Chronic disorders of the small intestine in dogs and cats are frequently encountered in clinical practice.
A majority of these disorders can be successfully managed. it is urged, however, that clinicians pursue early meaningful diagnostic evaluation on patients that have chronic symptoms (lasting more than 2 to 4 weeks) because some disorders, if not treated appropriately, can result in severe malabsorptive disease and death.
in the interim some patients with chronic disorders are lethargic, inappetent, and sometimes uncomfortable (e.g., intestinal cramping and pain may be present). owner frustration also escalates when symptoms persist with little or no improvement. Early diagnostic evaluation and correct therapeutic intervention alleviate many problems.in the dog and cat the primary function of the small intestine is to assimilate nutrients by the processes of digestion and absorption. important motility functions include rhythmic segmentation to slow the passage of contents through the tube and peristalsis to move contents continuously in an aboral direction. The movement of contents through the small intestine is the net effect of these two important types of motility. intestinal disease usually disrupts normal function of the small intestine and results in vomiting and/or diarrhea, and weight loss.