Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse developed a swollen thigh and abscess after colic surgery
By Blikslager, A T et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1991·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Salmonella typhimurium abscess as a postoperative complication in a horse with colic.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
An 11-year-old fox-trotter stallion developed a swollen left hind leg and was unable to bear weight three days after surgery for colic. Tests revealed that he had a Salmonella infection causing an abscess in his thigh. Despite surgery to drain the abscess, the situation did not improve, and the owner ultimately decided to euthanize the horse.
People also search for: horse colic surgery complications · swollen leg in horse after surgery · Salmonella infection in horses
Abstract
An 11-year-old, 430-kg fox-trotter stallion was referred for evaluation of colic. A right-sided inguinal hernia was diagnosed. At exploratory laparotomy, the ileum was found to be herniated through the right inguinal canal. Compromised small intestine was resected, jejunocecal anastomosis was performed, and the horse was castrated. Three days after surgery, the stallion would not bear weight on the left hind limb. The musculature of the left thigh region became swollen. Aspiration of the left thigh region yielded serosanguineous fluid from which Salmonella typhimurium was isolated. Ultrasonography of the left thigh revealed multiple hypoechoic areas suggestive of abscess. The left medial thigh region was surgically incised, and a large abscess was drained. Bacteriologic culture of feces yielded S typhimurium. The owner elected to have the horse euthanatized.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1813469/