Comparison of end-to-side versus side-to-side jejunocecostomy in horses.

Objectives: To compare end-to-side (ES) and side-to-side (SS) jejunocecostomy (JC) in healthy horses.

Study Design: Experimental study in vivo.

Animals: A total of 14 healthy adult horses underwent ventral midline celiotomy, a resection, and either an ES (n = 7) or stapled SS (n = 7) JC.

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs reduce anion secretion and increase apoptosis in equine colonic mucosa ex vivo.

Objective: Right dorsal colitis causes chronic colic associated with long-term treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This study was designed to determine if NSAIDs could inhibit anion transporters that protect against intestinal mucosal injury in other species.

Animals: 20 healthy horses.

Endoscope-assisted three-wire technique for extensive nasal septum resection in horses.

Objective: To describe a 3-wire method with endoscopic guidance for extensive nasal septum resection.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Sample Population: Thirteen horses with nasal septum diseases.

Three-dimensional models of the equine larynx can be used to perform traditional measures of arytenoid abduction and permit the positioning of modeled implants to demonstrate the anatomic feasibility of placing a rigid implant across the cricoarytenoid joint.

Objective: To develop 3D models of larynges to compare arytenoid abduction measurements between specimens and models, and to investigate the anatomic feasibility of placing an implant across the cricoarytenoid joint (CAJ) with or without arthrotomy.

Samples: Cadaveric equine larynges (n = 9).

Procedures: Equine larynges underwent sequential CT scans in a neutral position and with 2 arytenoid treatments: bilateral arytenoid abduction (ABD) and bilateral arytenoid abduction after left cricoarytenoid joint arthrotomy (ARTH).

Repeat Celiotomy-Current Status.

Repeat celiotomy can be lifesaving in horses with a surgically treatable postoperative obstruction, although guidelines for its use are lacking, except for uncontrollable postoperative pain. Overdiagnosis of ileus as the cause of postoperative obstruction could delay a second surgery so the disease progresses beyond a manageable level of severity. Although many horses respond favorably to repeat celiotomy, complications can be severe and life threatening, such as incisional infection and adhesions.

Surgical enlargement of the epiploic foramen in horses.

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of a method for digitally enlarging the caudal aspect of the epiploic foramen (EF).

Study Design: Healthy horses and clinical cases of EF entrapment (EFE).

Animals: Fourteen healthy horses and three clinical cases.

Ex vivo and in vivo evaluation of a modified interrupted Lembert pattern for small intestinal anastomoses in horses.

Objective: To compare single-layer anastomoses (modified continuous Lembert [mod-CL] and modified-interrupted Lembert [mod-IL]) and a 2-layer simple continuous anastomosis (2 L; seromuscular and mucosal) for jejunojejunal anastomoses in equine cadavers and to compare ex vivo to in vivo time to complete the anastomosis and stoma size with a mod-IL pattern.

Study Design: Measurements in jejunum from cadaver and anesthetized horses.

Animals: Ten live horses and 18 equine cadavers.

Mechanisms of bicarbonate secretion in the equine colon ex vivo.

Objective: To examine bicarbonate (HCO3-) secretion ex vivo in the equine large colon to determine any differences between the right dorsal colon (RDC) and right ventral colon (RVC). The effect of phenylbutazone (PBZ) on HCO3- secretion was examined in the RDC.

Animals: 14 healthy horses.

Effects of age, disease and anastomosis on short- and long-term survival after surgical correction of small intestinal strangulating diseases in 89 horses.

Background: Although survival rates have been reported after small intestinal surgery for strangulating diseases in horses, none have followed survival for periods relevant to the long lifespan of horses and none have described effect of age, disease and surgical treatments over such long survival periods.

Objectives: To examine effects of age, disease and type of surgery on long-term survival in horses after surgical treatment of small intestinal strangulating diseases over periods relevant to the expected lifespan of a horse.

Study Design: Retrospective clinical study.

Endoscopic-guided Esophageal Foreign Body Removal in a Donkey.

Esophageal obstruction is a common disorder in equids usually caused by intraluminal impaction with roughage and/or other feed material. Esophageal obstructions can also be caused by foreign bodies, but they are rarely reported and information regarding diagnosis and management is lacking. This report describes an esophageal obstruction in a donkey caused by a metallic foreign body removed using endoscopic guidance.

Effect of Feed Intake on Water Consumption in Horses: Relevance to Maintenance Fluid Therapy.

Maintenance fluid therapy is challenging in horses that cannot drink or are denied feed and water because of concerns about gastrointestinal tract function and patency. Intravenous fluid delivery to meet water needs based on current recommendations for maintenance requirements were obtained in fed horses and therefore might not apply to horses that are not being fed. This is a critical flaw because of the interdependence between intestinal tract water and extracellular water to support digestion while preserving water balance, a concept explained by the enterosystemic cycle.

