EQUINE RECTAL TEARS - CAUSES AND MANAGEMENT

Rectal tears in horses are an important medicolegal problem faced by p ractitioners. The tears occur during rectal palpation, which is an ess ential diagnostic procedure in the evaluation of the gastrointestinal and urogenital systems. The risks of rectal palpation should be made k nown to the client before the procedure is performed. Rectal tears may be prevented by the following precautionary steps: tranquillization o f the patient, adequate physical restraint, liberal lubrication of the sleeved hand before palpation, gentle handling of rectal tissue, and cessation of the examination if the patient is not cooperative. The fo llowing steps should be taken after a patient sustains a rectal: infor ming the client, tranquilizing the patient, further evaluating the rec tal layers involved in the tear (via caudal epidural anesthesia), and referring the patient to the nearest surgical facility (if warranted b y the severity of the tear). Treatment and prognosis depend on the sev erity of the tear and whether contamination of the abdominal cavity ha s occurred. Therapy can range from administering antibiotics and leavi ng the rectum without intervention (if only the mucosa and submucosa a re torn) to medical and/or surgical treatment to repair tears of the m ucosa, submucosa, muscularis, or all layers. The prognosis is good in the former case and is guarded to grave in the latter case.