Successful treatment of two horses after perforation of the small intestine by fine wire

This paper describes the successful surgical management of two horses with fine wire penetration of the small intestine. Exploratory laparotomy in Case 1 revealed an adhesion between adjacent loops of jejunum. Dissection of the adhesion revealed a small length of fine wire. In Case 2, exploratory laparotomy revealed a dense adhesion between the jejunum and the ventral abdominal wall. Dissection of the adhesion also revealed fine wire extending from the jejunum. Neither case required intestinal resection, and both horses made uncomplicated recoveries from the surgical procedures and were discharged 5 days after surgery.