Canine Protein Losing Enteropathies

Protein-losing enteropathies are traditionally thought of as being diseases with a very poor prognosis. While this is often true, there are subsets of these patients which, if diagnosed in a timely fashion, may often have a relatively good prognosis. Lymphangiectasia in particular is a disease that is often misdiagnosed or diagnosed so late that it is no longer treatable. Clinicians should actively seek for evidence of lymphangiectasia in dogs with protein-losing enteropathies as this can be a disease that they may be able to control for years, at least in some cases.