Acute febrile diarrhoea in horses: 86 cases (1986-1991).
Abstract: Eighty-six horses presented for examination at the Rural Veterinary Centre between January 1986 to December 1991 with acute diarrhoea. The average age of affected horses was 3.2 +/- 0.2 years (mean +/- SE), with 69% three years or younger. Sixty-one horses were male (36 stallions, 25 geldings) and 83 horses were Thoroughbreds (47) or Standardbreds (36). Sixty-six horses were undergoing routine training at the time of onset of diarrhoea. Eight horses were afflicted with a non-specific illness within one to five days before the onset of diarrhoea, whereas eight horses developed diarrhoea during or within 48 h of discontinuation of antimicrobial therapy. Three horses developed the diarrhoea within 24 h of road transportation. Clinically, the disorder was characterised by a fever, sudden onset of profuse diarrhoea, clinical evidence of dehydration (estimated to be 5 to 12% of body weight at the time of admission) and shock. Degenerative leucopaenia, hyponatraemia, hypochloraemia, hyperkalaemia, hyperglycaemia and azotaemia were characteristic laboratory findings. Laminitis was a sequel in about 30% of cases. The cause of diarrhoea remained undetermined in most cases. Salmonellas were isolated from faecal or tissue samples in only two cases. Similarly, there was no evidence of seroconversion to Erhlichia risticii in 17 cases. Sixty-two of the horses survived the acute phase of the disease in response to supportive care. In horses that did not survive, necropsies were performed and revealed sanguineous or turbid peritoneal fluid. The colonic and caecal walls were oedematous and thickened with serosal congestion and discolouration of these organs evident grossly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Publication Date: 1995-02-01 PubMed ID: 7779031DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1995.tb15327.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research discusses a study conducted between 1986 to 1991 at the Rural Veterinary Centre, focusing on 86 horses that experienced acute diarrhoea. The study aimed to investigate the causes, symptoms and potential solutions for the condition in the affected horses.
Sample and Demographics
- The study analyzed 86 horses that experienced acute diarrhoea between January 1986 to December 1991.
- The average age of affected horses was 3.2 years, with 69% three years old or younger.
- Of the total, 61 horses were male, including 36 stallions and 25 geldings. Furthermore, 83 of the horses were either Thoroughbreds (47) or Standardbreds (36).
- Sixty-six of the affected horses were undergoing routine training when they started to display symptoms.
Observations and Findings
- Eight horses had fallen ill between one and five days before the onset of diarrhoea, while, conversely, eight horses developed diarrhoea during or within 48 hours of stopping antimicrobial therapy. Three horses also developed the diarrhoea within 24 hours of road transportation.
- Clinically, the disorder was characterized by fever, sudden onset of profuse diarrhoea, clinical evidence of dehydration (estimated to be 5 to 12% of body weight at the time of admission), and shock. Laboratory results commonly revealed degenerative leucopaenia, hyponatraemia, hypochloraemia, hyperkalaemia, hyperglycaemia, and azotaemia.
- About the 30% of the cases developed laminitis as a later complication.
- Salmonellas bacteria were isolated from fecal or tissue samples in only two cases, with no evidence of seroconversion to Erhlichia risticii in 17 cases. Therefore, the root cause of diarrhoea was undetermined in most cases.
Conclusion and Further Observations
- Out of the total, 62 horses survived the acute phase of the disease after receiving supportive care. Post-mortem examinations were carried out on the horses that did not survive, revealing sanguineous or turbid peritoneal fluid.
- The walls of the colonic and caecal organs in the deceased horses were found to be swollen and thickened, with visible serosal congestion and discolouration of these organs.
Cite This Article
APA
Stewart MC, Hodgson JL, Kim H, Hutchins DR, Hodgson DR.
(1995).
Acute febrile diarrhoea in horses: 86 cases (1986-1991).
Aust Vet J, 72(2), 41-44.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1995.tb15327.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Rural Veterinary Centre, University of Sydney, Camden New South Wales.
MeSH Terms
- Acute Disease
- Animals
- Cecum / pathology
- Colitis / etiology
- Colitis / pathology
- Colitis / veterinary
- Colon / pathology
- Dehydration / pathology
- Dehydration / veterinary
- Diarrhea / etiology
- Diarrhea / pathology
- Diarrhea / veterinary
- Feces / microbiology
- Female
- Fever / etiology
- Fever / pathology
- Fever / veterinary
- Foot Diseases / etiology
- Foot Diseases / pathology
- Foot Diseases / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Male
- Retrospective Studies
- Salmonella / isolation & purification
- Shock / pathology
- Shock / veterinary
- Toxemia / pathology
- Toxemia / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Gomez DE, Leclere M, Arroyo LG, Li L, John E, Afonso T, Payette F, Darby S. Acute diarrhea in horses: A multicenter Canadian retrospective study (2015 to 2019).. Can Vet J 2022 Oct;63(10):1033-1042.
- Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Bicout DJ, Calistri P, Canali E, Drewe JA, Garin-Bastuji B, Gonzales Rojas JL, Gortázar Schmidt C, Michel V, Miranda Chueca MÁ, Padalino B, Pasquali P, Roberts HC, Spoolder H, Stahl K, Velarde A, Viltrop A, Winckler C, Earley B, Edwards S, Faucitano L, Marti S, Miranda de La Lama GC, Costa LN, Thomsen PT, Ashe S, Mur L, Van der Stede Y, Herskin M. Welfare of equidae during transport.. EFSA J 2022 Sep;20(9):e07444.
- Kopper JJ, Willette JA, Kogan CJ, Seguin A, Bolin SR, Schott HC 2nd. Detection of pathogens in blood or feces of adult horses with enteric disease and association with outcome of colitis.. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Sep;35(5):2465-2472.
- Luethy D, Feldman R, Stefanovski D, Aitken MR. Risk factors for laminitis and nonsurvival in acute colitis: Retrospective study of 85 hospitalized horses (2011-2019).. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Jul;35(4):2019-2025.
- Kopper JJ, Kogan CJ, Cook VL, Schott HC 2nd. Outcome of horses with enterocolitis receiving oncotic fluid support with either plasma or hetastarch.. Can Vet J 2019 Nov;60(11):1207-1212.
- Bertin FR, Ruffin-Taylor D, Stewart AJ. Insulin dysregulation in horses with systemic inflammatory response syndrome.. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Jul;32(4):1420-1427.
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