Fecalith impaction in four miniature foals.
Abstract: Four miniature foals admitted with signs of progressive nonresponsive abdominal pain and no fecal production had fecalith impaction of the small colon. Duration of clinical signs ranged from 10 hours to 5 days. Removal of the fecalith via small colon enterotomy was a successful treatment in all 4 cases. Miniature foals may be predisposed to fecalith impaction of the small colon. If a miniature foal has signs of progressive nonresponsive abdominal pain, fecalith impaction needs to be considered. Surgical correction may be required.
Publication Date: 1992-01-15 PubMed ID: 1559878
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Summary
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The research article is about four miniature foals that were diagnosed with fecalith impaction of the small colon, which was successfully treated with small colon enterotomy.
Background of the Study
- The study was conducted on four miniature foals that were admitted due to progressive nonresponsive abdominal pain and lack of fecal production. This means that they were experiencing persistent abdominal pain that did not respond to conventional treatments and they were not able to defecate.
- The duration of these clinical signs in the foals ranged from 10 hours to 5 days, indicating a rapid progression of their condition in a short period of time.
Fecalith Impaction
- This study highlights fecalith impaction as a specific condition in miniature foals. Fecalith impaction refers to the blockage of the small colon due to hardened feces. This is a serious condition that can cause significant discomfort and even life-threatening complications if not treated properly.
- The researchers suggest that miniature foals may be particularly prone to this condition, although the reasons for this predisposition are not discussed in the abstract.
Treatment and Results
- The treatment used in this study for the fecalith impaction was a surgical procedure known as a small colon enterotomy. This involves creating an incision in the small colon to remove the fecal mass.
- This treatment was successful in all four cases, indicating this may be a reliable solution for fecalith impaction in miniature foals.
Key Findings and Suggestions
- The key finding of this research is that fecalith impaction should be taken into account if a miniature foal exhibits signs of progressive nonresponsive abdominal pain. This condition can potentially be quickly diagnosed and effectively treated with a small colon enterotomy.
- The researchers suggest that, given their findings, fecalith impaction might be a common problem in miniature foals. Further research could be beneficial in confirming this hypothesis and exploring preventative measures.
Cite This Article
APA
McClure JT, Kobluk C, Voller K, Geor RJ, Ames TR, Sivula N.
(1992).
Fecalith impaction in four miniature foals.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 200(2), 205-207.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul 55108.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Breeding
- Colic / etiology
- Colic / veterinary
- Fecal Impaction / complications
- Fecal Impaction / genetics
- Fecal Impaction / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / genetics
- Horses
- Male
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Albanese V, Munsterman A, Klohnen A. Prevalence of Gastric Ulceration in Horses with Enterolithiasis Compared with Horses with Simple Large Intestinal Obstruction. Vet Sci 2022 Oct 25;9(11).
- Muñoz-Prieto A, Escribano D, Contreras-Aguilar MD, Horvatić A, Guillemin N, Jacobsen S, Cerón JJ, Mrljak V. Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) Proteomic Analysis of Saliva in Horses with Acute Abdominal Disease. Animals (Basel) 2021 Apr 30;11(5).
- Scilimati N, Cerullo A, Nannarone S, Gialletti R, Giusto G, Bertoletti A. Small Colon Faecalith with Large Colon Displacement in Ten Cases (2015-2023): A Detailed Case Description and Literature Review. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jan 15;14(2).
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