Prospective Study on Ano-Rectal Anomalies in Neonatal Farm Animals

The present study was carried out to clinically classify and assess the different conditions associated with ano-rectal anomalies in neonatal farm animals and to determine the outcome of surgically correction and survival period. Thirty-eight newly born ruminant animals (8 hours to 4 days old) with ano-rectal anomalies were prospectively investigated. These animals were admitted to the clinic of Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt, during October, 2011 to November, 2012 with a history of no defecation, straining and acute to subacute abdominal pain with or without anal opening. The animals were clinically evaluated and classified into: 11 animals suffered from atresia ani, 8 animals had atresia recti, 15 animals had atresia ani et recti, 1 animal had atresia ani with recro-vaginal fistula and 3 animals suffered from atresia ani with hypospedia. Physical examination was performed on all animals. Radiological examination of the caudal abdomen of 20% of admitted cases of neonatal calves was performed. 9 cases with various ano-rectal anomalies had advanced toxemia and ruled out from surgical correction while thirty one cases with variable clinical signs were subjected to surgery. The animals suffered from atresai ani were treated surgically by excision of disc of skin covering the anal opening while those had atresia recti or atresia ani et recti were treated either by laparo-colostomy or typhlostomy. These cases were followed up for six months and the outcome of surgical correction and survival period were recorded. We concluded that the prognosis of these conditions was mainly depending upon the nature of intestinal contents and the integrity of intestinal wall.