title: Diagnosis of chronic small bowel disease in cats: 100 cases (2008-2012).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether a diagnosis of chronic small bowel disease could be established in a subset of cats that had clinical signs of chronic vomiting, chronic small bowel diarrhea, weight loss, or a combination of these, combined with ultrasonographically determined thickening of the small bowel.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  100 client-owned domestic cats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of cats with clinical signs of chronic vomiting, chronic small bowel diarrhea, weight loss, or a combination of these, combined with ultrasonographically determined small bowel thickening, that underwent laparotomy and multiple small bowel biopsies between 2008 and 2012 were examined. Biopsy specimens were submitted for histologic evaluation, immunohistochemical evaluation, and, when findings were ambiguous, PCR assay for antigen receptor rearrangement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chronic small bowel disease was diagnosed in 99 of the 100 cats. The most common diagnoses were chronic enteritis and intestinal lymphoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggested that cats with clinical signs of chronic small bowel disease should undergo detailed diagnostic testing because they are likely to have clinically important, diagnosable, treatable disease. Clinical signs of small bowel disease, especially weight loss and chronic or recurrent vomiting, are extremely common in cats. These signs should not be considered a normal condition and should not be ignored, regardless of common explanations given by owners, and cats with these signs should undergo appropriate diagnostic testing.
authors.affiliation: Alamo Feline Health Center, 16201 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78232.
authors.forename: Gary D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Norsworthy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scot Estep
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiupel
authors.forename: Jennifer C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: Loren N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Gassler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002415:Cats; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies