Follow-up studies by peroral small intestinal biopsies and necropsy in dogs with chronic diarrhea.

The results of follow-up studies in 82 dogs with clinical signs of chronic diarrhea are presented. Follow-up studies were performed by small intestinal biopsies only in 19 dogs, combined with necropsy in six dogs and follow-up necropsy only in 57 dogs. The times between the first and the last series of biopsies varied from 18 to 561 days, and from one to 656 days between the first series of biopsies and necropsy. From the 11 dogs with villous atrophy in the first series of biopsies, three also showed villous atrophy in the following biopsies or at necropsy, two had enteritis, one intestinal lymphangiectasia, one lymphosarcoma and four had no small intestinal lesions. Villous atrophy and enteritis found in 20 dogs in the initial biopsies were still present in 12 dogs in the following biopsies, in one only the villous atrophy remained in the following biopsies, in four lymphosarcoma was diagnosed, in one a colitis and in two changes outside the gastrointestinal tract were found at necropsy. In six of the seven dogs with enteritis in the initial biopsies this was diagnosed again, once with VA; in the seventh dog a hypertrophic gastritis was found. In five of the eight dogs with a diagnosis of lymphosarcoma in the initial biopsies a lymphosarcoma was found at necropsy, two had a villous atrophy with enteritis and in one only a differential diagnosis lymphosarcoma and/or enteritis could be made.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)