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==Treatment==
 
==Treatment==
 +
Prokinetic agents
 +
Impaired gastric motility has been treated with several
 +
drugs, especially in the context of treatment for postoperative
 +
ileus. Metoclopramide (0.10-0.25 mg/kg bwt
 +
3-4 times daily) has been used, but the frequent
 +
occurrence of neurological side effects limits its utility.
 +
Cisapride, a 5-HT4 agonist, has received some
 +
attention. It has been given per 0s and i.v. but
 +
commercially only an oral formulation is available. A
 +
suggested dose is 0.1 mg/kg bwt q. 8 h (Gerring et a/.
 +
1991). However, its therapeutic benefits have been found
 +
to be equivocal.
 +
Bethanecol. a muscarinic agonist, has also been used to
 +
promote gastric emptying (0.00250.03 mg/kg bwt sub cut.
 +
q. 4 h then 0.3-0.75 mg/kg bwt per 0s 3-4 times daily), but it
 +
produces doserelated gastrointestinal side effects including
 +
colic, diarrhoea and salivation (Murray 1990).
 +
These prokinetic agents should be used only when
 +
anatomical obstructions have been ruled out.
 +
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs appear to be
 +
beneficial in equine post operative ileus, possiblyby inhibiting the release of prostaglandin synthesis
 +
induced by endotoxin. Both flunixin meglumine and
 +
phenylbutazone have been used and there is some
 +
evidence to suggest that phenylbutazone may be more
 +
efficacious (King and Gerring 1989).
 +
Supportive therapy
 +
Because of the uncertain benefits of drug treatment for
 +
equine gastric diseases, considerable care must taken
 +
with non-specific supportive measures. In particular,
 +
in cases of delayed gastric emptying, gastric
 +
decompression must be maintained either by an
 +
indwelling nasogastric tube, with the attendant risks of
 +
prolonged intubation, or by repeated intubation.
 +
Hydration should be effectively maintained by parenteral
 +
fluid therapy.(Proudman)
 +
 +
Surgical
 +
The stomach of the adult horse, by virtue of its anatomical
 +
location in the cranial abdomen, partially enclosed by
 +
C. J. Proudman and S. J. Baker 183
 +
diaphragm and thoracic body wall, is difficult to access
 +
surgically. Extension of a midline laparotomy incision
 +
cranially improves access marginally but also increases
 +
the probability of post operative wound problems. With
 +
such difficult access and without the possibility of
 +
mobilising the stomach to bring it closer to the incision
 +
surgical options for treating gastric disease are very
 +
limited. Gastrotomy and evacuation of impacted food
 +
material has been reported (Clayton-Jones et a/. 1972)
 +
but is extremely difficult to achieve without causing gross
 +
peritoneal contamination. Softening of gastric impactions
 +
can be successfully achieved during surgery by instillation
 +
of fluid into the stomach by stomach tube, or by
 +
transmural injection from the peritoneal side; and by
 +
manual mixing of the fluid and impacted food material
 +
by the surgeon massaging the stomach wall. The latter
 +
technique is often used because of the difficulty of
 +
passing a nasogastric tube in the anaesthetised horse in
 +
dorsal recumbency.(Proudman)
 +
 +
 
Surgical repair has been reported for partial thickness tears<ref>Steenhaut, M, Vlaminck, K, Gasthuys, F (1986) Surgical repair of a partial gastric rupture in a horse.  ''Equine Vet J'', 18:331-332.  In: Sanchez, L.C (2010) ''Other Disorders of the Stomach'' in Reed, S.M, Bayly, W.M. and Sellon, D.C (2010) '''Equine Internal Medicine''' (Third Edition), ''Saunders'', Chapter 15.</ref> and one case of a full thickness repair<ref>Hogan, P.M, Bramlage, L.R, Pierce, S.W (1995) Repair of a full-thickness gastric rupture in a horse.  ''J Am Vet Med Assoc'', 207:338-340.  In: Sanchez, L.C (2010) ''Other Disorders of the Stomach'' in Reed, S.M, Bayly, W.M. and Sellon, D.C (2010) '''Equine Internal Medicine''' (Third Edition), ''Saunders'', Chapter 15.</ref>
 
Surgical repair has been reported for partial thickness tears<ref>Steenhaut, M, Vlaminck, K, Gasthuys, F (1986) Surgical repair of a partial gastric rupture in a horse.  ''Equine Vet J'', 18:331-332.  In: Sanchez, L.C (2010) ''Other Disorders of the Stomach'' in Reed, S.M, Bayly, W.M. and Sellon, D.C (2010) '''Equine Internal Medicine''' (Third Edition), ''Saunders'', Chapter 15.</ref> and one case of a full thickness repair<ref>Hogan, P.M, Bramlage, L.R, Pierce, S.W (1995) Repair of a full-thickness gastric rupture in a horse.  ''J Am Vet Med Assoc'', 207:338-340.  In: Sanchez, L.C (2010) ''Other Disorders of the Stomach'' in Reed, S.M, Bayly, W.M. and Sellon, D.C (2010) '''Equine Internal Medicine''' (Third Edition), ''Saunders'', Chapter 15.</ref>
  
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