Gastrointestinal drugs
Gastrointestinal drugs help maintain the unobstructed and regulated flow of food into the body and waste product out of the body. Infections and disease can alter the functioning of the GI tract.Bacterial infections resulting in endotoxin release from gramnegative bacterial cell walls can increase intestinal blood vessel permeability, resulting in increased fluid loss. Disease conditions such as liver disease can affect the production of bile and ultimately fat digestion. Although many disease can affect gastrointestinal tract function, this chapter covers only drugs that directly affect the gastrointestinal tract.
Veterinary gastrointestinal drugs can be administered to encourage peristalsis, to suppress it, or to reduce its undesirable byproducts.Gastrointestinal drugs do this in a variety of ways resulting in a variety of outcomes.