How do your pets help you with your IBD? I speak to Meredith Mangold, "The Bowel Battling Badass," about the role her dogs have played in her life. She became seriously ill with ulcerative colitis, which progressed into a rare complication called toxic megacolon. As her journey with IBD progressed, she eventually needed colectomy surgery, and has since been diagnosed with other immune-mediated conditions. Her two dogs, however, have become a big part of her advocacy work and they help her manage the pain and loneliness that come with chronic illness.

Concepts discussed on this episode:

• Toxic megacolon
• CT Scan
• Ileus
• Extra-intestinal Manifestations of IBD
• Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
• Steroid-Induced Osteoporosis

Find Meredith Mangold of The Bowel Battling Badass at Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Find Amber J Tresca at AboutIBD.com, Verywell, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Credits: Mix and sound design is by Mac Cooney. Theme music, "IBD Dance Party," is from ©Cooney Studio.