Efficacy of metoclopramide for treatment of ileus in horses following small intestinal surgery: 70 cases (1989–1992)

Summary: In this retrospective study, postoperative ileus was studied in horses having resection of the small intestine followed by a jejunojejunal (n=35) or a jejunocaecal (n=35) anastomosis. Twenty-six horses received no metoclopramide, 27 received metoclopramide as an intermittent intravenous infusion and 17 horses received metoclopramide as a continuous intravenous infusion (0.04 mg/kg/hour). Horses receiving a continuous infusion of metoclopramide had a reduced total volume (P< 0.001), shorter duration (P< 0.001), and a slower rate (P< 0.001) of postoperative gastric reflux, and a shorter postoperative hospital stay (P< 0.01) when compared to horses receiving no metoclopramide and horses receiving metoclopramide as an intermittent infusion. Horses having jejunocaecostomy performed had a larger volume (P< 0.05), longer duration (P< 0.05), and a greater rate (P< 0.05) of postoperative gastric reflux, and a longer postoperative hospital stay (P< 0.001) than horses undergoing jejunojejunostomy. Horses that had an abdominal drain placed during surgery had a longer length of intestine resected (P< 0.05) and a longer postoperative hospital stay (P< 0.05) than horses without an abdominal drain. Horses that died or were euthanased during the postoperative period had a greater total volume (P< 0.05), longer duration (P< 0.05), and greater rate of postoperative gastric reflux (P< 0.01), a longer length of small intestine resected (P< 0.01), and a shorter postoperative hospital stay (P< 0.05) than horses that survived until discharge from the hospital. In a multivariate regression analysis the continuous infusion of metoclopramide was the only variable that contributed significantly to predicting the total volume (P< 0.001; r²= 0.24), duration (P< 0.001; r²= 0.24) and rate (P< 0.001; r²= 0.25) of postoperative gastric reflux. We concluded that metoclopramide given as a continuous intravenous infusion decreased the incidence and severity of ileus following small intestinal resection and anastomosis in horses.     

Surgical management of an abdominal abscess in a Malayan tapir

A captive Malayan tapir was observed to have inappetence, weight loss, signs of depression, mild dehydration and diar rhoea. Haematological and serum biochemical tests showed anaemia, hypoproteinaemia, hyperfibrinogenaemia and neu-trophilia with a left shift. Ultrasonic examination of the abdomen under anaesthesia revealed a well-encapsulated abscess. The abscess was marsupialised to the ventral body wall. Culture of the pus produced a mixed bacterial growth. Antimicrobial therapy was based on bacterial sensitivity results. Follow-up ultrasonic examinations showed resolution of the abscess. Ninety-one days after surgery the tapir began regurgitating food and water. An abscess originating from the stomach and occluding the lumen of the duodenum was identified at surgery. The abscess ruptured during surgical manipulations and the tapir was euthanased.     

Individual and combined effects of Fusarium moniliforme culture material, containing known levels of fumonisin B1, and Salmonella gallinarum infection on liver of Japanese quail

Three hundred day-old Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were divided into two groups with 150 quail in each group. One group was maintained on quail mash alone, while Fusarium moniliforme culture material was added to quail mash in the second group from day 5 of age and was supplied at a rate of 150 ppm fumonisin B1 (FB1)/kg mash. At day 21, each group was further subdivided into two groups, yielding four groups with 75 birds apiece, which served as the control (group CX), the Salmonella Gallinarum alone group (group CS), the FB1 alone group (group FX), and the group fed FB1 and infected with Salmonella Gallinarum (group FS). An oral challenge with Salmonella Gallinarum organisms (2 x 10(4) colony-forming units/ml) was given to groups CS and FS at 21 days of age. Three quail each were necropsied on day 21 (0 day interval) from groups CX and FX only. At subsequent intervals (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 21 days postinfection [DPI]), three quail were euthanatized from all four groups (CX, CS, FX, and FS). The gross and microscopic lesions were recorded in both mortality and euthanatized birds at the above intervals. The ultrastructural studies were done at 5 DPI. Mild to moderate hepatomegaly and pale discoloration of liver were observed in group FX, while congestion, hemorrhages, necrosis, and mild to severe hepatomegaly were the predominant gross lesions in both infected groups (CS and FS). The gross lesions in quail inoculated with Salmonella Gallinarum alone (group CS) generally developed slowly, appeared more widely scattered, and involved comparatively less surface area in contrast to the rapidly progressive and frequently confluent lesions in the combination group (FS), especially in the first 5 days of infection. Mild to marked hepatocellular swelling, multifocal hepatic necrosis, and hepatocellular and bile duct hyperplasia were the characteristic microscopic changes in the FX group. Microscopic lesions in quail of group CS comprised congestion, vacuolar changes, and focal necrosis in early stages, followed by granulomatous lesions at later intervals. Similar but more severe lesions were observed in the combination group (FS). Based on transmission electron microscopy, the maximum effect of FB1 toxicity was observed on mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. In general, the mitochondriae showed diverse form and structure, some of which appeared to lose their intact outer membrane, and the mitochondrial cristae were disoriented. The deformity in the cisternae structure of rough endoplasmic reticulum, with their rearrangement into round or tubular forms either bearing granular surface or leading to accumulation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum, was evident only in groups FX and FS. We conclude that the continuous presence of fumonisins in the diets of young quail might increase their susceptibility to or the severity of Salmonella Gallinarum infection.     

