IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS)

The signs of inflammation in the large intestine (also called the “colon”) are the same regardless of cause: a gooey, mucous diarrhea, straining to pass stool, cramping, and sometimes a surprise urgency to “go.” These symptoms can be acute (as is common with a short term stress like boarding, return from boarding, or diet change) or they can be chronic as with whipworm infection or inflammatory bowel disease.

Many people get confused between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a physical disease where the intestinal lining is infiltrated by inflammatory cells. The delicate intestinal lining becomes thickened and absorption of nutrients becomes altered. The infiltration can be seen under the microscope and this is how the diagnosis is confirmed. Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a completely different disease from Irritable Bowel Syndrome so if you are looking for information on Inflammatory Bowel Disease, please click the link above.

IBS is a psychosomatic disease. It is the activity of the mind that causes the symptoms. Most people have had some kind of experience where stress has produced intestinal distress, be it cramping, nausea, diarrhea or all of the above. The medical definition of IBS for humans includes at least 3 days of abdominal pain per month for at least 3 months so we are talking about something long term.

Chronic anxiety can similarly result in chronic diarrhea. This is basically what IBS is all about. Intestinal biopsy results are normal because there is nothing directly wrong with the large intestine. The process is the same whether the patient is human or non-human.

Large intestinal diarrhea in veterinary patients can have many causes and IBS is afoot in about 10-15% of cases. It is important to rule out physical causes before blaming psychological reasons but if all tests are normal and treatment for physical problems is not yielding results, this is when a biopsy is helpful. If after medication trials, diet trials, and diagnostic tests including biopsy are all normal, the it is time to consider IBS.

It should be noted that fresh blood in the diarrhea is common with large intestinal diarrheas but so much with the large intestinal diarrhea of IBS. Fresh blood in the diarrhea is a sign that there is a physical cause and not a psychosomatic cause. Knowing this can help direct the medical approach.

TREATMENT OF IBS

IBS can be managed either through the GI tract or through the psyche. Some of the effectivehuman remedies have not been evaluated for animals but others have been:

Insoluble Fiber
Fiber can be either insoluble (meaning it doesn't dissolve in water) or soluble (meaning it does dissolve in water). Soluble fiber becomes a gel in the GI tract and feeds the bacteria (acting as a "prebiotic") in the colon whereas insoluble fiber draws water into the colon to make a softer stool. Only insoluble fiber has been found helpful in human IBS. There are several veterinary diets combining both soluble and insoluble fiber.

Probiotics
Probiotics are live cultures of "helpful" bacteria that one takes orally. These bacteria populate the intestine producing helpful biochemicals and consuming harmful biochemicals. They do not permanently populate the GI tract so after they are no longer consumed, they have no lasting effects. There are many veterinary probiotics available but it is best to check with your veterinarian about which one to use. A probiotic is a live culture with an emphasis on the word "live." The bacteria must live in the package on a shelf and must be able to survive the acid of the stomach and travel to the correct area of the GI tract. Many products are marketed that are not able to accomplish any of this.

Anxiety Management
A number of supplements have recently been marketed to address anxiety (not to mention pheromone products). These are not as strong as prescription drugs but are available without prescription for those who wish to try them:

Alpha Casozepine - This is a milk protein with natural calming properties. It is available as an oral supplement (Zylkene^®) for pets or in special calming pet foods (Royal Canin Calm Diet^®, Hills Urinary Stress C/d for cats^®).

L-Theanine - This is a derivative from green tea and is available in capsules as well as flavored chews (Anxitane^®, Solliquin^®, Composure^®).

Adaptil Defuser and Collars - Dog Appeasement Pheromone or D.A.P. is naturally secreted by mother dogs to communicate safety and security to her litter of puppies. This pheromone has been synthesized and is available as a room spray, plug in wall defuser, and as an impregnated collar that the dog can wear. This gives the anxious dog a message in his or her own language that there is nothing to be anxious about.

Cannabinoids - These are obviously of controversy and are not presently legal except as hemp products which may be appropriate. CBD is commonly marketed for pets but at the present time none of the recent legalization efforts have included pet products and quality control is lacking at the present time.

A more aggressive approach might be addressing the anxiety with medications. The source of emotional stress may not be obvious but general anti-anxiety medications such as amitriptyline, clomipramine, or fluoxetine may be of use, particularly if the anxiety source is not clear or cannot be removed. Some patients will respond to supplements as listed below. It is important to imagine the pet’s world from his/her own perspective. The pet does not speak English and must infer what is going on from events he or she witnesses directly. Inconsistent scheduling, moving to a new home, noisy construction nearby, or even weather changes can be very confusing for an animal.

Page last updated: 9/15/26