Abstract

A review of archival cases from 1995–2018 identified 14/96 lesser kudus (15%) with pancreatic disease. The kudus were from three institutions, and originated from an initial founder stock of 18 animals. Eight affected animals were females and seven were males. Ages at the time of death or euthanasia ranged from 2–132 mo and average age at time of death was 69 mo. All cases had varying degrees of acinar cell depletion, ductular hyperplasia and fibrosis considered severe enough to have caused death or warrant euthanasia. Four had moderate to marked hyperglycemia. An etiologic agent was not identified by histologic or transmission electron microscopic examination. Chronic pancreatic disease is considered an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the lesser kudu. The etiopathogenesis is not understood, but the absence of obvious causes, the occurrence in very young animals, and the lineage of lesser kudus in the United States suggests a genetic basis for this disease.