• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.93-96
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• 2010

We describe a case of enterolithiasis in an eight-year-old male Grant's zebra (Equus burchelli boehmi) that died after a 10-day history of depression, anorexia, dehydration and colic. On necropsy, an enterolith was discovered at the conjunction of the descending colon and the rectum. The spherical enterolith weighed 1,660 g and was $13.5cm{\times}8cm$ in size. According to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), the nidus consisted primarily of $SiO_2$ with outer layers of magnesium and phosphate. The formation of enteroliths is closely related to diet. We suggest that this captive zebra's diet, which consisted primarily of alfalfa hay with mineral supplements, was the cause of enterolithiasis in this case. This is the first report of enterolithiasis in a captive equid in Korea. Our findings provide information valuable for the development of dietary guidelines to prevent enterolithiasis in captive wild equids.