UC Davis Equine Surgeons Save Mare Injured in Trailer Accident

Long-time equestrian Deborah Steele was trailering her 18-year-old Paint mare Daisy Mae to a chiropractor appointment. When she opened the trailer upon arrival, Steele saw Daisy Mae—whom she has owned since birth after breeding her dam—hung up on the metal bar divider of the trailer stalls.

Cut badly, Daisy Mae was swiftly cared for by a veterinarian on site at the chiropractor appointment. After beginning to suture the wound, the veterinarian realized the wound was much deeper than originally anticipated, going through multiple muscle layers. Fearing internal damage, she referred Daisy Mae to the UC Davis Large Animal Hospital, where Steele took her immediately.

The equine emergency team performed a thorough workup which revealed significant damage to Daisy Mae’s abdominal wall.

Anesthesiologists prepared Daisy Mae for surgery to repair the wound. Faculty surgeon Dr. Sandra Valdez, along with surgical residents Drs. Bridget Ratliff and Laurel Saldinger, cleaned and then gently explored the wound to discover the extent of the damage. Extending through multiple abdominal muscular layers, they discovered that there was no peritoneal rupture associated with the inguinal laceration.  

The surgical incision was extended, and after finding nothing abnormal in the intestines, the surgeons repaired the wound, reapposing the many affected layers of muscle. Daisy Mae stood up well from anesthesia with assisted head- and tail-rope recovery.

Daisy Mae recovered in the hospital’s Equine Intensive Care Unit, where she was maintained on intravenous fluid therapy, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and bandaging of the wound. Her condition gradually improved throughout her recovery until Daisy Mae was discharged after eight days.

Steele has been closely monitoring the incision site and administering oral medications at home. For the first 30 days of recovery, Daisy Mae was kept on strict stall rest with twice-daily hand walks of 10 minutes each. She is now on her second month of recovery, being allowed access to a small run in addition to her stall. In her third month, Daisy Mae will be allowed access to a large paddock or pasture by herself with extended hand walks.

“The team of doctors that helped Daisy Mae recover was awesome,” said Steele. “She is eating well, gaining weight, and getting better every day.”

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