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Assessing the pertioneal fluid can give information about the disease process in the very early stages. Some disease processes such as peritonitis and enteritis produce changes in the peritoneal fluid before the onset of clinical signs. This allows for the early diagnosis of the disease which will favour an improved prognosis for the patient. Strangulating obstructions produce changes in the peritoneal fluid within a few hours of the obstruction occurring. Horses with an intussusception may have normal peritoneal fluid initially as the peritonitis that develops is localised to the portion of entraped bowel.

Assessing the pertioneal fluid can give information about the disease process in the very early stages. Some disease processes such as peritonitis and enteritis produce changes in the peritoneal fluid before the onset of clinical signs. This allows for the early diagnosis of the disease which will favour an improved prognosis for the patient. Strangulating obstructions produce changes in the peritoneal fluid within a few hours of the obstruction occurring. Horses with an intussusception may have normal peritoneal fluid initially as the peritonitis that develops is localised to the portion of entraped bowel.

A high nucleated cell count indicates a ruptured bowel but this is not always the case. Sometimes the nucleated cell count is normal in a case of bowel rupture because the cells may have been lysed in the fluid.   

A high nucleated cell count indicates a ruptured bowel but this is not always the case. Sometimes the nucleated cell count is normal in a case of bowel rupture because the cells may have been lysed in the fluid.   

A sample from the fluid should be stained with Wright's and/or Gram stain and examined under the microscope. The sample should be examined for the presence of bacteria (intracellular or extracellular), plant material, cellular appearance, a white blood cell count and a differential cell count.  

A sample from the fluid should be stained with Wright's and/or Gram stain and examined under the microscope. The sample should be examined for the presence of bacteria (intracellular or extracellular), plant material, cellular appearance, a white blood cell count and a differential cell count. Cases of septic peritonitis will have samples with predominantly toxic and degerate neutrophils.

 

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| Mostly neutrophils (moderate degeneration), no intracellular bacteria

| Mostly neutrophils (moderate degeneration), no intracellular bacteria

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