Abstract

An 8-year-old, 590 kg Belgian draught cross gelding underwent endoscopy and tendon sheath laceration repair under anesthesia. The horse spent several days in the hospital. The jugular catheter unintentionally disengaged from the extension set while the patient was recovering in the hospital after surgery. The horse started to circle to the left the following day and was bilaterally blind. Also seen were elevated cardiac troponin levels and a little tachycardia.Although the horse received supportive care, the neurologic symptoms remained, and humane death was chosen after three weeks of no improvement. The left occipital cortex’s massive malacia and haemorrhage, along with generalized cerebral oedema, were the most notable findings on the gross postmortem examination. In the left and right occipital cortices, histopathology showed regionally significant grey and white matter necrosis, which is compatible with an infarctive aetiology. The postmortem examination results and the medical history are consistent with air emboli in the brain. The use of intravenous catheters in horses can result in this uncommon but dangerous problem.