Topic:Colic
Colic is a common gastrointestinal condition in horses characterized by abdominal pain and discomfort. It can result from various causes, including gas buildup, intestinal blockage, or inflammation. The severity of colic can vary, ranging from mild discomfort to life-threatening situations requiring surgical intervention. Signs of colic in horses may include restlessness, pawing at the ground, rolling, and changes in eating or drinking behavior. Diagnosis often involves physical examination, rectal palpation, and sometimes imaging techniques. Treatment depends on the underlying cause and may involve medical management or surgical procedures. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and management of colic in horses.
Leiomyoma of the small colon in a horse. A leiomyoma of the small colon was discovered incidentally in a 4-year-old Thoroughbred gelding during colic surgery to correct large colon displacement. The mass and 20 cm of small colon were resected, and an end-to-end anastomosis was performed. A postoperative fecal impaction proximal to the anastomosis responded after 5 days to administration of intravenous fluids, analgesics, and stool softeners.
Types of colic and frequency of postcolic abortion in pregnant mares: 105 cases (1984-1988). The records of 105 pregnant mares and 105 nonpregnant horses with colic admitted to an equine hospital were reviewed. The 2 groups had similar types of colic and short-term survivability. Of the 105 pregnant mares, 31 were treated medically and 74 required surgical intervention. Thirty-three of the 105 mares died or were euthanatized. Thirteen (18%) of the 72 remaining mares aborted. Of 4 mares with severe medical cases, 2 died, 1 aborted, and 1 aborted and died. Of 27 horses with medical cases that required less intensive treatment, none died and 2 aborted. Of the 74 horses that required surg...
Renosplenic entrapment of the large colon in horses: 33 cases (1984-1989). Between 1984 and 1989, 33 horses were diagnosed with renosplenic entrapment of the large colon. Duration of colic, signalment, physical findings, and laboratory values were determined, and treatment methods were evaluated. Nonsurgical correction was attempted in 22 of the horses with suspected renosplenic entrapment of the large colon and was successful in 11 cases. Survival and complication rates also were determined. Nonsurgical correction is a viable alternative to immediate surgery for renosplenic entrapment of the large colon, if cases are selected properly.
[Equine monocytic ehrlichiosis (EME), a review]. Serological surveys showed that equine monocytic ehrlichiosis (EME) occurs in the USA, Canada and Europe. The causative agent is Rickettsia Ehrlichia risticii, isolated for the first time in 1984. The clinical features of the disease are sluggishness, anorexia, colic and fever, possibly followed by watery diarrhoea. Complications of an infection with E. risticii are laminitis and abortion. Colitis of the ascending colon may be observed at autopsy. Following a positive serological diagnosis (IgM ELISA) of EME, treatment with oxytetracycline can be initiated. It is also important to restore the ...
Whole blood re-calcification time in equine colic. Whole blood re-calcification times were evaluated as a measure of endotoxin-associated coagulopathy in horses. First, the effects of endotoxin concentration and duration of in vitro incubation of citrated whole blood with endotoxin on the whole blood re-calcification time of blood collected from healthy horses were determined. Increasing concentrations or incubation times of endotoxin accelerated the whole blood re-calcification time. This effect was attributed mainly to increased monocyte thromboplastin activity. Second, whole blood re-calcification time, a clotting profile, plasma factor VII...
Medical problems of adult horses, as ranked by equine practitioners. This paper reports the results of a survey conducted among members of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, concerning medical problems of adult horses. A one-page questionnaire listing 36 medical problems grouped by body system was completed by 1,149 veterinarians. The top-ranked disease was colic, followed by viral respiratory tract disease, endometritis, dermatitis, and parasitism. When responses were evaluated by type of practice, location of practice, and number of veterinarians in the practice, ranking of the top 2 diseases was the same for the total respondents. Ranking of d...
