SMALL-INTESTINAL FIBROSIS IN 2 HORSES

Small-intestinal submucosal fibrosis was identified in a 14-year-old A ppaloosa mare admitted for evaluation of weight loss and a 9-year-old Quarter Horse gelding referred for treatment of diarrhea. Although int estinal fibrosis had likely caused weight loss in the mare, it was an incidental finding in the gelding and represented an earlier stage or less severe manifestation of the disease. intestinal fibrosis should b e considered in the differential diagnosis of weight loss, recurrent c olic, and progressive debility. Although this syndrome had been diagno sed only in horses in a small, geographically discrete area of Colorad o, our findings indicate that diagnosis of intestinal fibrosis should not be restricted to horses in Colorado. Small-intestinal malabsorptio n might not be identified by D-xylose absorption tests in horses with small-intestinal fibrosis. Intestinal fibrosis should be considered wh en small intestinal thickening can be detected by abdominal palpation per rectum.