Acute colitis in the adult horse is an emergency: profuse diarrhea, dehydration, electrolyte loss and endotoxemia that can progress to shock and death within hours to days. Salmonella enterica, Clostridioides difficile and Clostridium perfringens are the main infectious bacterial causes, but the cause often goes unconfirmed. Treatment is supportive and starts before test results return, together with isolation, because several causes are contagious and Salmonella is zoonotic.
Key facts
Acute colitis-diarrhea (Salmonella, Clostridium) at a glance- Species and system: horse; large intestine (cecum and colon).
- Causes: Salmonella, C. difficile, C. perfringens, Potomac horse fever, equine coronavirus and others; clinically they cannot be told apart (MSD).
- Risk factors: surgery, transport, feed change, concurrent GI disease, broad-spectrum antimicrobials, stress.
- Classic presentation: fever, depression, then profuse fluid, foul-smelling diarrhea with neutropenia and dehydration.
- Zoonotic: yes for Salmonella; use strict biosecurity and isolate affected horses.
- Cornerstone of treatment: large volumes of IV polyionic fluids with electrolytes.
What's inside
12 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention, control and public health
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 5 tables, 1 figure, 3 self-test questions and 6 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
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