Ultrasonographic control of the gastrointestinal system of hospitalized horses with primary complaints of lameness undergoing or not orthopedic surgery.

Abstract

There are several predisposing and triggering factors of colic syndrome in horses, among them being cited management changes, stress and anesthesia. The prevalence of colic has not been determined in hospitalized animals or in horses undergoing surgery, but the prevalence of postanesthesia colic of orthopedic surgery is greater than colics initiated in properties. It has been observed that the initial evolution can often go unnoticed in routine examination. There is a clear research need about the colic development in horses that do not have initial complaints involving the gastrointestinal tract. Even with the great development of abdominal ultrasonography in horses, there is still a lack of studies on the protocols standardization, the interference of this assessment to treatment and prognosis establishment. Moreover, there are virtually no studies on the use of abdominal ultrasound as monitoring for early detection of cases of colic syndrome in a hospital environment. The objectives of this research are: to determine the incidence and risk factors of colic syndrome cases acquired during the 5 days of hospitalization in HOVET-USP; sonographically evaluate the gastrointestinal tract of horses that are hospitalized for musculoskeletal changes, and identify the ultrasonography usefulness as an indicator for early evolution of colic syndrome in these animals. There will be used 40 adult horses with no history of acute abdomen in the 12 months prior to entry at the Veterinary Hospital, forwarded to the hospital with lameness complaint for treatment and presenting lameness grade III (Group 1 - 20 animals), and those referred to arthroscopy, and that keep hospitalized for at least five days (Group 2 - 20 animals). In addition to the routine monitoring in cases of hospitalization, all the animals will undergo abdominal ultrasound evaluation. In Group 1, the animals will be evaluated upon entry to the hospital (M0), and thereafter daily until day 5. In Group 2, M0 corresponds to the pre-surgery control, at the same day of surgery, being M1 the moment immediately after recovery from anesthesia, followed by daily examinations as for the previous group. At the evaluated spots, it will be taken into account data such as motility, wall thickness, loop diameter, gut content, loop distension when it is apparent, stomach distension, left kidney visibility, quantity and characteristics of peritoneal fluid, and other observations. These observations, recorded on separate sheets, will be monitored and interpreted based on the findings considered normal for literature and the findings of previous studies of the same animal.