Gastric Dilation
Basic Information 
Clinical Presentation
Physical Exam Findings
• Decreased to absent gastrointestinal borborygmi.
• Variable gross abdominal distension ranging from absent to dramatic.
• Depression, fever, dehydration, and hyperemic or injected mucous membranes are often seen if the underlying cause is inflammatory small intestinal disease (proximal duodenitis or jejunitis).
Etiology and Pathophysiology
• Primary gastric dilation: Occurs when large volumes of gas are rapidly produced after consumption of a large amount of highly fermentable material (grain, grass clippings, apples)
• Secondary gastric dilation: Caused by reflux of small intestinal fluid contents retrograde into the stomach because of small intestinal obstructive lesions or caused by excessive small intestinal fluid secretion and small intestinal dysmotility with proximal duodenitis or jejunitis, postoperative ileus, or equine grass sickness
• Emesis or spontaneous regurgitation of gastric contents into the esophagus is usually prevented in the horse with severe gastric dilation because of mechanical distortion of the cardia.
Diagnosis 
Advanced or Confirmatory Testing
• Should be undertaken to determine the underlying cause of gastric dilation and may include the following:
Complete blood count: Often within reference intervals, although leukopenia and significant hemoconcentration suggest small intestinal inflammatory disease as the underlying cause
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