J-incision to approach the cranial abdomen in the adult horse.

Objective: To describe a modified celiotomy to improve access to cranial abdominal structures in horses.

Animals: Four horses.

Study Design: Short case series.

Effect of feed deprivation on daily water consumption in healthy horses.

Background: Measurements of water consumed by fed healthy horses might not apply to horses that are unwilling or unable to drink or are not fed for any reason.

Objective: To examine the effects of feed deprivation on voluntary water consumption compared with fed conditions.

Study Design: In vivo experiment.

Is There Still a Place for Lidocaine in the (Postoperative) Management of Colics?

Intravenous lidocaine is widely used to prevent or treat postoperative ileus in horses. Clinical studies that support this approach are flawed and contradicted by others. Also, physical obstruction could be more important in causing postoperative reflux than postoperative ileus in the horse.

Effect of lidocaine on inflammation in equine jejunum subjected to manipulation only and remote to intestinal segments subjected to ischemia.

OBJECTIVE To examine effects of continuous rate infusion of lidocaine on transmural neutrophil infiltration in equine intestine subjected to manipulation only and remote to ischemic intestine. ANIMALS 14 healthy horses. PROCEDURES Ventral midline celiotomy was performed (time 0).

Response to early repeat celiotomy in horses after a surgical treatment of jejunal strangulation.

Objective: To determine the outcome after early repeat celiotomy in horses operated for jejunal strangulation.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: Horses (n = 22) that underwent repeat celiotomy for postoperative reflux (POR) and/or postoperative colic (POC) that did not improve within 48 hours from onset after initial surgical treatment of strangulating jejunal lesions by jejunojejunostomy (n = 14) or no resection (n = 8).

Characterization of equine vitamin D-binding protein, development of an assay, and assessment of plasma concentrations of the protein in healthy horses and horses with gastrointestinal disease.

OBJECTIVE To purify and characterize equine vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP) from equine serum and to evaluate plasma concentrations of VDBP in healthy horses and horses with gastrointestinal injury or disease. ANIMALS 13 healthy laboratory animals (8 mice and 5 rabbits), 61 healthy horses, 12 horses with experimentally induced intestinal ischemia and reperfusion (IR), and 59 horses with acute gastrointestinal diseases. PROCEDURES VDBP was purified from serum of 2 healthy horses, and recombinant equine VDBP was obtained through a commercial service.

Effects of ischemia and reperfusion on eosinophilic accumulation and distribution in mucosa of equine jejunum and colon.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the eosinophilic response in intestinal mucosa of horses with intestinal ischemia and reperfusion or with strangulation of the jejunum or colon. SAMPLE Mucosal samples from horses with naturally occurring strangulation (n = 24 horses) or distention (n = 6) of the jejunum or colon (11), with experimentally induced ischemia and reperfusion of the jejunum (6) or colon (15), or that were euthanized for reasons other than gastrointestinal tract disease (13). PROCEDURES Mucosal samples were collected and grouped by type of intestinal injury.

Update on disorders and treatment of the guttural pouch.

The most common disorders of the equine guttural pouches are empyema, tympany, mycosis, and temporohyoid osteoarthropathy. Diagnosis of these conditions is made primarily by imaging with endoscopy, radiographs, computed tomography, and/or MRI. Medical treatment with anti-inflammatories, antimicrobials, and/or antifungals may be successful in some cases, but many of these disorders necessitate surgical intervention.

Effects of experimental mechanical manipulations on local inflammation in the jejunum of horses.

Objective: To determine characteristics of the inflammatory reaction in the jejunum of horses in response to various mechanical manipulations.

Animals: 12 adult warm blood horses without gastrointestinal tract disorders.

Procedures: The proximal aspect of the jejunum in each horse was divided into 5 segments, and the following manipulations were performed: manual emptying, placement of Doyen forceps, enterotomy alone, enterotomy with mucosal abrasion, and serosal abrasion.

Effect of large colon ischemia and reperfusion on concentrations of calprotectin and other clinicopathologic variables in jugular and colonic venous blood in horses.

Objective: To determine the effect of large colon ischemia and reperfusion on concentrations of the inflammatory neutrophilic protein calprotectin and other clinicopathologic variables in jugular and colonic venous blood in horses.

Animals: 6 healthy horses.

Procedures: Horses were anesthetized, and ischemia was induced for 1 hour followed by 4 hours of reperfusion in a segment of the pelvic flexure of the large colon.

New ways to diagnose and treat equine dental-related sinus disease.

The diagnosis and treatment of equine dental-related sinus disease is often challenging. Dental-related sinus disease is common and knowledge of these diseases is becoming increasingly important in veterinary medicine. Diagnostic capabilities are continually improving, leading to early diagnostic and therapeutic successes.