Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in Horses

IBD in horses is different than in humans. In humans, diarrhea is a common sign but not in horses. Excerpted from the article: The most common clinical sign in horses with IBD was weight loss, although reduced performance and a sensitive abdomen were also common signs. Recurrent colic and decreased appetite were seen in almost half of the cases. Diarrhea was seen in approximately one-third of the horses with IBD and a single episode of colic and edema was seen in only about 10% of horses.

Two types were found: lymphocytic invasion of the bowel wall and less commonly neutrophilic infiltration. Immune-mediated disease seemed most likely. Steroids were the treatment of choice with 70% of the horses responding favorably to treatment usually within the first 6 weeks. For more see the parent article to this Topic.
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Findings and Prognosis in 149 Horses with Histological Changes Compatible with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Animals (Basel). 2024 May 30;14(11):1638. doi: 10.3390/ani14111638.
Authors
Lieuwke Cecilia Kranenburg 1 , Bo F Bouwmeester 1 , Robin van den Boom 1
Affiliation

1 Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 112, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.

PMID: 38891685
PMCID: PMC11171156
DOI: 10.3390/ani14111638

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease characterized by different cell infiltrates in the intestine. The aims of this study were to report the clinical and clinicopathological findings in horses with histological changes compatible with IBD in the duodenum. Further, the clinical progression of IBD and survival were investigated. Patient records were reviewed for horses in which histological evidence of IBD was found in duodenal biopsies collected during endoscopy. The histological changes were classified as mild, moderate or severe and the predominant infiltrating cell type was recorded. Clinical improvement was assessed by the owner via a questionnaire at 6 weeks after biopsy, along with survival after one year. In total, 149 horses were included, and the most common clinical signs were weight loss, reduced performance and pain during abdominal palpation. Most horses showed partial malabsorption during an oral glucose absorption test, and the horses with severe IBD had lower serum protein concentrations. Lymphoplasmacytic enteritis was the most common type of IBD (78.5% of cases), while in six horses neutrophilic infiltration of the duodenum was present. Overall, 71% of the cases had improved clinically after six weeks, mostly following treatment with corticosteroids. The results of a second biopsy were a poor predictor of improvement, and the horses that improved after 6 weeks were more likely to be alive after one year.

Keywords: enteritis; equine; horse; inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).