Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Transient glucose malabsorption in two horses--fact or artefact?
- Journal:
- Australian veterinary journal
- Year:
- 1997
- Authors:
- Church, S & Middleton, D J
- Affiliation:
- University of Melbourne Department of Veterinary Science · Australia
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Two horses were brought in because they were losing weight even though they were eating normally or more than usual. Tests showed that they had trouble absorbing glucose, which is a type of sugar, but doctors couldn't find any visible problems in their intestines. Fortunately, both horses recovered over time and were able to regain weight and absorb glucose properly again. This situation shows that sometimes horses can have abnormal test results without any clear signs of illness, and those results should be looked at carefully. In the end, the treatment worked, and both horses improved.
Abstract
Two horses, presented for investigation of chronic weight loss despite normal to increased feed intake, had flat oral glucose absorption curves, suggesting malabsorption. The cause of the apparent malabsorption was not evident grossly or on light microscopic examination of the intestinal tract. Both horses survived long term and at follow-up examination had regained weight and their capacity to absorb glucose. These cases illustrate that flat glucose absorption curves may occur in horses with no obvious intestinal lesions, that they may revert to normal and that the results of these tests should be interpreted with caution.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9406627/