Oesophageal Obstruction in Ponies - Case report

SUMMARY The purpose of the authors was to give a short description of oesophageal obstruction, including its pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis and treatment alternatives – with a case presentation of a two-year-old pony female. A two-yearold Welsh B type pony filly developed oesophageal obstruction in the autumn of 2014. She was only a few months old when the first clinical signs of intermittent dysphagia occurred. After weaning her symptoms disappear for a while but since the age of one and a half year they have recurred more often and more seriously, finally resulting in clinical admission. The obstruction was successfully relieved by antispasmodics and lavage of impaction via a nasogastric tube but the control endoscopy showed a circular lesion of the oesophageal mucosa and the ultrasound examination of the chest revealed mild aspiration pneumonia. The pony received amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, phenylbutazon and gastric protective coating, in addition to glucose and insulin to combat negative energy balance and lipid mobilization. The filly was discharged from the hospital following a 4 day intensive therapy and treated at the farm thereafter. The pony was fed with mash and chopped hay in small portions, but frequent intervals. The uniqueness of this case is the recovery despite poor prognosis (chronic recurrent obstructions, circular mucosal lesion, aspiration pneumonia) and the fact that the oesophageal obstruction did not recur. The body condition of the pony is considered normal, her training as a carriage driving horse has been started