Caudal Thoracic Esophageal Obstruction in a HF Cross Bred Cow : A Case Report.

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Frontier J. Vet. Anim. Sci.Vol. 3, No. 1(Jan-June) 2014
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* TVCC, Veterinary College, Shimoga-577204
Intra-luminal obstruction of esophagus was
commonly referred as choke and it occured in
buffaloes due to attempts to swallow of a whole
fruit like turnips, large lemons, apples,
phytobezoars (Tyagi, 1993), and pieces of leather
and rubber. (Salunke et al., 2003), ingestion of
cloth or rexin material in buffaloes (Sivaprakash et
al., 1998 and Sivaprakash, 2003), mango seeds,
potatoes, placenta, gunny bags and even stones
(Ojha and Mohanty, 1970; Verma, 1974; Nigam
et al., 1978; Frank, 1981; Umakanthan, 1995 and
Dilipkumar et al., 1995), tarpaulin cloth
(Ravikumar et al., 2003), and coconut shell
(Madhava Rao et al., 2009). Esophageal
obstruction at the cardia part of the esophagus was
a rare condition in ruminants (Tyagi, 1993).
Esophageal obstruction was a common esophageal
disorder in cattle due to incomplete mastication
and rapid ingestion (Ravi Raidurg, 2009). Most of
the ruminants which suffer from this condition
were greedy feeders either because they were high
producing animals (or) were nutritionally deficient
which made them to eat foreign material to
assuage their craving appetite (Tyagi, 1993).A
successful surgical management of caudal thoracic
esophageal obstruction in a HF cross bred cow is
reported here.
A 7-year-old HF cross bred cow was
presented to the Department of Veterinary Surgery
and Radiology, Veterinary College, Shimoga, with
a history of anorexia, not taking water, sudden
development of bloat, absence of defacation,
decreased urination,increased salivation since 12
hours after the animal returned from grazing.
Animal was treated by the local veterinary
livestock inspector and he had passed a plastic
pipe into the oesophagus. Animal had FMD
attack one month back. Clinical examination
revealed absence of any hard swelling at left
ventro-lateral aspect of proximal cervical region
of the oesophagus and passing of the probang
revealed some obstruction at the cardia of the
esophagus. Clinical examination of oral cavity
revealed presence of healing lesions of foot and
mouth disease.Temperature, pulse rate and heart
rate,were within normal range. Based on the
owner history and clinical examination, this case
was tentatively diagnosed as caudal thoracic
esophageal obstruction and it was decided to
relieve obstruction by rumenotomy.
Pre-operatively, the animal was given
Dextrose normal saline, 2000 ml, Ringers lactate
1500ml intravenously and enrofloxacin(Enrodac,
Zydus Animal Health Limited, Ahmedabad) 15ml
intramuscularly. The surgical site was prepared
aseptically at left flank region of the animal. The
animal was restrained in the standing position. To
produce local analgesia, 2% lignocaine
hydrochloride was infiltrated in the linear fashion
along the line of incision and paravertebral nerve
block was fallowed. A longitudinal incision was
made in the skin of left flank region. Muscles
were seperated by the blunt discection and
peritoneum was incised. Rumen was fixed to
weingarth rumenotomy set (Fig. 1). Rumen was
Caudal Thoracic Esophageal Obstruction in a HF Cross Bred Cow :
A Case Report.
Naveen, M*., Santhosh, K. M , Mahesh, V, Mahesh S Akashi and Prashanth S Bagalakote*
Department of Surgery and Radiology, Veterinary College, Shimoga-577204
ABSTRACT
Thoracic esophageal obstruction is a rare condition in cattle and buffalo. A seven year old HF cross bred cow was
presented to the department of Surgery and Radiology, Veterinary College, Shimoga with sudden development of
bloat, anorexia and salivation. It was tentatively diagnosed as caudal thoracic esophageal obstruction by passing the
probang and based on the owner history. The cow was subjected to emergency rumenotomy. Simultaneously, probang
was passed and finally a large maize cob with intact seeds was removed from the cardia of the esophagus.
Key words: Maize cob, rumenotomy, esophageal obstruction.

Frontier J. Vet. Anim. Sci.Vol. 3, No. 1(Jan-June) 2014
90
incised and about 70% of the rumenal contents
were removed. Cardia of the oesophagus was
located and fingers were passed into the
oesophagus. Simultaneously the probang was also
passed (Fig. 2) and finally a large maize cob with
intact seeds was removed (Fig. 3). Rumen was
sutured with catgut No.2(Trugut, Sutures India
Pvt. Ltd, Bangalore) using cushings followed by
lemberts pattern. Peritoneum and transverse
abdominis muscle were sutured with catgut No.2
using simple continuous lockstitch pattern.
Obliques muscles were sutured with catgut No.2
using simple continuous pattern and finally skin
was sutured with nylon(Trulon, Sutures India Pvt.
Ltd, Bangalore) using cross mattress pattern.
Povidone Iodine (Cipladine, CIPLA LTD,
Mumbai) ointment was applied to the suture line.
Post-operatively, the animal was given
Meloxicam(Melonex, Intas pharmaceuticals Ltd,
Ahmedabad) 15 ml intramuscularly. Enrofloxacin
15ml and Meloxicam 10ml was given for another
7 days.Oral feeding was withheld and animal was
maintained with Dextrose normal saline 3 lts and
Ringers lactate 3 lts daily for 3 days. From the 4th
day animal was introduced to feed and water.The
sutures were removed on the 10th post-operative
day and animal recovered unevenfully.
Fig. 1: Rumen was fixed to weingarth’s
rumenotomy set during rumenotomy.
Fig.2: Probang was passed to induce pressure on
the obstructive mass.
Fig. 3: Large maize cob with intact seeds.
In the present case obstruction was
complete and hence there was development of
severe free gas bloat. Vishwanatha et al (2012)
reported that in cattle, acute and complete
esophageal obstruction was an emergency because
it prohibited eructation of ruminal gases, and free-
gas bloat developed. Usually the obstruction was
common in the cervical part of the esophagus but
manupulation of the large, irregular obstuctive mass
with probang may move the mass to the thoracic
part. Venugopalan (1997) stated that obstruction
was common in the cervical part of the
esophagus.Inability of the cow to masticate the feed
normally due to healing oral lesions caused by foot
and mouth disease might have predisposed the
condition and hence the cow had swallowed the

Frontier J. Vet. Anim. Sci.Vol. 3, No. 1(Jan-June) 2014
91
whole maize kernal with intact seeds. Tyagi (1993)
quoted that intra-luminal obstruction of esophagus
was commonly referred to as choke occured in
buffaloes due to attempts to swallow of a whole fruit
like turnips, large lemons, apples, phytobezoars. The
caudal thoracic esophageal obstruction could be
succsessfully managed by rumenotomy to introduce
hand into the cardia of osophagus to retrieve the
foriegn body and simultaneously probang might be
passed to induce pressure on it. Tyagi and Jit Singh
(2008) stated that in rare cases, when foreign body
was lodged at the cardia, rumenotomy might be done
to introduce the hand into the cardia to retrieve it and
pressure by a probang introduced into the esophagus
might also help.
Thoracic esophageal obstruction is a rare
condition in cattle and buffalo. The obstruction can
be successfully relieved by rumenotomy and with
simultaneous introduction of probang to induce
pressure on the obstructive mass.
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