Helicobacter Infection in Dogs
Helicobacter Infection in Dogs Guide: Here you'll find in-depth information on helicobacter infection in dogs including its causes, symptoms, and treatments.
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Helicobacter is a term that refers to a gram-negative, curved-to-spiral, flagellated motile species of bacteria commonly found in the digestive tract of both healthy and vomiting dogs, cats and even people. There are a large number of organisms with characteristics of Helicobacter bacteria, and new species are being identified constantly. Most of the time, these microorganisms do not cause clinical disease. When symptoms do develop, they typically involve irritation and inflammation of the tissues lining
Helicobacter is a genus of bacteria that can cause inflammation, irritation and degeneration in the glandular tissue of the stomach in dogs, cats and even people. These microorganisms range from spherical to curved to spiral in shape and are ubiquitous – or commonly found – in the environment. A definitive diagnosis of Helicobacter infection must be made by excluding other causes of gastric distress. People infected with Helicobacter report suffering from gastritis, peptic ulcers and
Infection by the Helicobacter microorganism typically does not cause clinical illness in domestic dogs. When symptoms do develop, they tend to involve inflammation and glandular deterioration of tissues lining the stomach which results in vomiting and other signs of gastrointestinal distress.Affected animals that show signs usually develop varying degrees of gastrointestinal distress. Owners may notice one or more of the following symptoms:Unexplained weight loss, without accompanying vomiting or diarrhea, has also been reported, although less
Helicobacter infection in dogs is usually sub-clinical, meaning that owners typically do not notice any outward signs of discomfort or disease in their pets. However, when the bacterial infection does cause clinical signs, they tend to reflect severe gastric distress, and owners will want to obtain a conclusive diagnosis quickly. Helicobacter infection can lead to persistent vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, anorexia, weakness, weight loss and other gastrointestinal discomfort. Fortunately, there are a number of diagnostic tests
Many species of bacteria cannot survive for long periods of time in the canine stomach, due to its highly acidic environment. However, bacteria in the genus Helicobacter are an important exception to this rule. Most of these bacteria are protected by a coating that is resistant to gastric juices, and therefore they can invade the tissues lining the stomach and upper gastrointestinal tract and thereby avoid digestive enzymes that eliminate most other species of bacteria.