Traumatic Reticuloperitonitis in a White-tailed Deer 

On June 7th a white-tailed deer was found stumbling around and convulsing in a Toronto Cemetery. She unfortunately passed away later the same day. Toronto Animal Services and the Ministry of Natural Resources worked together to bring the deer to the CWHC for postmortem diagnostic testing. During the necropsy, the doe was found to be carrying a full-term fetus and had an abscess approximately 20 cm in diameter between the forestomachs and liver. Upon further investigation, a thin nail 3-5 cm in length was penetrating through the wall of the reticulum (stomach chamber) into the lumen of the abscess. Examination of her forestomachs revealed several similarly sized nails within the reticulum wall. The size and appearance of the abscess indicates that the doe was likely living with the infection for multiple weeks, and it is possible that stress from early stages of labour resulted in her sudden death. This type of infection, caused by a puncture in the reticulum due to a sharp metallic object, is known as traumatic reticuloperionitis, or more commonly, Hardware Disease.

Hardware Disease is a condition most commonly seen in cattle. Cows are indiscriminate eaters, and are known to accidentally ingest foreign objects, such as nails, wires, and staples. Unlike sheep, goats, and horses who use their teeth

Photo shows the nails found within the reticulum wall of this deer.

and lips, cows use their tongue to sweep grass into their mouths. It is easy for small metallic objects to be swept up alongside the grass (Jones, 2020). The weight of these objects in combination with the anatomy of the reticulum, causes them to remain in the reticulum (Jones, 2020). These objects can penetrate or perforate the reticulum wall as it contracts, which allows leakage of ingesta and bacteria, contaminating the peritoneal cavity- the space between the major organs and the intestine (Braun, 2022). In severe cases an abscess can develop as a result.

The unfortunate circumstances surrounding the death of this white-tailed deer serve as a reminder that humans can impact wildlife in unexpected ways. While nails are not part of a white-tailed deer’s typical diet, they were in the environment where she was eating and were ingested regardless. The best way to prevent instances like this in wildlife is to always leave nature as we found it – taking with us all our garbage, including nails!

References:

Jones, M. (2020, September 21). Diagnosing Hardware Disease—Oklahoma State University.https://news.okstate.edu/articles/communications/2020/diagnosing_hardware_disease.html

Braun, U. (2022, June). Traumatic Reticuloperitonitis in Cattle—Digestive System. Merck Veterinary Manual. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/digestive-system/diseases-of-the-ruminant-forestomach/traumatic-reticuloperitonitis-in-cattle

Submitted by: CWHC Ontario/Nunavut