Golden Retriever Dog.

Question.
Our 17-month-old Golden Retriever has recently been diagnosed with immune-mediated eosinophilic enteritis after having diarrhoea for many weeks and not responding to treatment. He is now on steroids and is being fed a clinical diet.

Could you give us any information about this condition? We would like to know as much as possible. Our vet hasn't been particularly helpful or explained anything much about it. Mrs J. Jennings, Hampshire.

Answer.
In golden retriever dog, Eosinophilic enteritis is an immune-mediated condition that involves the immune system going wrong and laying down eosinophils in the lining of the bowel. Eosinophils are a particular type of white blood cell that are normally produced in response to either parasites or allergies, and it's thought that this condition is usually triggered either by intestinal worms or by a food allergy. Increased numbers of these cells in the bowel wall are associated with the bowel becoming more leaky so that food isn't absorbed properly and fluid is lost in the faeces.

It's really important to ensure affected dogs are wormed thoroughly and effectively (with wormers from the vet) and to use a low-allergy diet. Medication like steroids or other drugs that suppress the immune response also help improve symptoms and most golden retriever dogs respond to treatment within a couple of weeks, although they often suffer from recurrence of the condition at times of stress, if they eat food to which they are sensitive, or if they get worms.Stick with the low-allergy diet, avoid treats and scavenging, and make sure your dog is wormed regularly. Hopefully this will help to control the condition.

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