General Information
Spastic colon is an intermittent irritability of the large bowel often related to psychological stress. Leaving your pet alone for long periods, boarding it in a kennel, strenuous exercise, and extended confinement may cause spastic or irritable colon.
During episodes of spastic colon, affected pets frequently pass small amounts of soft or runny stools. Often only a clear, blood-tinged mucus is passed. Although physical examination, laboratory tests, and radiographs (x-rays) are needed to rule out the presence of other diseases, these tests are normal in most instances of spastic colon. Several stool specimens are often checked to rule out intestinal parasitism.