The effect of three different doses of sodium pentosan polysulphate on haematological and haemostatic variables in adult horses

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of three different doses of sodium pentosan polysulphate (PPS) on haematological and haemostatic variables in adult horses. DESIGN: Eight adult standardbred horses were used. All horses received a single injection of 0, 3, 6, and 10 mg/kg of PPS at the beginning of each treatment week for 4 weeks so that by the end of the study all horses had received all four doses of PPS. Blood samples were collected at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 168 h after each weekly injection of PPS. Variables measured were packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, platelet count, white cell count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, eosinophil count, monocyte count, serum protein, fibrinogen, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time (PTT). Data were analysed using an ANOVA. Significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: There was a dose-dependent increase in PTT. A significant increase in PTT occurrred in all treatment groups when compared to horses receiving 0 mg/kg in which there was no change over time. The PTT values all returned to baseline by 48 h after treatment. The mean neutrophil count was higher 3 h after treatment when compared to time 0. Horses receiving 3 mg/kg of PPS had a higher lymphocyte count 4 h after injection, and those receiving 6 and 10 mg/kg had higher counts at 3,4,6 and 8 h after injection when compared to time 0. At 8 h after injection horses receiving 6 and 10 mg PPS had higher lymphocyte counts than horses not receiving PPS. CONCLUSIONS: PPS causes a dose-dependent prolongation of PTT in horses. At the dose rates currently recommended for treatment of joint problems in horses this increase was small and remained elevated from baseline for up to 24 h. Based on these findings doses of PPS up to 3 mg/kg should not be administered to horses within 24 h of high stress activities or where physical injury may occur.     

ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASONOGRAPHY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF INTRATHORACIC LESIONS IN TWO DOGS

Endoscopic ultrasound was developed initially in humans to overcome limitations of conventional ultrasound in examining certain internal organs due to intervening bone or air-filled structures. Endoscopic ultrasound has been used most widely in investigation of the gastrointestinal tract in humans, but many intrathoracic applications as well as endoscopic ultrasound-guided techniques have recently been described. Mediastinal and pulmonary structures can be examined with endoscopic ultrasound since a high frequency ultrasound probe can be brought into close contact with the areas of interest via a transesophageal approach. The purpose of this report is to describe the application of endoscopic ultrasound as an aid in the diagnosis of intrathoracic disease in the dog. Two dogs, one with a history of prior esophageal foreign body extraction, the other with apathy, weakness and dyspnea were referred for further investigation. Both dogs had caudal intrathoracic soft tissue opacities diagnosed radiographically, but their origin and nature were difficult to determine. Conventional ultrasound was limiting in both dogs due to their location and superimposition of gas-filled structures. With endosonography lesions were characterized more completely. We have found endoscopic ultrasound to be an elegant diagnostic tool for the investigation of radiographically detected intrathoracic lesions in the dog whose origins are difficult to determine or do not lend themselves to investigation by conventional ultrasound. Endoscopic ultrasound provides valuable diagnostic information complementary to that provided radiographically which aids in therapeutic planning. Endoscopic ultrasound was also more sensitive for detecting mediastinal lymphadenomegaly than radiography in one of the dogs. An additional advantage of endoscopic ultrasound is the fact that US-guided tissue sampling can be performed during the examination.