34th Annual Scientific Meeting proceedings

Objectives:

Head trauma is a common emergency for equine veterinarians, especially in young animals. Fractures of the facial bones can be caused by direct trauma from a collision with a stationary object, a kick from another horse or when the horse rears and strikes an overhanging object. In this case the trauma was caused by a large caliber bullet.

Methods:

A 12-year-old French Saddle pony was presented for a head wound and a suspected skull fracture. Digital palpation revealed a penetrating wound through the right nasal bone with communication to the frontal and caudal maxillary sinus. Radiographic examinations revealed the presence of multiple foreign objects with a metal opacity, one in the shape of a screw. Standing surgical intervention with a frontonasal bone flap revealed that the injury was caused by an exploded, large caliber bullet used for wild boar hunting. Post operative care revealed wound dehiscence, severe infection of the wound and necrosis of the bone flap. Extensive debridement of the wound and daily disinfection resulted in marked improvement of the clinical signs.

Results:

The owner reported a short period of mucoid nasal discharge that improved without further intervention. Follow-up (2 months post op) revealed almost complete closure of the wound and a clear unilateral deformity of the frontonasal bone. Radiographic examination revealed no signs of chronic sinusitis.

Conclusions:

This case report describes the successful outcome of a very unusual head trauma. Bullet wound injuries are unexpected in the equine practice but can lead to catastrophic injuries with extensive complications.