Page 565 - The Veterinary Laboratory and Field Manual 3rd Edition

502 Samuel Sharpe

9 remove abdominal contents stomachs together with a small section of
diaphragm associated with the oesophagus
Monogastric species and set aside for examination later.

• Lift the right lobes of the liver to expose the
hilus. All species

• Free the intestines by cutting through the
• In small animals check patency of the bile
duct by making a small incision in the wall mesenteric attachments and mesenteric root
of the proximal duodenum adjacent to in the cranial part of the abdomen.
the pylorus and expressing bile by gently • In horses inspect the abdomen and root of the
applying pressure to the gall bladder. cranial mesenteric artery at this point. Larvae
• Additionally, in small animals closely of Strongylus vulgaris larvae mature within the
inspect vessels entering the liver for aber- cranial mesenteric artery and can cause arterial
rant blood vessels linking the portal vein occlusion and non-strangulating infarction of
with the systemic circulation. This would the intestines.
be indicative of an extra-hepatic portosys- • Ligate the rectum with two pieces of string,
temic shunt. incise and set the entire GI tract aside.

• Incise the vessels at the hilus of the liver and Spleen
continue to dissect around the cranial edge
of the stomach. • In all species, the spleen is attached to the
• Locate the cardia and remove the stomach right lateral aspect of the stomach and will
with a small piece of diaphragm associated come out when the GI tract is removed.
with the distal oesophagus. • Dissect the spleen free and examine the cap-
sular surface and set aside for examination.

Ruminants
Liver
• In ruminants, the very large size and weight
of the forestomachs (> 100 kg in large • The liver is held in place by ligaments on the
bovines) makes it is advisable to separate cranial and dorsal aspect of the organ.
the intestines from the forestomachs prior • Dissect around the cranial and dorsal aspect of
to removing from the abdomen. This makes the liver and remove. Set aside for examination.
handling and examination of the GI tract
much easier particularly if operating with
limited number of helpers. 10 Locate and remove adrenals
• With the animal in left lateral recumbency
the pylorus of the abomasum will visible in • Adrenals are located at the cranial pole of
the ventral part of the abdomen. both right and left kidneys nestled between
• Ligate the pylorus with two pieces of string the aorta and vena cava. In emaciated ani-
and incise between them to avoid spillage of mals, the glands are prominent and can
gut contents. easily be recognized. In animals with abun-
• Feel around the reticulum at the dorsocra- dant retroperitoneal fat careful palpation in
nial end of the rumen underneath the rumen the vicinity of the glands may be required to
and locate the oesophagus. Remove the fore- identify them.

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