Discussion on LCV - unresolved complications....
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| Author |
Message |
    
barbara
Member
Username: Oscarvv
Post Number: 692
Registered: 10-1999
| | Posted on Sunday, Oct 9, 2005 - 9:57 am: |   |
Hi DrO,
I apologize for the length, but you really need the story from the beginning....
Our mare had colic surgery 9/13 PM for a LCV. It was a 180 twist. They had to dump her intestines due to the nasty feed/waste in her gut. She was very stoic leading up to her sx. She never pawed or rolled, her hr was great up until we shipped her and she just curled her lip. So there was a delay in getting her to the clinic.
She stayed at the clinic until the 19th. She was sent home on no drugs, except Regumate. We had to bring her back as she was acting painful and stopped drinking and seemed depressed on the 20th. Gums were bone dry and tacky. Gut sounds were good, her fibrinogen was 800, she was dehydrated, all other bloodwork was normal. She had a little bit of disharge from the incision. It looked like bloody serum. They called in the AM and said she's fine (AM bloodwork showed her fibrinogen at 400) come and get her.
We brought her home again. That night (21st) her temp was 102.1 and she was behaving poorly, lip curling and depressed. We gave banamine and that helped. In the AM her temp was 103.3 and she was very depressed/not drinking/curling lip. She was more painful than before the SX. I gave her banamine and called the surgeon. She was set that the mare had an incisional infection and would be fine. I waited for a road vet to get out in the late afternoon. He pulled blood, all was normal. He u/s incision and said it was fine. At 6pm her temp was now 103.7. She was understandably feeling poorly and was 'treading' her hind legs. I called road vet for a referral to bring her in.
She stayed at the clinic from the 22nd-26th. She was treated with banamine for the fever and was put on Gen-Pen. They ultrasounded her incision and found a small pocket of fluid, a culture came up empty. The disharge papers said - fever of unknown origin, etiology of colic unknown.
We brought her home and put her on Doxy. She was on the Doxy until Oct 1st. On Oct 6th AM she was depressed and not eating or drinking well. Her temp was 102.1. I gave her banamine (just 3cc) and called our vet. Blood work showed a low WBC (4.8, normal is 6.5) all else normal, fibrinogen 400. We started her on doxy again. She had one more small dose of banamine at 12 noon as she was still not feeling well. Her temp by 10 PM was 100.9.
The mare's temp has been normal and she has not needed anymore banamine. SHe has been BAR since.
Do you have any ideas what could be going on here? All I can think of is that maybe they left something in her. She is not a candidate for another surgery. If we do end up putting her down, we will have a necropsy done.
Thank you for reading this history,
Barbara |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 13876
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Monday, Oct 10, 2005 - 8:16 am: | |
Not necessarily something left in Barbara, these type sequelae following a volvulus are not unusual. Besides the incisions in the skin and the bowel, the bowel also went through significant trauma (bruising and ischemia) during the twist. So besides possible infections the wall of the bowel has significant inflammation that may flare until the trauma heals. Treat them as they come and you may still come out of this with a mare that is fine.
DrO |
barbara
Member
Username: Oscarvv
Post Number: 693
Registered: 10-1999
| | Posted on Monday, Oct 10, 2005 - 2:06 pm: | |
DrO,
Thank you very much for the great explanation. It's a relief to know this is not uncommon. It's been quite a roller coaster. And I learned a new word - sequelae. 
My vet suggested keeping her on the doxy for a total of 10 days this time. She has progressed to turn out in a 1/4 acre paddock with her best friend.
-B |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 13883
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Tuesday, Oct 11, 2005 - 6:26 am: | |
Sounds like progress already.
DrO |
barbara
Member
Username: Oscarvv
Post Number: 699
Registered: 10-1999
| | Posted on Wednesday, Oct 26, 2005 - 5:25 pm: | |
Hi DrO,
I am happy to report that the mare has not had any more fevers. We stopped antibiotics over a week ago and she seems great and is still in foal. 
Thank you again for your reassurance.
-B |
