Chapter 10 - Digestive System

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal system of nonhuman primates. The most common clinical sign that alerts the clinician to gastrointestinal disease in nonhuman primates is diarrhea. Vomiting and constipation are less commonly observed. Other, less specific, clinical signs observed in some cases of gastrointestinal diseases include cachexia, abnormal stool, abdominal pain, distended abdomen, and straining to defecate. Diseases that primarily affect other organ systems may first appear as gastrointestinal problems. Clinical and pathological features of various diseases associated with the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, and exocrine pancreas are presented in the chapter. Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and primary pancreatic diseases are uncommon in nonhuman primates. Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency in nonhuman primates would be expected to result in a maldigestion/malabsorption syndrome as it does in other species. Elevated serum amylase levels in nonhuman primates suggest pancreatitis, but are not specific and can occur in other disease syndromes. Therefore other clinical tests should be used to confirm a diagnosis of pancreatitis.