Computed tomography (CT) was performed for an 18-year-old female pony with enterolithiasis in the prone and supine positions. CT images from the prone position revealed displacement of the large dorsal colon, which
contained an enterolith to the ventral side of the abdomen, and those from the supine position revealed displacement to the dorsal side. A high-density material suggestive of a metallic foreign body was also observed in
the enterolith core. An enterolith (422 g, 104 mm) was surgically removed from the large dorsal colon. This caused no complications after surgery and increased the horse’s weight. Changing positions during CT helps
identify the exact location of enterolith and intestinal displacement due to enterolith weight, as well as size and number.
Background: Pigs have an indiscriminate eating behavior placing them at high risk of developing foreign body (FB) obstructions.Objectives: Describe the clinical and diagnostic features, treatments, and outcome of pet pigs diagnosed with gastrointestinal (GI) FBs. Medical and surgical treatments, pig outcomes, and post-mortem findings were also investigated.
Animals: Seventeen pet pigs.Methods: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted. Gastrointestinal FBs were defined as swallowed objects that became lodged within the gastrointestinal tract distal to the cardia identified during exploratory laparotomy.Results: Common clinical signs were anorexia/hyporexia, tachypnea, vomiting, dehydration, tachycardia, and ileus. Diagnostic imaging identified the presence of a FB in 4 cases. Upon celiotomy, the FBs were in the stomach and small intestine in 17 cases and large colon in 2 cases. Types of FB included fruit pit, diaper, and metallic objects.Of the 17 pigs, 15 (88%) were discharged from the hospital and 2 (12%) were euthanized.
Conclusion and ClinicalImportance: Clinical signs of GI FB were similar to those reported in obstipated pigs. Diagnostic imaging has limitations for detection of FB. Surgical removal of FBs in pigs carried a good prognosis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.