Elsevier

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

Volume 71, December 2018, Pages 112-119
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

Case Report
Management of a Traumatic Penetrating Abdominal Wound and Associated Complications in a Horse

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2018.10.010Get rights and content

Highlights

  • •

    Penetrating abdominal wounds should be explored surgically under general anesthesia.

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    Medical maggot debridement has been utilized in equine abdominal wounds.

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    Use of an equine hernia belt may help prevent evisceration and reduce hernia size.

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    Costochondral arch injury should be considered in abdominal or thoracic wounds.

Abstract

An 8-year-old American Quarter Horse mare presented for acute, traumatic lacerations sustained along the ventral abdomen and hind limbs after an accident involving a manure spreader. A penetrating abdominal wound, extended through the peritoneum, was explored surgically. Peritoneal fluid drained from the abdominal wound for approximately 14 days, which was managed with absorbent bandages and a hernia belt. Wound debridement was augmented with medical maggot therapy initiated on day 11 of hospitalization. On day 37 of hospitalization, febrile episodes and a draining tract along the right lateral abdominal wall prompted ultrasonic examination, leading to the identification and retrieval of 12 sequestered costochondral fragments. The mare was discharged 69 days after presentation with a well granulated, contracting wound bed. This case report describes the management of an open, penetrating, ventral abdominal wound in a horse with a functional outcome.

Introduction

Penetrating abdominal wounds are an uncommon but potentially fatal emergency encountered by equine veterinarians. In horses, these injuries are commonly associated with impalement on an object such as a fence post or tree branch [1]. Potentially catastrophic sequelae include peritonitis, visceral injury, hemoabdomen, abdominal adhesions, bowel eventration, and hernia formation. Few reports in the veterinary literature exist regarding management of these cases, and the authors were unable to locate a report detailing management of an open ventral abdominal wound. This case report describes the successful management of a contaminated penetrating abdominal wound and associated sequelae in an 8-year-old American Quarter Horse mare.

Section snippets

History

A 573 kg (1260 lb), 8-year-old American Quarter Horse mare presented for traumatic lacerations along the ventral abdomen and hind limbs. The wounds were sustained approximately 6 hours before presentation when she attempted to jump over a manure spreader in the barn aisle. Before transport, the horse's trainer bandaged the right hind limb and abdominal lacerations and administered flunixin meglumine and trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole as recommended by their regular veterinarian (dosages and

Discussion

Bowel eventration was a concern during the first days of case management. Several techniques were employed at the time of surgery to prevent this. First, the abdomen was explored through the wound instead of a separate celiotomy incision. This decision was not made lightly given two significant drawbacks—an inability to perform a complete exploratory procedure and the risk of further contamination—but was deemed necessary based on the questionable integrity of the remaining, bruised and

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Tom Thompson for his photography assistance.

Funding: This report did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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    • Cited by (1)

    Animal welfare/ethical statement: The case report describes the clinical management of a client-owned animal. Appropriate pain management was provided throughout the patient's hospital stay as detailed in the article and verifiable in the medical record. No experimental animals, experimental procedures, or human subjects were involved in this report.

    Conflicts of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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