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Strangulating left colon volvulus following nonsurgical castration in a 6-year-old donkey.
Abstract: Colic is a clinical syndrome and has been defined as a visceral abdominal pain and/or acute abdominal disease. It is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in horses. The most common forms of colics are related to gastrointestinal tract in nature and most often linked to colonic disturbances. However, colics are not well understood in donkeys compared to those of in horses and the literature is poor regarding bowel strangulating obstruction in donkeys. This report described the clinical signs and post-mortem necropsy findings of an abdominal colic due to the left colon volvulus following a non-surgical castration using Burdizzo emasculatome in a 6-year-old donkey. The castration was done under local analgesia following a sedation with a combination of xylazine-acepromazine and physical restraint on a tilt table. Severe abdominal colic and death occurred after discharging from the hospital. Left colon volvulus at the sternal and diaphragmatic flexures in a ventromedial-dorsolateral direction of 720° was the main cause of colic found at the necropsy examination. Although left colon volvulus is not considered as a complication of castration, it maybe rational to prescribe an analgesic agent in postoperative care in donkeys undergoing non-surgical castration.
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Publication Date: 2022-03-15 PubMed ID: 35601779PubMed Central: PMC9094595DOI: 10.30466/vrf.2021.526717.3155Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
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Summary
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The research paper focuses on a case of severe abdominal pain (colic) leading to death, following a nonsurgical castration in a 6-year-old donkey. The main cause of the colic was a twist in the left colon (volvulus), detected in the post-mortem necropsy examination.
Background
- Colic is a medical condition characterized by severe abdominal pain, often linked to disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. It is a common cause of illness and mortality in horses.
- Detailed studies on colic in donkeys are scarce and obstructions in the bowel leading to strangulation are not well understood in these animals.
Case Description
- The report talks about a 6-year-old donkey who underwent a nonsurgical castration using a device called the Burdizzo emasculatome. This was performed under local anesthesia and sedation, with the animal physically restrained.
- Shortly after being discharged, the donkey manifested severe colic and eventually succumbed to the condition.
Main Finding and Implications
- A post-mortem examination through necropsy revealed that the root cause of the colic was a 720-degree twist (volvulus) in the donkey’s left colon, specifically at the sternal and diaphragmatic flexures. This twisted intestinal tract led to the clinical syndrome and subsequent death of the donkey.
- Although colic is not generally associated as a complication of castration in donkeys, this case implies that non-surgical castration could potentially lead to such complications.
- The researchers suggest that, to manage post-operative pain and prevent severe colic, it may be sensible to include an analgesic in the aftercare plan for donkeys having undergone non-surgical castration.
Cite This Article
APA
Azizi S, Masoudi H.
(2022).
Strangulating left colon volvulus following nonsurgical castration in a 6-year-old donkey.
Vet Res Forum, 13(1), 145-147.
https://doi.org/10.30466/vrf.2021.526717.3155 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran .
- Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran .
Conflict of Interest Statement
None declared.
References
This article includes 15 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Alipour-Khairkhah H, Azizi S, Asri-Rezaei S. Stress, lipid profile and inflammatory responses to flunixin meglumine administration in surgical and non-surgical castration in donkeys. Vet Anim Sci 2025 Mar;27:100423.
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