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Summary: Background: Strangulating lesions of the small intestine involving the greater omentum (SSIGOs) have only rarely been reported. Furthermore, information pertaining to clinical descriptions, surgical findings and outcome is lacking. Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence, clinical presentation, surgical findings, postoperative outcome and risk factors associated with SSIGOs. Study design: This is a retrospective case series of 32 horses with a diagnosis of SSIGOs. Methods: Data from hospital records of horses identified with SSIGOs between 2005 and 2020 including signalment, clinical findings at presentation, initial laboratory results, surgical findings, surgical procedures performed and postoperative survival were analysed. The prevalence of SSIGOs was determined. SSIGO was compared with small intestinal strangulating and nonstrangulating lesions and other types of colic to identify potential risk factors among signalment data and to determine outcome, using multiple logistic regression models. Results: SSIGOs were present in 2.3% (32/1413) of all horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy for colic, 4.7% of all horses with primary small intestinal lesions (32/683) and 5.6% of strangulating small intestinal lesions (32/570). Surgical findings included primary strangulation by the greater omentum with or without involvement of a lipoma‐like mass originating from the greater omentum (15/32 [47%]), adhesions involving the greater omentum leading to strangulation of the small intestine (14/32 [44%]) and small intestine incarceration through an omental rent (3/32 [9%]). The short‐term survival rate defined as survival until discharge was 53% (17/32) considering all SSIGO cases, and 85% (17/20) for SSIGO cases recovered from anaesthesia. Risk factors identified were increasing age and year of surgery. Main limitations: The limitations of this study are retrospective study design and the limited number of SSIGO cases reflecting the rarity of this condition. Conclusions: Numerous anatomical configurations of SSIGO exist, but clinical presentation is similar to other strangulating small intestinal lesions. Although uncommon, SSIGOs should be considered a potential cause of small intestine strangulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This case report describes the clinical presentation and management of a donkey admitted with acute signs of abdominal pain that was diagnosed with a bilateral Morgagni hernia, a rare type of congenital diaphragmatic hernia. For more than 8 months before presentation, the donkey had been showing signs of recurrent mild abdominal pain that responded favourably to medical treatment. On admission, the donkey had mild tachycardia and tachypnoea. Radiography and ultrasound of the thorax and abdomen showed thoracic herniation of the large colon. Exploratory laparotomy was performed, and the sternal and diaphragmatic flexures of the large colon, as well as the left hepatic lobe, were found incarcerated in a bilateral Morgagni hernia. Intestine and liver were removed from the hernia, and the large colon was exteriorised. The defect in the diaphragm was repaired by stapling a polyester mesh circumferentially around the hernia ring and covering the mesh with an excised section of the greater omentum. No further complications and no recurrence of colic were observed during an 8‐month follow‐up period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Chronic orocutaneous, oronasal, or orosinus fistulae can be challenging to repair. This report describes placement of a dental bridge as a treatment for oral fistulae and outcome in two horses. A 12‐year‐old, Westphalian gelding was presented for nasal discharge because of an oromaxillary fistula after dental repulsion of the Triadan 209 4 years earlier. The second case, a 5‐year‐old Oldenburg mare was presented for an orocutaneous fistula 7 weeks after dental repulsion of the Triadan 208. Both were treated by placing an 8‐shaped cerclage wire, inserted through the rostral and caudal interdental spaces and crossing at the level of the missing tooth. Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) was then used to seal the fistula. No significant complications occurred during or after the surgery. In both cases clinical signs did not recur. In the first case the dental bridge is currently (5 years after the intervention) in place. In Case 2 the construction was removed after 1.5 years and the fistula had healed completely. This case report suggests that placing a dental bridge composed of cerclage wire and PMMA should be considered as an easy, noninvasive and efficient way to manage large oromaxillary or orocutaneous fistulae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The previous experiments have shown that some phenothiazines have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro. In this study the inhibition of the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by neutrophils was studied in two groups of horses, which received a dose of 0.1 mg/kg of either acepromazine or promethazine intravenously. Blood samples were collected before (T0) and 0.5, 1, 3 and 5 h after drug administration. The chemiluminescence (CML) response of neutrophils was measured ex vivo in the presence of luminol for a period of 10 min and the maximum CML value (peak value) recorded. There was a significant inhibition of the ROS production in the acepromazine treated group (49% inhibition) at 5 h after administration and in the promethazine group (24% inhibition) at 3 h after administration ( P < 0.05 vs. T0). These findings are of therapeutic relevance in the use of phenothiazines in equine patients with inflammatory diseases where neutrophil activation and ROS production are implicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the horse, the inflammation response to various pathologies (intestinal strangulations, laminitis, etc.) involves an excessive stimulation of the polymorphonuclear neutrophils releasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and myeloperoxidase (MPO). The aim of the present work was to study the effect of natural polyphenols, curcuminoids and tetrahydrocurcuminoids (THC) on isolated stimulated equine neutrophils and on the activity of purified MPO. The ROS production and the release of MPO by activated neutrophils were measured by chemiluminescence and ELISA techniques, respectively. The activity of