Comparison of duodenitis/proximal jejunitis and small intestinal obstruction in horses: 68 cases (1977-1985)

Sixty-eight horses with colic caused by small intestinal disease were allotted into 2 groups of 34 on the basis of recorded findings during exploratory celiotomy, necropsy, or response to medical treatment alone. Signalment, history, physical examination findings, and laboratory findings were compared between the group of horses with small intestinal obstruction and the group with duodenitis/proximal jejunitis. A significantly greater proportion of horses with duodenitis/proximal jejunitis were older than 2 years old (P less than 0.05). Differences in sex or breed distribution, or in seasonality of the 2 disease syndromes were not observed. Horses with duodenitis/proximal jejunitis had significantly greater signs of depression than those with small intestinal obstruction (P less than 0.01), and horses with small intestinal obstruction had significantly greater signs of abdominal pain (P less than 0.05). The mean heart and respiratory rates were significantly lower (P less than 0.01) and the volume of nasogastric reflux was significantly greater (P less than 0.05) in the group of horses with duodenitis/proximal jejunitis. Sections of small intestine that were palpable per rectum were less distended and there were more auscultable borborygmi in horses with duodenitis/proximal jejunitis, compared with those with small intestinal obstruction (P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.01). The group of horses with duodenitis/proximal jejunitis had lower mean plasma potassium and higher mean plasma bicarbonate concentrations (P less than 0.05) than the group with small intestinal obstruction. The mean nucleated cell count and total protein concentration of peritoneal fluid specimens were significantly less in the group with duodenitis/proximal jejunitis (P less than 0.01); however, these values were greater than normal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)