Hemogram and plasma protein concentrations of healthy horses and horses affected with acute abdomen before and after laparotomy were determined to investigate if these determinations can be of help on the diagnosis and prognosis of the post-operative intercurrence. The body temperature, respiratory and heart rates, red blood cell, leukocyte and neutrophil counts, packed cell volume, and plasma protein concentrations increased after laparotomy, mainly in sick horses. Acute phase protein concentrations were higher in the horses affected with acute abdomen than in the healthy horses with the highest values detected at about 48 hours after surgery. The results suggest that determining the level of these proteins can be useful for the diagnosis and prognosis of post-operative recovery after laparotomy in healthy horses and in horses affected with acute abdomen.
Horse; laparotomy; plasma proteins; hemogram; acute abdomem
