In Practice 19: 371-375 (1997)
© 1997 British Veterinary Association

Investigation of chronic weight loss in adult horses

¹ Bristol school

A HORSE that is losing weight for no obvious reason usually falls into one of two categories. It is either healthy, but suffering from some imposed stress or deprivation, or it is unhealthy, but not displaying any obvious signs of disease. A further possibility is that it is healthy, but geriatric. The aim of this article is to offer a strategy for investigating chronic weight loss which is seen to occur in the absence of an obvious predisposing cause. For many of the conditions described it may prove impossible to reach a precise diagnosis and it is only the animal's response to treatment which confirms that presumptive diagnosis. This is particularly true of weight loss in the healthy horse.