[Entero-colitis in the horse. A description of 46 cases (author’s transl)].

This research revolves around the study of 46 non-parasitic enteritis (inflammation of the intestine) cases in horses, focusing on the different courses, symptoms, lethal rates, predisposing factors and potential etiologies.

Overview of Cases and Clinical Course

• The study was conducted from 1965 to 1977 in the Large Animal Clinic, where 46 cases of non-parasitic enteritis, an inflammation of the small intestine, were treated.
• These cases were categorised based on the clinical course. Twelve horses exhibited an acute or peracute clinical course, which involved the rapid onset of shock. The lethality in these instances was high, at 83%.
• A smaller group of 9 horses displayed a subacute clinical course, an intermediate sort between acute and chronic.
• The remaining 22 horses suffered from chronic enteritis, demonstrating symptoms such as intermittent diarrhoea, which was often like cow dung in consistency, increased intestinal activity (peristalsis), weight loss, and in certain instances, hypoproteinaemia (lower than normal protein levels in the blood) which led to subcutaneous edema (fluid retention under the skin). The mortality rate among this subset was approximately 40%.

Predisposing Factors

• Approximately 40% of the cases could be linked with certain predisposing factors. These include physical stress, certain medical treatments like antibiotics and anti-parasitic drugs (anthelmintics), and lung diseases.

Timeframe of Cases and Implications

• About 66% of the cases appeared between January and July, indicating a seasonal influence.
• Based on the findings, the researchers suggest that the cases presented in this study do not represent a single disease but instead, several aetiologies (causes) showing similar symptoms.
• Recent studies on “colitis X” (a deadly disease affecting the colon of horses) and chronic enteritis were evaluated for their implications on this research.

Concluding Thought

• In closing, while all these cases are instances of enteritis, the variety in their course, exposure to predisposing factors and the time at which the majority of the cases occurred implies the existence of multiple causative agents rather than a single disease.