Rectal prolapse in a Cheviot eve and treatment options

Abstract

A 1.5 year old, purebred, Cheviot ewe presented to large animal soft tissue surgery service, at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals, on 5/25/2006, with a history of a type III prolapsed rectum of unknown duration. The prolapsed rectum was obscured by the long fleece of the ewe, and was not detected until the ewe was brought in from pasture for shearing. Following shearing, the prolapsed rectum worsened in severity, as the ewe began straining. At that time, the ewe was brought to Cornell. The ewe was obese and her tail was docked very high; no coccygeal vertebrae could be palpated around the site. The prolapsed rectum was edematous, swollen, inflamed, and necrotic and it measured 7.5 cm in diameter, by 14 cm in length. A variety of non-surgical and surgical methods for rectal prolapse repair have been utilized historically, and treatment choice is based on the severity and type of rectal prolapse.1 Due to the severity of the rectal prolapse, and the degree of mucosal necrosis, complete amputation was chosen as the most appropriate treatment option.2 During surgery, an atypical type III rectal prolapse was diagnosed. A portion of the small intestine and its mesentery were adhered to the serosa of the prolapsed rectum. The owners opted to euthanize the ewe, and no necropsy was performed at the discretion of the owners.