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Open veterinary journal2025; 15(3); 1116-1139; doi: 10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i3.5

Equine colic: A comprehensive overview of the sonographic evaluation, diagnostic criteria, and management of different categories.

Abstract: Colic or acute abdominal pain is the most prevalent cause of emergency intervention in veterinary medicine, and it has been considered the principal reason for collapse and/or euthanasia in a wide range of studies. The condition may be initiated by a number of different disorders affecting the abdominal viscera, but acute gut disease is the most common etiology in equines showing colic symptoms. of the main goals of colic management is to distinguish between surgical and medical causes, as prompt surgical intervention can significantly improve outcomes for those requiring surgery. Despite the widespread use of diagnostics such as laboratory analyses and abdominal diagnostic imaging, the most common diagnostic indicators of the necessity for surgical intervention are the presence of either moderate or severe symptoms of pain reaction, pain recurrence after suitable therapy, and diminished intestinal sounds. Abdominal ultrasonography was performed in equines with signs of abdominal pain as a perfect tool for diagnosing small intestinal strangulation. The detection of unprecedented markers, which may help distinguish medical ailments from others that can be treated surgically, persists as an ongoing research area. This review was designed to highlight different categories of colic in equines with reference to sonographic assessment, diagnosis, and management. Abdominal pain can be divided into two major classes: gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal. The first class can be reasoned by different etiologies, starting from a harmless spasmodic colic to a life-threatening strangulating type of colic. Here, special emphasis will be given to several causes of gastrointestinal colic, including gastric impaction, gastroenteritis, flatulent colic, spasmodic colic, impaction colic, strangulating and obstructive colic, sand colic, verminous mesenteric arteritis, peritonitis, and hernias. This review will also discuss some important causes of non-gastrointestinal colic, including cystitis, urine retention, abdominal abscesses, and mesenteric abscesses. In conclusion, colic in equines is a fatal condition, and most cases do not recover if diagnosed late. Therefore, ancillary diagnostic tools should be implemented. Of these tools, abdominal ultrasound has been proven to be very effective in verifying equines with different causes of colic, such as flatulent colic, spasmodic colic, obstructive colic, impactive colic, strangulating colic, peritonitis, hernias, cystitis, urine retention, and abdominal abscesses. In addition, our estimation of serum biomarkers revealed potential diagnostic aids for patients with acute abdominal pain.
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Publication Date: 2025-03-31 PubMed ID: 40276205PubMed Central: PMC12017722DOI: 10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i3.5Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study provides an in-depth review of equine colic, a common cause of abdominal pain in horses that frequently leads to emergency intervention. The research examines various types of colic, their sonographic evaluations, diagnosis criteria, and management, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and the effectiveness of tools like abdominal ultrasound.

Understanding Equine Colic

  • Equine colic refers to acute abdominal pain in horses. It’s the leading reason for emergency veterinary interventions and often the main cause of horse euthanasia.
  • The pain is commonly caused by disorders affecting the abdominal viscera, with gut diseases being the most common culprits.
  • One of the main aspects of colic management is to distinguish between surgical and medical causes; speedy surgical intervention can drastically improve survival rates.

Diagnostic Methods

  • Despite the broad use of laboratory analyses and abdominal imaging, symptoms like moderate to severe pain, recurrence of pain after therapy, and reduced intestinal sounds are primary indicators of the need for surgery.
  • Abdominal ultrasonography is a very effective tool for diagnosing small intestinal strangulation in horses with abdominal pain.
  • Research is ongoing to identify new markers that could discern between medical conditions and surgical cases.

Classification of Equine Colic

  • The study categorizes abdominal pains into two major groups: gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal.
  • Gastrointestinal colic can have various causes, ranging from harmless spasmodic colic to life-threatening strangulating colic. The causes include gastric impaction, gastroenteritis, flatulent colic, spasmodic colic, impaction colic, obstructions, sand colic, verminous mesenteric arteritis, peritonitis, and hernias.
  • Non-gastrointestinal colic causes include cystitis, urine retention, abdominal abscesses, and mesenteric abscesses.

Importance of Early Diagnosis

  • Equine colic is a fatal condition, and late diagnoses often result in poor survival rates. Hence, there’s a pressing need for effective diagnostic tools.
  • Abdominal ultrasound has proven useful in diagnosing different types of colic, including flatulent, spasmodic, obstructive, impactive, strangulating colic, peritonitis, hernias, cystitis, urine retention, and abdominal abscesses.
  • Additionally, the study states that serum biomarkers could provide valuable diagnostic assistance for acute abdominal pain patients.

Cite This Article

APA
Tharwat M, Al-Sobayil F. (2025). Equine colic: A comprehensive overview of the sonographic evaluation, diagnostic criteria, and management of different categories. Open Vet J, 15(3), 1116-1139. https://doi.org/10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i3.5

Publication

Open veterinary journal
ISSN: 2218-6050
NlmUniqueID: 101653182
Country: Libya
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 3
Pages: 1116-1139

Researcher Affiliations

Tharwat, Mohamed
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia.
Al-Sobayil, Fahd
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia.

MeSH Terms

  • Colic / veterinary
  • Colic / diagnostic imaging
  • Colic / diagnosis
  • Colic / therapy
  • Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horse Diseases / therapy
  • Ultrasonography / veterinary
  • Horses
  • Animals

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
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