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One mare in the current study suffered from a FB located
in the aboral right dorsal colon, firmly adhered to the intestine wall. As a result of the location, the FB could not be removed in a safe manner and the mare was eventually euthanised due to gross contamination. It was reported previously that cases with FB located in unreachable locations may be subjected to euthanasia during surgery, due to intestinal spillage or inability to safely perform enterotomy (Boles and Kohn 1977). Proper draping with suturing of a nylon drape to the enterotomy site can considerably aid in preventing faecal contamination during removal of the FB, especially in regions which cannot be safely exteriorised. Thus, the location of the FB, with the ability to mobilise it as necessary, is critical for the success of the surgery. Another mare suffered from a FB located in the transverse colon which was not detected during surgery. Due to the mare’s advanced pregnancy, the transverse colon was not properly palpated during the exploration. As a result, the mare developed post-operative colic, peritonitis, endotoxaemia and eventually subjected to euthanasia. It is the author’s impression that detection of FBs in the transverse colon can be difficult, as also shown in a previous report (Boles and Kohn 1977). Thus, special attention should be given during exploratory celiotomy to verify that the transverse colon is thoroughly palpated in order to avoid such a disappointing result. One mare had surgery under standing sedation through
the left paralumbar fossa. This approach has been previously described and has inherent benefits such as avoidance of anaesthesia and reduced costs (Graham and Freeman 2014; Krueger and Klohnen 2015; Coomer et al. 2016). In the current case, the decision to perform the surgery standing was based on the owner’s financial limitations and the presumptive diagnosis of a FB in the small colon by rectal examination. The mare had no intra- or post-operative complications, and the case supports the notion that in certain suitable cases, performing standing colic surgery through the flank offers an appropriate alternative to the traditional ventral midline laparotomy under general anaesthesia. In summary, FB obstruction occurs more frequently in
Arabian horses and females and most commonly affects the small colon. The FB may be palpable on rectal examination however it is possible only in the minority of cases. The clinical signs are not specific and resemble other colon impactions, yet any suspicion of FB presence should be treated more cautiously since deterioration may be rapid. Few techniques are available for removal of the FB during surgery and the preferred method depends on the FB location, appearance and mobility. Surgical removal of colonic FBs in horses is recommended and carries fair to good prognosis for survival and return to function.
Authors’ declaration of interests No conflicts of interest have been declared.
Ethical animal research Not applicable.
Source of funding No funding received.
Authorship
G. Oreff, R. Dahan, A. Tatz and G. Kelmer contributed to study design and study execution. T. Raz contributed to data analysis and interpretation. G. Oreff prepared the manuscript. All authors gave their final approval of the manuscript.
Manufacturer's address 1Analytical Software, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.
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