Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Septic peritonitis associated with caudal myotomy in a Tennessee walking horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1992
- Authors:
- Moll, H D & Schumacher, J
- Affiliation:
- Department of Large Animal Medicine and Surgery
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse colt was brought in because he was showing signs of belly pain, eating less than usual, and being constipated for five days. Just two days before these symptoms started, the owner had performed a procedure to cut some muscles near the tail. When the vet examined him, the horse had a fever, was very tired, and there were no normal intestinal sounds. Tests showed he had peritonitis (inflammation in the abdominal cavity), but despite treatment with antibiotics and other supportive care, he continued to get worse and sadly died. A post-mortem examination revealed a large amount of fluid in his abdomen and signs of infection from bacteria found at the surgery site.
Abstract
A 2-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse colt was admitted for evaluation of signs of abdominal pain, inappetence, and constipation of 5 days' duration. Two days prior to the onset of signs, the owner had cut the sacrococcygeal muscles as part of a tail-setting procedure. On examination, the horse was febrile and lethargic, and intestinal sounds were not heard on auscultation. Results of peritoneal fluid analysis were indicative of peritonitis. The horse continued to deteriorate and died despite treatment with antimicrobials, flunixin meglumine, and balanced electrolyte solution. At necropsy, the peritoneal cavity contained approximately 20 L of serosanguineous fluid. One of the myotomy wounds was filled with yellow-green material that extended from the base of the tail along the ventrolateral aspect of the rectum and into the peritoneal cavity. Escherichia coli was isolated from the myotomy site and peritoneal fluid.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1506252/