Forelimb amputation and long-term follow-Up in a female donkey
Câmara, Antônio Carlos LopesMoreira, Igor LouzadaCalado, Eraldo Barbosa
Background: Limb amputation may be a life-saving procedure for animals and minimally impact their comfort and qualityof life, as previously reported in pets. This procedure is an appropriate alternative to euthanasia when catastrophic injury toa limb prevents its successful restoration. In horses, limb amputation has been performed for the past 40 years. Althoughin the reviewed literature there are no scientific reports of limb amputation in donkeys. This paper aimed to report a successful forelimb amputation and long-term follow-up in a female donkey.Case: A 10-month-old and 95 kg female Nordestino donkey was evaluated for a wound with bone exposition on the leftforelimb. Physical examination revealed that the donkey was alert with moderate body condition score, tachycardia, tachypnea, and a medial wound revealing the necrotic aspect of the left radius. Radiographic examination presented Salter-Harristype 1 exposed radius fracture. Hematology revealed normocytic and normochromic anemia, and hyperfibrinogenemia.Due to the catastrophic injury and no forecast for building a prosthesis, the donkey underwent general anesthesia for leftforelimb amputation through the midhumerus diaphysis. A fish-mouth skin incision was performed on the midhumerus,the underlying musculature was dissected and the vessels ligated until the bone could be accessed. Then, a sterile sawwire was used to transect it, and bone edges were rounded. Muscle and fascia were harvested with the skin to provideadditional padding at the end of the stump. Postoperatively, the donkey was submitted to broad spectrum antibiotic, antiinflammatory and analgesic therapy, and tetanus prophylaxis. Preventative treatment for overload laminitis included frogsupport pads and resting leagues on all three legs. No short-term complications were observed and the donkey made a fullrecovery. Long-term complications included fistula formation on the stump, and distal interphalangeal joint...(AU)
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