Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Suppurative splenitis and peritonitis in a horse after gastric ulceration caused by larvae of Gasterophilus intestinalis.
- Journal:
- Australian veterinary journal
- Year:
- 1987
- Authors:
- Dart, A J et al.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old Thoroughbred mare was brought to the vet after showing signs of not eating, losing a lot of weight, having fevers that came and went, and occasional diarrhea following a bout of colic (stomach pain). She appeared very tired, underweight, and had trouble walking. Tests showed a lot of inflammatory fluid in her abdomen and an enlarged spleen, along with a significant increase in white blood cells. Sadly, after she passed away, a post-mortem examination revealed severe stomach inflammation caused by larvae from a type of fly, which had also led to infections in her spleen and other areas. The treatment did not work, as she did not survive.
Abstract
A 12-year-old Thoroughbred mare, with a history of anorexia, dramatic weight loss, fluctuating pyrexia and intermittent diarrhoea after an episode of colic, was presented for examination with depression, emaciation and ataxia. Thoracic and abdominal paracenteses yielded copious quantities of inflammatory exudate. Palpation per rectum revealed an enlarged spleen. The primary alterations in haematology included a severe leucocytosis with a left shift, and a hyperproteinaemia characterised by hypoalbuminaemia and hypergammaglobulinaemia. Post-mortem examination revealed a low grade pleurisy and peritonitis with fluid accumulation in both cavities. A suppurative gastritis with full thickness perforations of the stomach wall associated with Gasterophilus intestinalis larvae had extended to the juxtaposed organ initiating an extensive suppurative splenitis. Streptococcus zooepidemicus was cultured.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3632494/