A Case of Severe Abomasal Sand Impaction in a Farmed White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Florida.

Simple Summary: This case report presents a chronic abomasal sand impaction in a white-tailed deer in Florida. Abomasal impaction in ruminants can result from a low-quality diet or abnormal eating behavior. The farmer reported significant weight loss, abdominal enlargement, and general weakness in the deer. Post-mortem examination revealed a low body condition score, dehydration, and abdominal enlargement. Internal inspection identified pneumonia lesions in the left cranial lung lobe, which microbiological tests attributed to Trueperella pyogenes. Notable ruminal bloating was observed, characterized by gas accumulation. The abomasum was palpably firm and enlarged, predominantly filled with sand, except for a small ventral portion, with an estimated sand weight of approximately 5 kg. Although chronic sand impaction was suggested as the cause of death, it is posited that chronic sand-induced damage to the abomasal mucosal layer led to active subacute abomasitis, which compromised the animal's immune system and predisposed it to secondary infections. The University of Florida's Cervidae Health Research Initiative (CHeRI) conducted a post-mortem examination of a two-year-old white-tailed doe deceased at a northern Florida white-tailed deer farm. The carcass of the deer had notable emaciation and bloating. Upon opening of the carcass, there was pneumonia and the rumen was tympanic and enlarged. Additionally, the abomasum was distended and contained approximately 5 kg of sand. It is not uncommon for white-tailed deer to engage in geophagia (eating soil or sand), which typically does not result in diseases or fatalities. However, in this animal, we suspect a chronic process that created a physical barrier, hindering nutrient absorption and resulting in physical irritation of the abomasal mucosa with subsequent inflammation. This may have caused a disturbance in immune system function, allowing opportunistic bacteria to colonize and invade other organs, such as the lungs, contributing to the animal's death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]