INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD) The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are the most common causes of chronic vomiting and diarrhea in dogs, and refer to a group of idiopathic, chronic gastrointestinal tract disorders, characterized by
infiltration of the lamina propria by lymphocytes,
plasma cells, eosinophils, macrophages, neutrophils, or combinations of these
cells.12 The diagnosis of IBD requires the comprehensive exclusion of potential causes of gastrointestinal inflammation, including intestinal parasites, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, bacterial enterocolitis, dietary intolerances or allergies, and neoplasia.12 Failure to eliminate known causes of gastrointestinal inflammation which can mimic IBD can result in frustration for the owner and clinician due to poor responsiveness of the animal to dietary or pharmacologic therapy.
Lymphocytic thyroiditis, probably immune - mediated, is characterized histologically by a diffuse
infiltration of the gland by lymphocytes,
plasma cells, and macrophages and results in progressive destruction of follicles and secondary fibrosis.