Treatment of a metallic foreign body in the cranial cervical region of a horse.

Ingestion of foreign bodies is uncommon in horses when compared with indiscriminate grazers such as cattle. This case report describes the diagnosis and treatment of a cervical abscess in a Thoroughbred racehorse thought to be associated with ingestion of wire. Radiographic and ultrasonographic examination provided a diagnosis, and conservative treatment of the lesion with antimicrobials initially allowed the lesion to localise closer to the skin for safer surgical exploration. Intra-operative ultrasonographic imaging facilitated surgical access, removal of the foreign body, and drainage. While surgical treatment is usually necessary to resolve an abscess, initially conservative therapy may help to improve the prognosis by simplifying surgical access and reducing the risk of surgical complications.