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Chronic diarrhoea in adult horses: a review of 51 referred cases.
Abstract: A retrospective analysis of the clinical and laboratory findings from 51 adult horses with chronic diarrhoea revealed that the most common conditions were larval cyathostomiasis (14 cases), idiopathic chronic colitis (nine cases) and alimentary lymphoma (five cases). Five animals had diarrhoea as a result of non-alimentary disease. A diagnosis was reached in 37 cases, but only 15 were made ante mortem. Among the 18 animals (35 per cent) which survived, there were five cases of larval cyathostomiasis, one case of colonic impaction and 12 cases were undiagnosed. The most frequent abnormalities detected in blood samples from the horses were neutrophilia, hypoalbuminaemia, hyperglobulinaemia and high alkaline phosphatase activity. Evidence of carbohydrate malabsorption was found in 16 of 28 cases in which oral glucose tolerance tests were performed. No diagnostic specificity was apparent in either the clinical signs or the laboratory findings.
Publication Date: 1992-03-14 PubMed ID: 1566533DOI: 10.1136/vr.130.11.217Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Review
Summary
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This research paper articulates an analysis of chronic diarrhoea cases in adult horses, common conditions found, diagnostic statistics and frequent abnormalities detected.
Study Overview
The study was a retrospective analysis of 51 adult horses suffering from chronic diarrhoea carried out to determine the most common conditions found, associated symptoms and diagnostic processes.
Common Conditions
- The most recurrent conditions found in the studied equines included: larval cyathostomiasis (14 cases), idiopathic chronic colitis (nine cases), and alimentary lymphoma (five cases).
- For five of the subjects, diarrhoea resulted from non-alimentary disease.
Diagnostic Statistics
- A diagnosis was determined in 37 of the studied cases. However, only 15 were able to be diagnosed ante mortem.
- Among the surviving 18 horses (which makes up 35% of the initial subjects), the conditions included five cases of larval cyathostomiasis, one case of colonic impaction, and 12 undiagnosed cases.
Detected Abnormalities
- Several abnormal conditions were observed in blood samples taken from the horses. These included neutrophilia (an unusually high number of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell), hypoalbuminaemia (a low level of albumin in the blood), hyperglobulinaemia (an excessive level of globulin in the blood), and high alkaline phosphatase activity (indicating potential liver or bone disease).
- Malabsorption of carbohydrates was present in 16 of the 28 cases that had undergone oral glucose tolerance tests.
Diagnostic Specificity
- The paper reports that neither the clinical signs observed nor the laboratory findings yielded any diagnostic specificity.
Cite This Article
APA
Love S, Mair TS, Hillyer MH.
(1992).
Chronic diarrhoea in adult horses: a review of 51 referred cases.
Vet Rec, 130(11), 217-219.
https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.130.11.217 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow Veterinary School.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Chronic Disease
- Codeine / therapeutic use
- Colitis / complications
- Colitis / diagnosis
- Colitis / veterinary
- Diarrhea / diagnosis
- Diarrhea / etiology
- Diarrhea / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horses
- Ivermectin / therapeutic use
- Lymphoma / complications
- Lymphoma / diagnosis
- Lymphoma / veterinary
- Male
- Nematode Infections / complications
- Nematode Infections / diagnosis
- Nematode Infections / veterinary
- Prednisolone / therapeutic use
- Retrospective Studies
Grant Funding
- Wellcome Trust
References
This article includes 19 references
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Hardefeldt L, Thomas K, Page S, Norris J, Browning G, El Hage C, Stewart A, Gilkerson J, Muscatello G, Verwilghen D, van Galen G, Bauquier J, Cuming R, Reynolds B, Whittaker C, Wilkes E, Clulow J, Burden C, Begg L. Antimicrobial prescribing guidelines for horses in Australia. Aust Vet J 2025 Dec;103(12):781-889.
- Smith MZ, York M, Townsend KS, Martin LM, Gull T, Coghill LM, Ericsson AC, Johnson PJ. Effects of orally administered clioquinol on the fecal microbiome of horses. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Jan-Feb;39(1):e17276.
- Matthews JB, Peczak N, Lightbody KL. The Use of Innovative Diagnostics to Inform Sustainable Control of Equine Helminth Infections. Pathogens 2023 Oct 11;12(10).
- DeNotta SL, Divers TJ. Clinical Pathology in the Adult Sick Horse: The Gastrointestinal System and Liver. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2020 Apr;36(1):105-120.
- Corning S. Equine cyathostomins: a review of biology, clinical significance and therapy. Parasit Vectors 2009 Sep 25;2 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S1.
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