How to Perform Non-Surgical Correction of Acute Uterine Torsion in the Mare

Uterine torsion in the mare is an uncommon but life-threatening event for both the pregnant mare and the fetus. Most cases occur in the last 60 days of gestation but before the onset of labor. Uterine torsions are often diagnosed as an acute event with the affected mare showing mild to moderate signs of colic, although violent colic episodes do not preclude the diagnosis of uterine torsion. Colic signs can temporarily be alleviated with non-steroidal antiinflammatory medications (NSAIDs) and sedation. Chronic uterine torsions have also been diagnosed after periods of pyrexia, anorexia, and depression, but difficulty of diagnosis and degree of abdominal inflammation in these cases usually necessitate laparotomy and hysterectomy. Non-surgical methods for correction of the acute uterine torsion in the mare include two options: vaginal correction in the standing mare and rolling the anesthetized mare in lateral recumbency. Vaginal correction by rocking the fetus is possible in rare cases when the pregnancy is at term and the cervix is adequately dilated to allow grasping of the foal’s legs. If this is not possible, correction of the torsion by rolling the mare in lateral recumbency is frequently successful. Both the “rocking” and “rolling” techniques are relatively easy to perform in the field, have low complication rates, and offer an economic advantage to referral and surgical correction by flank or midline laparotomy.