Endotoxemia in horses. A review of cellular and humoral mediators involved in its pathogenesis. Endotoxemia remains the leading cause of death in horses, being intimately involved in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal disorders that cause colic and neonatal foal septicemia. Endotoxins, normally present within the bowel, gain access to the blood across damaged intestinal mucosa, or endotoxemia occurs when gram negative organisms proliferate in tissues. Endotoxins are removed from the circulation by the mononuclear phagocyte system, and the response of mononuclear phagocytes to these lipopolysaccharides (LPS) play an important role in determining the severity of clinical disease. Macroph...
Antithrombin III activity in horses with colic: an analysis of 46 cases. Antithrombin-III (AT-III) activity was measured at the time of admission in 46 horses referred with colic. Differences in AT-III activities between animals treated medically or surgically and survivors or non-survivors were compared. The mean AT-III values for the horses treated medically (76.2 per cent), surgical survivors (69.5 per cent) and surgical non-survivors (55.9 per cent) were significantly different from the reference value for healthy adults (92 to 108 per cent). The mean AT-III activity of the survivors was significantly (P less than 0.01) greater than that of the nonsurvivors. Th...
Renosplenic entrapment of the large colon in horses: 57 cases (1983-1988). During a 5-year period, renosplenic entrapment of the large colon was diagnosed in 57 horses referred to the Texas Veterinary Medical Center. The signalment of and clinical signs of disease in these horses were compared with such variables in 200 horses referred for other types of colic. Findings did not support a male gender predilection for this disease, as was previously reported. The case survival rate was 93% for this group of horses. Fourteen of the horses were treated nonsurgically by rolling them clockwise while they were under general anesthesia. Data supported the safety and efficacy...
Myelophthisic pancytopenia in a pony mare. Myelophthisic pancytopenia was diagnosed in a 10-year-old pony mare with a history of recurring colic and anemia. Physical findings were unremarkable, with the exception of pale mucous membranes. Hematologic analysis revealed nonregenerative pancytopenia. Testing for equine infectious anemia and antiglobulin (Coombs) yielded negative results. The mare was treated with antibiotics, boldenone undecylenate, and corticosteroids, but a regenerative bone marrow response was not seen. Postmortem examination revealed severe myelofibrosis and multiple sites of extramedullary hematopoiesis. Myelophthisi...
Clinical relevance of monocyte procoagulant activity in horses with colic. Endotoxin-activated monocytes express a thromboplastin-like procoagulant activity on the cell surface that may serve as a focal point for formation of microvascular thrombi. Because coagulopathy is a common sequela to endotoxemia in the equine species, we investigated the ability of monocytes, isolated from horses with colic, to express procoagulant activity. On the day of admission, and on the third and fifth day of hospitalization, monocytes were isolated from 30 adult horses with colic. A coagulation profile, including prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, ...
Colonic adenocarcinoma with osseous metaplasia in a horse. Rectal palpation of a 30-year-old mixed-breed mare with chronic weight loss and intermittent, refractory abdominal pain revealed a mass in the right caudoventral portion of the abdomen. Hematologic and serum biochemical findings were normal except for slight mature neutrophilia and mildly high alkaline phosphatase activity and total bilirubin concentration. Cytologic examination of a specimen obtained by abdominocentesis revealed equal numbers of nondegenerative neutrophils and macrophages, but no evidence of neoplastic cells. The mare continued to have signs of abdominal discomfort and was eu...
Ileal diverticulum as a cause of chronic colic in a horse. A 4-year-old Thoroughbred gelding with a history of chronic colic was referred for evaluation of signs of abdominal pain. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a diverticulum of the distal portion of the ileum located between the layers of the mesentery. The diverticulum was similar in location and appearance to acquired ileal diverticula described in human beings. Complete bypass of the diverticulum by ileocecostomy resulted in apparent resolution of the chronic colic in this horse.
