Rectal prolapse in small ruminants: etiology, anesthetic and surgical techniques, and outcome in 12 animals - case report

ABSTRACT Nine ovine and three caprine with grade II intermittent or permanent rectal prolapse were treated, with the first report in caprine, according to the consulted literature. The clinical history was deeply explored with the clinical evaluation of the livestock. Among the causative factors identified were the inappropriate ventilation with high levels of dust and ammonia in the facilities, which was correlated to the high incidence of pneumonia and cough. The causative factors identified in the patients were overweight, pneumonia and cough, and, less predominately, verminosis and pregnancy. The treatment was based on manual reduction (T1) or rectal amputation (T2), under sacrococcygeal or lombossacral epidural anesthesia, with or without neuroleptic analgesia. The treatments were efficient in all patients; although there was recurrence in two animals, which needed the repetition of the treatment after their delivery to the farm. Based on the cases reported here, it can be concluded that the history and the livestock clinical evaluation are important to identify the primary causes, avoiding relapses. It also concluded that the surgical treatment and the anesthetic protocol used in the patients reported here were efficient and can be applied even under field conditions.

摘要 本研究对9只患有二级间歇性或永久性直肠脱垂（rectal prolapse）的绵羊与3只山羊实施治疗，据查阅的文献显示，本次为山羊直肠脱垂病例的首次相关报道。通过对家畜开展临床评估，深入挖掘了其临床病史。经确认的致病因素包括圈舍通风不良，且存在高浓度粉尘与氨气，该因素与肺炎及咳嗽的高发病率存在相关性。患病个体的致病因素还包括体重超标、肺炎与咳嗽，少数病例的诱因为寄生虫感染（verminosis）与妊娠。治疗方案包括手法复位（manual reduction，T1）或直肠截除术（rectal amputation，T2），麻醉方式选用骶尾硬膜外麻醉或腰骶硬膜外麻醉，可配合或不配合神经安定镇痛（neuroleptic analgesia）。所有患病动物的治疗均取得良好效果；尽管有2只动物出现病情复发，在送回养殖场后需再次接受治疗。基于本次报道的病例可得出结论：临床病史与家畜临床评估对明确原发致病因素、避免病情复发具有重要意义。同时可得出结论：本次研究所用的手术治疗方案与麻醉流程疗效确切，甚至可在野外条件下推广应用。