Top 5 Facts about Clostridial Enterocolitis

1) Clostridium perfringens is an anaerobic organism thatcan cause diarrhea in dogs and less commonly in cats

2) There are 5 different biotypes; the most common in dogs is biotype A

3) It produces enterotoxins that damage intestinal cells

4) It can be the primary source of disease or secondary so it’s important to consider there may be an underlying cause and investigate that further

5) Approximately 80% of dogs have C. perfringes whether or not they have clinical signs such as diarrhea

References:

1) Veterinary Partner. Veterinarypartner.com

2) Tilley, L. P., & Smith, F. W. (2005). The 5-minute veterinary consult: Canine and feline. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

3) Yin, S. A. (2010). The small animal veterinary nerdbook. Davis, CA: CattleDog Pub.