POST-FOALING TEARS OF THE MARE UROGENITAL TRACT

摘要

Full thickness tears within the mare's uterus or cranial vagina are serious injuries and can potentially be fatal if not managed aggressively and repaired surgically. In most cases, the full thickness tear is within the gravid uterine horn. Less frequently, the tear is further caudal within the body of the uterus or cranial vagina. Diagnosis is often based on the clinical signs the mare is exhibiting (fever and depression postpartum) along with findings from digital palpation of the uterus or vaginaand ultrasound examination. Ultrasound examination often reveals free fluid within the abdominal cavity. Abdominal fluid can have the characteristics of free abdominal blood. In some cases, it can be difficult to determine the difference from hemoperitoneum due to a uterine tear or uterine artery bleed. Digital palpation of the uterus is very important in every case to help confirm the diagnosis and determine the location of the tear. Tears in the cranial aspect of the uterus are repaired differently than tears in the caudal uterus or vagina.