Postoperative care and long-term follow-up after a rostral mandibulectomy to treat an ossifying fibroma in a horse

ABSTRACT: Ossifying fibroma is a disfiguring benign neoplasia of the jaw that affects young animals of several species, including horses. The present report described the postoperative care and long-term follow-up after a rostral mandibulectomy (RM) that was performed to treat an ossifying fibroma in a horse. A 3-year-old crossbred horse presented a hard, well-defined, 14.5×10.0×9.5cm ulcerated mass attached to the rostral mandible. Radiographic findings were compatible with a nonaggressive mandibular bone deformity (benign neoplasia). Histological features confirmed the diagnosis of the ossifying fibroma. After the RM, the horse slowly adapted to the new feeding conditions and was discharged when it fully recovered and was capable of feeding on the paddock and drinking water on its own on day 60. This slow adaptation was crucial for post-surgical recovery and required hard labor to manage the feeding and hydration by nasogastric tube during the hospital stay.