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A 12-year-old sexually intact male Quarter Horse was examined for diffuse subcutaneous emphysema and reluctance to walk. Physical examination revealed a 25-cm-long laceration of the left axillary region that had been present for several days. The patient was severely dyspneic with a respiratory rate of 80 breaths/min and tachycardic with a heart rate of 120 beats/min. Mucous membranes were cyanotic with a capillary refill time of 3 seconds. The rectal temperature was within reference limits. Auscultation of the thorax was compromised as a result of the subcutaneous emphysema, but normal airway sounds were absent in the dorsal aspect of