Management of inflammatory bowel disease and lymphangiectasia in a dog with octreotide and tranexamic acid

Abstract

In dogs, IBD is categorized as a rare form of intestinal disease. Most cases are associated with lymphangiectasia. A 2-year-old, American Staffordshire Terrier male dog, presented with progressive diarrhea for more than 3 months. Clinical findings, laboratory findings, and ultrasound images were compatible with IBD and lymphangiectasia. Also, histopathological evaluation of punch biopsy samples from the intestines were compatible with IBD and lymphangiectasia. The treatment of the dog was started with the treatment protocol containing octreotide (10 µg/dog per day, BID, sc.) and tranexamic acid (10 mg/kg, BID, im.) which was used for the first time in dogs with IBD and lymphangiectasia. Fecal consistency and defecation frequency returned to normal on the 15th day, also at the end of the first month of therapy hypoalbuminemia began to normalize, ascites completely disappeared and the thickness of the lamina muscularis layer began to normalize, and the patient began to gain weight. In the controls performed at the end of the second month, it was determined that the patient's clinical signs and all laboratory results improved. So these results suggest that the combination of octreotide and tranexamic acid can effectively and without any side effects be used for the treatment of IBD in dogs. To our knowledge, this is the first case of using these two medications as a treatment protocol in dogs with this disease. We think that veterinarians should be aware of possibility to use octreotide and tranexamic acid as a treatment protocol in canine patients with IBD and lymphangiectasia.