horse diarrhoea

Question 1

foals and adults can get either SI or LI diarrhoea true or false?

Answer 1

False, adults can only get colon associated diarrhoea, in foals the colon is less well developed and they can get LI or SI

Question 2

9 causes of diarrhoea in neonates (4 common, 5 less common)

Answer 2

Common: Foal heat diarrhoea, bacterial - clostridia or salmonella, viral - often rota
Less common: necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, parasites - strongyloides westeri, nutritional diarrhoea, gastroduodenal ulcers

Question 3

11 causes of diarrhoea in older foals (up to yearling) 4 common, 7 less common

Answer 3

Common: parasitic (strongylus vulgaris, cyathostomes), proliferative enteropathy (lawsonia intracellularis), bacterial - salmonella and clostridia
Less common: Cryptosporidium, rhodococus equi, rotavirus, sepsis, nutritional diarrhoea, gastroduodenal ulceration, s. westeri

Question 4

11 causes of diarrhoea in adult horses (3 common, 8 less)

Answer 4

common: salmonella, clostridia, undiagnosed
less common: NSAID related, antimicrobial related, parasites - cyathostominosis, strongylosis, sand enteropathy, carbohydrate overload, IBD, dietary (abnormal fermentation) and neoplasia e.g. lymphoma.
Also abdominal disease such as peritonitis, abscesses.

Question 5

What specifically does NSAID diarrhoea cause?

Answer 5

Right Dorsal Colitis

Question 6

How long does diarrhoea last in horses before we say that it is chronic?

Answer 6

> 2 weeks

Question 7

4 things that can cause either acute or chronic diarrhoea

SPNS

Answer 7

Salmonellosis, Parasites (cyathostomes & strongyles), NSAID - RDC, Sand enteropathy

Question 8

2 things that usually cause acute rather than chronic

Answer 8

Clostridiosis, antimicrobial associated

Question 9

3 things that normally cause chronic rather than acute

Answer 9

Inflammatory disorders e.g. IBD, neoplasia, abdominal disease e.g. peritonitis, abscesses

Question 10

4 useful history questions in a horse with diarrhoea..

Answer 10

Worming Hx, contact with other horses with diarrhoea, recent NSAID or antimicrobial use

Question 11

What are the 3 principles of treatment in diarrhoea cases?

Answer 11

Address fluid loss
Address inflammation/endotoxaemia
Address specific cause

Question 12

What is endotoxin and when is it released?

Answer 12

It is part of the outer membrane of gram negative bacteria. released when cells are rapidly growing or die

Question 13

How does endotoxaemia occur?

Answer 13

many g -ve bacteria in the horse GIT normally, when mucosal break down happen -> release into the blood stream
endotoxin in blood -> interaction with cells e.g. macrophages -> systemic inflammation -> shock, death etc