Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Newborn quarter horse colt very tired with a swollen belly - what was
By Karam, Bruno et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2024·Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Congenital urachal and urinary bladder defects leading to uroperitoneum in a neonatal quarter horse colt.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 5-hour-old quarter horse colt was brought in because he was very lethargic and had a swollen belly. The vet suspected a condition called uroperitoneum, where urine leaks into the abdominal cavity, and confirmed it through surgery. They found that the colt had some birth defects affecting his bladder and urachus (a structure that connects the bladder to the umbilical cord). After surgery to correct these issues, the colt recovered well and is now a healthy 4-year-old gelding.
People also search for: newborn horse lethargy · colt abdominal swelling · uroperitoneum in foals · horse bladder surgery recovery
Abstract
A newborn (5 h old) quarter horse colt was presented because of lethargy and severe abdominal distention. Uroperitoneum was suspected during initial workup, based on sonographic imaging and peritoneal fluid analysis. Definitive diagnosis was confirmed during exploratory celiotomy. Surgery revealed a congenitally abnormal allantoic stalk/urachal remnant and a failure of embryological fusion of the dorsal bladder wall. Recovery was successful and the animal is now a healthy, 4-year-old western performance gelding. These specific congenital abnormalities have not been previously documented in the peer-reviewed literature. Key clinical message: Congenital abnormalities of the urachus and the urinary bladder should be suspected in foals with uroperitoneum at birth. Cases involving congenital abnormalities of the urachus and urinary bladder might have favorable prognoses if animals retain adequate function of the urogenital tract and do not have secondary complications before and following surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39494178/