Radcliffe R W, Schumacher J, Hartsfield S M, Merritt A M, Murray M J
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Department of Animal Health Services, Glen Rose, Texas 76043, USA.
J Zoo Wildl Med. 1998 Dec;29(4):465-9.
An adult female southern black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis minor) experienced intermittent periods of regurgitation while eating, suggesting an esophageal disorder. Endoscopy for evaluation of the trachea, esophagus, and stomach revealed a 30-mm nasopharyngeal orifice with associated recess located in the caudodorsal pharynx and a 10-cm dilated segment of the distal esophagus that was presumably the cause of regurgitation. Dietary management of esophageal dilation through short-term utilization of a "soft feed" program successfully eliminated the regurgitation. This is the first report of esophageal dysfunction in a rhinoceros.