Chronic enteropathy in dogs and cats

Chronic enteropathy is a common cause of gastrointestinal disease in dogs and cats and is characterised by persistent or recurrent clinical signs lasting longer than 3 weeks. Management often requires long-term dietary modification, medical therapy and close monitoring, making veterinary nurses central to patient support and client education. This article reviews the classification, clinical presentation and nutritional management of chronic enteropathy, with particular focus on food-responsive enteropathy, microbiome-related enteropathy and inflammatory bowel disease. The importance of nutritional intervention, micronutrient supplementation and antibiotic stewardship is discussed, alongside the use of scoring systems to monitor disease progression. The role of nurse-led gastrointestinal clinics in improving treatment adherence, patient welfare and long-term outcomes is highlighted.