Equine Internal Medicine Q&A 08

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A 10-year-old Standardbred is presented for acute colic, fever (40°C) and fluidy gut sounds on abdominal auscultation. The mare is severely sweating, has tachycardia (90bpm) and tachypnoea, and there appears to be a quick abdominal movement which correlates in number with the heart rate. The mare also has abdominal distension, appears stiff and ataxic, and has trismus of the facial muscles.

Question	Answer		Article
What is the unusual abdominal movement?	The unusual abdominal movement is synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (SDF). This occurs in association with abnormalities in phrenic nerve depolorization and it is activated with each atrial contraction.		Link to Article
Which electrolytes would be predictably low in this case?	Hypocalcaemia is always found with this condition and is the physiological cause of the abnormal phrenic nerve activity. The severe sweating and impending colitis would both result in hypochloraemia. The mare was treated with polyionic fluids and 23g of calcium borogluconate. The bloat and trismus resolved within one hour of the calcium therapy and the SDF disappeared within 12 hours.		Link to Article