Noniatrogenic rectal tears in three horses.

The research article looks at the occurrence of rectal tears in three horses that had been treated for colic. It concludes that these tears were not caused by the veterinarian’s actions but could have been due to thromboembolism.

Introduction

The article begins with discussing three cases where rectal tears were noticed in horses that were being treated for colic. It highlights the fact that these tears were non-iatrogenic, meaning they were not caused by any medical procedure or the attending veterinarian’s actions.

Case findings

• The study focuses on historical, clinical and post-mortem findings of the cases to make their conclusions.
• In the first case, a rectal tear was triggered by an infarction, thought to have been caused by a thromboembolism, a medical condition where a blood clot gets lodged in a blood vessel, hindering blood flow.
• The second case features a tear that occurred without any apparent external cause. The tear was so severe that it caused peritonitis, an inflammation of the lining of the belly, making it impossible to determine the cause.
• The third and final case involved a tear that occurred during rectal palpation by the owner before the veterinarian was called.

Postmortem Examination

• The postmortem examination of the third horse revealed signs that indicated a possible case of thromboembolism.

Conclusion

• The research concluded that thromboembolism could have caused or at least contributed to two of the rectal tears in the study.
• While the precise cause in the third case was more uncertain, the researchers did not rule out thromboembolism as a potential factor.