Acute necrotising pancreatitis in three ponies

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis is considered a rare condition in equines (1, 10, 13). It has been suggested that it is under-diagnosed, perhaps due to the equine clinician’s unfamiliarity with the clinical presentation and the perceived rarity of the condition (1–2, 9, 10, 15). The clinical signs of acute pancreatitis resemble other gastrointestinal diseases, especially small intestinal strangulating obstructions and anterior enteritis, making ante mortem diagnosis difficult (13). Markedly elevated serum and peritoneal amylase levels suggest acute pancreatitis but they are not specific for the condition (2, 10, 15). This report describes some consistent clinical features and surgical findings for three ponies with acute necrotising pancrea titis which the authors consider may assist the practitioner in the recognition of future cases. The diagnosis was confirmed by post mortem examination.