purified MPO was measured by studying its nitration, chlorination or oxidation capacity and by using an original method called SIEFED allowing the study of drug interaction with the enzyme without interferences of the medium. Curcuminoids and THC had dose- dependent inhibitory effects on ROS production and MPO release by activated neutrophils and on purified MPO activity. We suggest that the higher efficacy of curcuminoids versus THC could be explained, at least partially, by its chemical structure: the conjugated double bounds and the plane structure of curcuminoids made easier the neutralization of the radical species generated by activated neutrophils and the interaction of the drug with the active site of MPO. These inhibitory effects of curcuminoids on the oxidant activity of equine neutrophils and on MPO activity open therapeutic perspectives in equine pathologies with excessive inflammatory reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 2000 and 2003, 99 cattle with limb fractures were treated. Over 50 per cent were tibial fractures, with the femur and os calcis being the second and third most frequently affected bones. Eight of the cattle were slaughtered because of their poor prognosis, 10 were treated by stall confinement, 76 were treated by external coaptation with a Thomas splint-cast combination and three were treated with a simple or reinforced half limb cast; these 79 cattle were usually discharged immediately. One calf was treated with internal fixation, and another by amputation. Follow-up information was obtained by telephone, and the treatments were classified as either completely successful (return to previous production level), partially successful (return to lower production level) or failure. Forty (52.6 per cent) of the cattle treated with the Thomas splint-cast combination were classified as a complete success and 14 (18.4 per cent) as a partial success; the treatment failed in 19 of the cattle and three were lost to follow-up. The animals' bodyweight, age and sex, and whether the fracture was open or closed, had no significant influence on the outcome. Among the 10 cattle treated for proximal fractures by stall confinement, there were five survivors, four non-survivors and one was lost to follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A retrospective study evaluated 200 surgical colic cases. A gravity score (GS) based on four clinical parameters estimating intestinal obstruction (rectal palpation, borborygmi, abdominal distension, pain) and classified into three categories was established and tested to determine if it could evaluate prognosis. A shock score (SS) based on six parameters was also attributed to each case. The overall survival rate was 54 %. The statistical analysis showed a significant (P < 0.01) difference in the survival rate in the different categories of the GS, as well as in the categories of the SS. A multivariate logistic regression model showed that horses with GS 3 are 10.6 times more likely to die than those with GS 1. A model combining the two scores showed an odds ratio of 7.1 for GS 3 versus GS 1, and for SS 3 versus SS 1, the odds ratio was 7.2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forty-eight horses subjected to elective surgery were randomly assigned to three groups of 16 horses. After premedication with 0-1 mg/kg acepromazine intramuscularly and 0.6 mg/kg xylazine intravenously, anaesthesia was induced either with 2 g thiopentone in 500 ml of a 10 per cent guaifenesin solution, given intravenously at a dose of 1 ml/kg (group TG), or with 100 mg/kg guaifenesin and 2.2 mg/kg ketamine given intravenously (group KG), or with 0.06 mg/kg midazolam, and 2.2 mg/kg ketamine given intravenously (group KM). Anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane. The mean (sd) end tidal isoflurane concentration (per cent) needed to maintain a light surgical anaesthesia (stage III, plane 2) was significantly lower in group KM (0.91 [0.03]) than in groups TG (1.11 [0.03]) and KG (1.14 [0.03]). The mean (sd) arterial pressure (mmHg) was significantly lower in group KG (67.4 [2.07]) than in groups TG (75.6 [2.23]) and KM (81.0 [2.16]). There were no significant differences in the logarithm of the heart rate, recovery time or quality of recovery between the three induction groups. However, pronounced ataxia was observed in the horses of group KM, especially after periods of anaesthesia lasting less than 75 minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Part II. Presents a radiographic method that defines objectively the individual conformation of an equine digit and its appropriate trimming. Articular effects of asymmetric bearings; Influence of induced asymmetric bearings on various angles measured from specific radiographs; Theoretical significance to veterinary medicine.

Part I. Presents a radiographic method that defines objectively the individual conformation of an equine digit and its appropriate trimming. Influence of induced foot rotations on several angles measured from specific radiographs; Theoretical significance to veterinary medicine.

Background: Radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is widely used in equine practice for the treatment of orthopedic problems. However, its original use as a lithotripsy device in human and canine urology led us to postulate that it could be used as an alternative to the surgical treatment of urethral calculi in horses. Hypothesis: Radial ESWT can easily and safely fragment calculi in the distal urethra of the horse. Animals: Two postmortem cases and 1 live case of obstructive urinary disease admitted at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Liege. Methods: A radial shockwave device was directly applied to the urethra in an attempt to fragment calculi. An ex vivo trial was performed on the same retrieved calculi to investigate pressure settings in order to obtain complete fragmentation of the calculus. Results: In all cases, radial ESWT was able to fragment the calculus partially, enabling retrieval of the remaining fragments via the urethra. Much higher pressure settings than those used for in vivo partial fragmentation were necessary to obtain complete destruction of the calculi ex vivo. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: This brief report suggests the use of radial ESWT as a safe and useful alternative to more invasive surgical management of urethral calculi in horses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]