Use of newly developed assays for protein C and plasminogen in horses with signs of colic. Protein C content and plasminogen activity were measured in plasma from 100 horses with signs of colic. Data were analyzed by grouping horses 4 ways. Each horse was allotted to 1 of 2 outcome groups (survivors and nonsurvivors), 1 of 3 broad-category diagnosis groups (inflammatory disorders, strangulating obstructions, and all other gastrointestinal disorders), and 1 of 2 clinical management groups (medical and surgical). In a fourth grouping, all horses (although numbers of horses included in each subgroup were small) were assigned either to specific diagnostic groups that had high expectatio...
Extensive resection and anastomosis of the descending (small) colon in a mare following strangulation by a mesenteric lipoma. A 17-year-old Quarter Horse, Arabian crossbred mare presented with a history of having had abdominal pain for 2 d. At surgery there was 2.6 m of descending colon strangulated within the pedicle of a mesenteric lipoma. The lipoma was resected and the descending colon appeared viable so was replaced, and the mare recovered from anaesthesia. Post-operatively, the mare failed to stabilise so was taken back to surgery. There was 2 m of infarcted descending colon which was resected and anastomosed. A drain and stainless steel stay sutures were incorporated into the ventral suture line. Post-operativ...
Effects of heparin treatment on colonic torsion-associated hemodynamic and plasma eicosanoid changes in anesthetized ponies. Large colon torsion frequently is a fatal condition in horses. The purpose of the study reported here was to determine systemic arterial pressure, plasma eicosanoid concentrations, colonic blood flow, vascular resistance, tissue pH, and morphologic features associated with large colon torsion and detorsion, and to evaluate the effects of sodium heparin (80 IU/kg of body weight, IV) treatment on these values. Values were determined in 20 anesthetized ponies that were randomly assigned into 4 equal groups: control; control/heparin; torsion; torsion/heparin. Torsions were created by a 720 degrees...
The action of low dose endotoxin on equine bowel motility. Post operative ileus (POI) is a common and serious complication of colic surgery in the horse. There is a high correlation between the incidence of POI and the presence of ischaemic bowel, suggesting a role for endotoxin. 0.1 micrograms/kg endotoxin was administered intravenously to six ponies with chronically implanted gastrointestinal electromechanical recording devices. It produced profound disruption of normal fasting bowel motility patterns, with an inhibition of gastric contraction amplitude and rate, left dorsal colon contraction product and small colon spike rate. In the small intestin...
Emphysematous gastritis in a horse. A 12-year-old Morgan gelding was examined for colic of 3 days duration. Signs of depression, colic, diarrhea, and endotoxemia persisted despite aggressive medical therapy and surgical exploration. Culture results from gastric fluid and feces yielded many colonies of Clostridium perfringens. This organism also was recovered from peritoneal fluid 10 days after admission; consequently, the horse was euthanized. At necropsy, a localized gas-filled, necrotic stomach wall was found; many mucosal and submucosal gas blebs were visible. Culture of this tissue yielded Clostridium perfringens. Emphysemat...
Testicular seminoma associated with torsion of the spermatic cord in two cryptorchid stallions. Two adult horses had colic attributable to spermatic cord torsion and strangulation of abdominally retained neoplastic testes. Both horses had caudal abdominal soft tissue masses palpable per rectum. One horse was treated successfully by surgical removal of the testis, and the other was euthanatized without treatment. Histopathologic diagnosis of the involved testes was testicular seminoma. Spermatic cord torsion of an abdominally retained testis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of signs of abdominal pain in cryptorchid stallions, especially those with a palpable caudal abdom...
Cecocolic intussusception in horses: 11 cases (1979-1989). Over a 10-year period, cecocolic intussusception was diagnosed in 11 of 842 horses undergoing surgical treatment for colic at the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine. Eight horses died or were euthanatized because of poor prognosis determined at surgery or because of postoperative complications. Three horses recovered without complication after manual reduction of the intussusception and partial typhlectomy, using an intestinal stapling device.
