Inflammatory bowel disease, although common in dogs and cats, offers veterinarians a diagnostic challenge. If all those tests are negative and your veterinarian suspects IBD, an ultrasound might be considered. It is good, however, for determining if the intestinal walls are too thick, looking at the internal structure of the liver and kidneys, and for looking for enlarged lymph nodes. This information is helpful when deciding whether intestinal biopsies should be obtained surgically or by endoscopy. The definitive diagnosis of IBD requires a biopsy.
Exploratory surgery is one way of obtaining small pieces of stomach and intestine for biopsy.
This procedure requires general anesthesia. Biospies and samples to check for the helicobacter bacteria can then be taken with an instrument that pinches off little pieces of the stomach and intestinal wall. The endoscopy procedure can often provide a diagnosis of IBD without the animal having to have abdominal surgery. If the dog or cat's signs include diarrhea of large intestinal origin, the endoscope can also be passed through the anus and into the large intestine in a procedure called colonoscopy. For some patients surgery is the preferred option.