Case Report: Ulcerative gastritis in a semi-captive rock hyrax (Procavia capensis)

An adult, semi-captive rock hyrax was presented to the University of Zimbabwe Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a history of anorexia and lethargy. Medical investigations showed evidence of abdominal pain, and marked red blood cell hypochromasia and macrocytosis. The rock hyrax later died and post mortem examination showed a severe ulcerative gastritis of the pars oesophagea. Histopathological examination of the pars oesophagea revealed a deep, nonproliferative, haemorrhagic ulcerative gastritis with a predominant lymphocytic and neutrophilic infiltration. The adjacent epithelium presented both ortho- and parakeratosis. The gastritis was probably related to unsuitable feeding habits of the hyrax. Zimbabwe Vet. J. Vol.33(2) 2002: 97-10