Diagnosis and conservative management of sand enterocolopathy in falabella miniature horse

A female miniature horse was brought with history of chronic diarrhoea and occasional colic for past three weeks. An increase in borborigmous sound was heard on auscultation of both sides of abdomen. Ultrasonagraphic examination revealed hyperechoic material in stomach and ventral colon, thickened mucosa of greater curvature of stomach and intestinal lumen along with increased peristalsis. Radio-dense material in stomach and ventral colon were seen in radiography. Faecal sand sedimentation showed presence of sand in dung. Inspite of therapy, the animal did not responded to treatment and died. Post-mortem findings revealed accumulation of sand in entire gastrointestinal tract which leads to complete loss of structural integrity and loss of hind gut digestive functionality.