No Diagnosis for Sickly Dog

It can be challenging to diagnose IBD. It usually is diagnosed after everything else is ruled out. Biopsies of the intestine can confirm the diagnosis, but that requires general anesthesia and either endoscopy (where a tube is passed down the intestines) or exploratory surgery.

Many veterinarians will try a therapeutic trial with steroids like prednisone to see if there is any response. If there is improvement, your dog most likely has IBD and may need to be on steroids long-term. Steroids work by decreasing the activity of the immune system.

These would be the most likely conditions causing your dog's problems, assuming all routine testing has been done. Ask your veterinarian about these conditions and about doing a therapeutic trial with prednisone.

Good luck and thanks for your question.

Best,
Jon Geller, DVM

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