Repair of an incompetent urethral sphincter in a mare.

OBJECTIVE

To describe successful surgical treatment of urinary incontinence caused by a ruptured and/or transected urethral sphincter in a mare.

STUDY

DESIGN

Clinical report.

ANIMAL: A 7-year-old, Swedish Warmblood mare with urinary incontinence.

METHODS

The urethral sphincter, which had been damaged during removal of a cystic urolith, was repaired by apposing the ends of the disrupted urethralis muscle and tunica muscularis.

RESULTS

The mare was no longer incontinent after repair of the defect by apposition of the ends of the urethralis muscle and tunica muscularis.

CONCLUSIONS

Transection and/or rupture of the urethral sphincter of a mare may result in urinary incontinence.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Apposition of the ends of the ruptured or transected urethralis muscle and tunica muscularis can correct urinary incontinence caused by this defect.