MANEJO CLÍNICO-CIRÚRGICO DE SÍNDROME CÓLICA EQUINA ASSOCIADA À COMPACTAÇÃO DE ÍLEO - RELATO DE CASO

Abstract

Equine colic represents the main medical emergency in equines, with ileal impaction being a clinically significant form, although less prevalent than large intestine impactions. Management of this condition is based on clinical approaches (intensive intravenous fluid therapy, analgesia, use of enteral emollients, antispasmodics, and prokinetics) and surgical approaches (exploratory celiotomy, with techniques such as intraluminal fluid infusion with extraluminal massage, enterotomies, or jejunocecostomy), selected according to severity and response to initial treatment. This work describes the clinical-surgical management, as well as the postoperative evolution of a 9-year-old Criollo mare, treated at the Hvet-UnB, previously hospitalized due to mandibular osteosynthesis, a condition that compromised food apprehension and grinding and contributed to the development of intestinal impaction. The animal presented with progressive abdominal pain, distension of small bowel loops, alkaline gastric reflux, and lack of response to initial clinical treatment, leading to the indication for exploratory celiotomy. During the procedure, a compacted mass was identified in the ileum, managed with local hydration, massage, and milking of the colon, followed by enterotomy of the pelvic flexure for intestinal lavage. The postoperative period was marked by incisional complications, including dehiscence, wound contamination, and fistula formation, requiring a long hospitalization period, antibiotic therapy, specific dressings, and adjuvant therapies such as ozone therapy and laser therapy. This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis, decision-making based on clinical evolution, and the relevance of rigorous postoperative management to reduce complications and improve the prognosis in ileal impactions.