such as a toy, bone, rocks, ingly lethargic and has no appetite, if vomiting becomes more coins, or pieces of string, within the gastrointestinal tract can also frequent and no liquids are kept down, or if blood is seen in the lead to vomiting. Typically, routine abdominal x-rays are recom- vomited material, contact your veterinarian for further assistance. mended to look for foreign bodies. In some cases, an abdominal Prognosis ultrasound or other imaging techniques may be recommended to The prognosis for recovery from acute gastritis is good, with most look at sections of the gastrointestinal tract that may be obstructed patients showing compete recovery and return to normal within or moving abnormally. 3-4 days.