Eleven adult Basenji dogs with
immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (
IPSID) were studied. Two items of history related to the digestive tract were characteristic: (i) chronic intractable
diarrhea in most dogs, and (ii) progressive
emaciation.
Anorexia was intermittent in only a few dogs. In addition, skin lesions of various degrees of severity were observed, including
alopecia of pinnae and ventrum,
hyperpigmentation and hyperkeratosis of pinnae, and
necrosis and ulcerations of margins of pinnae. The cause of the skin lesions was not determined; however,
hypothyroidism did not appear to contribute to the skin changes. Standard hematologic and serum chemical values were not consistently abnormal. However, a poorly regenerative
anemia, mild neutrophilia, and increased
aspartate aminotransferase and
alanine aminotransferase activities were generally observed in severely affected dogs. The
Pelger-Huet anomaly was identified in dog 3. Maldigestion and malabsorption as determined by the
N-benzoyl-L-tyrosyl-p-aminobenzoic acid and
d-xylose test was documented to varying degrees in dogs with
IPSID. Maldigestion was correlated with functional pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. Severe malabsorption was documented in only 3 dogs. Serum
gastrin values were evaluated in these dogs because of a prior observation of parietal cell
hyperplasia and gastric ulceration. Hypergastrinemia was documented in 3 dogs. Additional studies will be necessary to determine whether an
acid hypersecretory state contributes to the pathogenesis of
IPSID in Basenjis.