Chronic Diarrhea and Weight Loss in Three Horses

Abstract

Diarrhea is a clinical sign of large intestinal or colonic disease in adult horses and frequently is accompanied by weight loss. Diarrhea is defined as increased water content in the feces compared with homeostasis. Chronic diarrhea usually presents clinically as chronic problem originating from a plethora of causes and different disease conditions. Chronic weight loss is not necessarily a specific problem of the digestive system but is a common clinical manifestation of gastrointestinal disease. It can be defined as loss of body weight over time (days to weeks) because of loss of fat and muscle mass. This article uses case examples to illustrate problems and syndromes that might be associated with chronic diarrhea and weight loss.