Equine Acute Abdomen Flashcards
How long is the equine small intestine? What is its major blood supply?
30-90 feet
cranial mesenteric artery (ileocecal) —> easy compromise with strangulation
In what 3 locations does the small intestine attach to the abdominal wall?
- duodenocolic fold
- mesentery
- ileocecal fold
What are the 2 most common causes of ileal impaction?
- coastal Bermuda grass hay - Southeast US
- Anoplocephala perforata (tapeworm) - ulceration, edema
What is the most common sign of ileal impaction? How is it diagnosed?
moderate pain due to intestinal spasms and distention
- rectal palpation
- ultrasonography (dilated loops stacked on one another)
- reflux
What medical and surgical treatments are available for ileal impaction? What is prognosis like?
MEDICAL = IV fluids, analgesics
SX = massage contents into cecum
good
What is ileal hypertrophy? What 2 signs are seen?
thickened circular and longitudinal layers of the ileum (over a meter), resulting in luminal constriction
- chronic colic
- ileal impaction
What is the main option for treating ileal hypertrophy?
SURGICAL - ileocecostomy or jejunocecostomy to bypass ileum into cecum
What is the most common cause of ascarid impaction in horses? When does it most commonly occur?
Parascaris equorum
post-deworming - Moxidectin or Ivermectin kill ascarid, causing them to detach from the SI and obstruct the lumen
What horses are most commonly affected by ascarid impaction? How do they present?
younger horses, weanlings (4-24 months) post-deworming
- pot-bellied
- emaciated/unthrifty
How is ascarid impaction diagnosed?
- history - young horse, recently dewormed
- ascarids in reflux
- ultrasonography
What medical and surgical options are available for ascarid impaction?
MEDICAL - fluid therapy, lubricants
SX = entero/typhloptomies + removal with forceps
What is prognosis like for ascarid impaction following surgical treatment? Why?
poor - mortality ~92%
high possibility of rupture
What are the 3 major causes of strangulation impactions?
- lipoma
- volvulus
- intussusception
(more common than simple obstructions)
What are the 4 most common signs of strangulation onstructions?
- moderate to severe pain with limited response to analgesics
- tachycardia - 60-80 bpm
- ileus - nasogastric reflux, decreased borborygmi
- congested MM with toxic line
What is felt on rectal palpation in cases of strangulation obstruction?
- fluid distention
- firm colon content - NOT intestinal wall shrinking around feed
felt in central/ventral abdomen
What are 2 signs of strangulation obstruction on ultrasound?
- fluid distention - third spacing of fluid into lumen
- decreased motility - particulate matter sings to the bottom of the intestine
What is seen with abdominocentesis in cases of strangulation obstruction?
- serosanguinous fluid - TP > 2.5 mg/dL, WBC > 5000, elevated lactate > 2 mmol
- third spacing of fluid into lumen AND abdomen
(red = dead bowel)
What is the most common cause of strangulation obstruction? In what horses is this most common?
lipoma - benign fatty tumor (“ball on a string”)
older geldings (15-19 y/o)
What surgical intervention is recommended for strangulating lipomas? What complication can be seen?
resection and anastomosis of affected parts of intestine
re-establishing blood flow can case reperfusion injury
In what 2 groups of horses is volvulus most common? What is volvulus?
- foals
- mature horses (lipomas more common)
rotation of the intestine around the mesentery across the bowel axis
At what age is intussusception most common? What causes it? Where is it most common?
< 3 y/o
abnormal motility - enteritis, parasites
small intestine - jejunojejunal, jejunoileal, ileoileal
What is the most common part of the intestine affected by intussusception? What is a unique cause?
ileocecal
chronic colic within a small segment of the bowel (10 cm)