Vaginal evisceration of the small intestine in three mares.

The research article describes the treatment process for three mares who experienced vaginal evisceration of a part of their small intestine, two caused by breeding accidents and one due to a urinary bladder rupture; detailing the varied outcomes including recovery and in-foal status, as well as post-surgical complications.

Detailed Observations and Treatments

In the research, the following incidents and corresponding responses by the veterinary team were documented:

• Two mares experienced vaginal evisceration of the small intestine shortly following breeding accidents where the stallion’s penis penetrated the vaginal fornix located dorsal (on the back side) to the cervix.
• For these two cases, the displaced section of the bowel was reinserted through the resulting laceration, and the damaged areas in the vagina were stitched back together.
• The mares were standing during the procedures, and epidural anesthesia was employed to manage pain during and after the surgical interventions.

Outcomes of the Treatments

The outcomes of the measures taken in response to these incidents were as follows:

• One mare recovered without any complications. She was later bred successfully and delivered a foal with no reported issues.
• The second mare developed signs of a strangulating small intestinal obstruction approximately 24 hours post-injury, which necessitated exploratory celiotomy—a surgical procedure whereby an incision is made into the body to investigate and often, treat disease or injury.
• In the second case, two meters of the small intestine had lost its viability secondary to the avulsion (forcible separation or dislocation) of the mesentery (a fold of membrane that attaches the intestine to the posterior wall of the abdomen in most vertebrates) and the adjacent vascular supply during the vaginal evisceration. The affected intestines were subsequently removed, and a jejunocecostomy—an operation to connect the jejenum (middle part of the small intestine) to the cecum (part of the large intestine)—was completed. This mare too made an uncomplicated recovery and 21 months post-surgery, was 9 months pregnant.

Treatment and Outcome of Third Case

The third mare had a different etiology and outcome:

• This mare experienced evisceration of several meters of small intestine through the external urethral orifice following a rupture of the urinary bladder.
• In stark contrast to the first two cases, however, efforts to treat this mare were unsuccessful.