Distribution of surgical cases at the university of Nigeria veterinary teaching hospital (1985 — 1995)

Case files of out-patients at the University of Nigeria Veterinary Teaching Hospital were used to assess the distribution of surgical cases between January 1985 to December 1995. Five hundred and five operative and orthopaedic procedures were performed on 493 patients during this period. Canine patients accounted for 63% of all cases. Goats, sheep, and cats accounted for 24%, 3% and 2%, respectively. Cases involving species like rabbit, turkey, pig, monkey and gorilla accounted for 8%. Castration dominated all the cases with 54% while soft tissue procedures [excision of transmissible venereal tumour, oral papillomata, reduction of hernia, uterine prolapse, lancing of abscess] constituted 37% and reduction of bone fractures constituted 10%. Records showed that surgical cases decreased from year to year. Nearly all goats were castrated under one year, while caesarian sections in does were carried out between 1-3 years of age. The highest incidence of caesarian sections occurred between May and July of every year. The occurrence of TVT is not seasonal. (Tropical Veterinarian: 2002 20(1): 52-56)