Displacement of the large colon associated with nonsurgical correction of large-colon entrapment in the renosplenic space in a mare. Nonsurgical correction of a renosplenic entrapment of the large colon was attempted in a mare, using a rolling technique. After correction, the mare had initial improvement in clinical signs, but later developed signs of abdominal discomfort. A ventral midline celiotomy was performed, and a pelvic flexure impaction and large intestinal volvulus were found and corrected.
Vascular injury associated with naturally occurring strangulating obstructions of the equine large colon. Ten horses were euthanatized before, during, or after surgery to correct severe volvulus of the large colon. At surgery, the colonic serosa changed from blue-gray, blue or purple toward a more normal pink in seven horses after the volvulus was corrected. The mucosa consistently remained black or dark red. Results of postmortem colonic microangiography revealed perfusion of the serosa and the circular and longitudinal muscle layers, but mucosal perfusion was limited by thrombosis in the muscularis mucosae and submucosa. There was evidence of thrombosis of the mesenteric colic vessels in six hor...
Alteration in intestinal morphologic features associated with extensive large-colon resection in horses. Light microscopy, morphometry, and scanning electron microscopy were used to examine the mucosal morphologic features of 7 intestinal specimens (3 from the small intestine; 4 from the large intestine) from each of 8 horses 1 year after sham operation (group 1; n = 3) or extensive large-colon resection (group 2; n = 5). Qualitative light microscopic examination did not reveal differences between groups, but morphometry revealed significantly (P less than 0.05) greater intercrypt area and distance in horses with colon resection and this was most pronounced in the cecum and remaining right ventra...
Analysis of peritoneal fluid as a diagnostic aid in grass sickness (equine dysautonomia). The analysis of peritoneal fluid is of value in the differential diagnosis of equine colic but its characteristics have not been evaluated in grass sickness. Peritoneal fluid was collected from 15 normal horses and from 11 cases of medical colic, 11 cases of surgical colic, 20 cases of acute grass sickness and 13 cases of subacute grass sickness. The fluid was analysed for its appearance, total and differential white cell count, specific gravity, total protein concentration and total and intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity. Fluid from cases of medical colic was normal in these respects. S...
Feeding and digestive problems in horses. Physiologic responses to a concentrated meal. The association of feeding practices with the development of digestive disorders in horses has long been recognized, although the underlying mechanisms had been barely considered. The physiologic consequences of meal frequency may help to explain the relationship and prove to be of major significance in the induction of many conditions. Many Equidae kept for performance and leisure activities are fed high-energy, low-forage rations twice daily, with limited access to hay or grazing. Rapid ingestion of such meals stimulates a copious outpouring of upper alimentary secretions and results in tran...
Effects of three anthelmintic schedules on the incidence of colic in horses. Four privately owned herds (25 to 49 animals per herd) were used in a five-year trial designed to evaluate the effect of anthelmintic schedules on the incidence of colic. These herds had been treated bi-monthly with non-ivermectin, non-benzimidazole drugs for two years before the trial. Prior parasitological studies showed that they had substantial pre-treatment faecal egg counts (900 to 2200 eggs per gramme), and that they were infected with benzimidazole-resistant cyathostomes. In Years 1 and 2 of the trial, all herds (A, B, C, D) were treated bi-monthly with non-ivermectin anthelmintics (Sc...
Blood viscosity in horses with colic. Whole blood viscosity (WBV) was measured on six healthy horses and ten horses presented for colic surgery. A Wells-Brookfield cone-and-plate microviscometer at 6 rpm was used to determine WBV and WBV was adjusted for packed cell volume (PCV). The ten colic horses were divided into two groups: five horses that died or were euthanatized (group 1) and five horses that were discharged after surgery and medical therapy (group 2). The mean WBV for each group was compared using analysis of variance followed by Duncan multiple-range tests. Mean WBV of group 2 (5.81 +/- 1.48 centipoise [cp]) and normal...