Celiac disease of small domestic animals (dogs, cats) as a multifactorial disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder caused by the continued ingestion of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye by predisposed individuals. The intestinal biopsy remains the “gold standard” of the diagnosis showing villous atrophy, crypt hyperplasia, increased intraepithelial lymphocytes and lymphoplasmacytic infiltration.