Introduction
Gastritis in dogs can occur due to a variety of causes including exposure to certain types of viruses and bacteria. Dogs can also develop gastritis if they have a reaction to certain types of foods.
Causes of Gastritis in Dogs
Acute Gastritis
Acute gastritis is a condition that is most commonly associated with dogs eating out of the garbage. This type of gastritis causes symptoms to develop suddenly, and the symptoms can often be quite severe even through they are of a short duration. Dogs may also develop acute gastritis if they eat foods they do not normally eat, or if they ingest foul meats.
Chronic Gastritis
Chronic gastritis is often associated with bacteria and viruses. One of the more common bacteria that can cause chronic gastritis in dogs are bacteria from the Helicobacter genus. The wrong type of diet may also cause chronic gastritis in addition to certain types of medications such as aspirin.
Other Causes
Gastritis can also occur in dogs that have eaten un-digestible materials such as plastic and string. If these objects sit in the stomach without being expelled, they can cause severe irritations to develop on the lining of the stomach.
Certain types of infections, conditions, and diseases can also cause gastritis to develop. Parvovirus is known for causing severe acute gastritis, and dogs with mast cell tumors and kidney troubles may also develop gastritis as a symptom of their disease or condition.
Breed Susceptibility to Gastritis
While gastritis can occur in dogs of all types of breeds, and at all ages, there are some breeds of dogs that develop a type of gastritis, chronic hypertrophic gastritis, more often. These breeds are most often small breed dogs including Miniature Poodles, Lhasa Apsos, Maltese, and Shih Tzus.