Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Acute pancreatitis in two five-day-old Appaloosa foals.
- Journal:
- Equine veterinary journal. Supplement
- Year:
- 2012
- Authors:
- Ollivett, T L et al.
- Affiliation:
- Cornell University · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This study looked at two five-day-old Appaloosa fillies that had severe acute pancreatitis, which is a rare condition in young horses. The foals showed signs like belly pain, diarrhea, and even coma, which could easily be confused with other serious conditions. Tests revealed high levels of fat in their blood and fluid, as well as elevated enzymes that helped confirm the diagnosis. The authors suggest that severe acute pancreatitis should be considered when a young foal is very sick and has symptoms like diarrhea and belly pain. Unfortunately, the paper does not provide details on the treatment outcomes for these foals.
Abstract
Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in foals is rare and treatment has not been documented. This paper describes the clinical, haematological and ultrasonographic findings as well as attempted treatment of SAP in two 5-day-old Appaloosa fillies. Clinical signs, including colic, diarrhoea and coma, may be mistaken for sepsis or neonatal encephalopathy. Hyperlipaemic serum and peritoneal fluid, and elevated serum and peritoneal fluid amylase and lipase activities aided the diagnosis. Severe acute pancreatitis should be included as a differential in an acutely ill foal with diarrhoea, colic, cerebral cortica dysfunction and hyperlipaemia.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22594035/