FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Trop Anim Health Prod / Equine colic: clinical epidemiology and associated risk fact...
Tropical animal health and production2017; 49(5); 959-965; doi: 10.1007/s11250-017-1283-y

Equine colic: clinical epidemiology and associated risk factors in and around Debre Zeit.

Abstract: A prospective study was conducted to describe clinical epidemiology of equine colic in the Society for Protection of Animal Abroad and Donkey Sanctuary Project Clinic, at Debre Zeit, Ethiopia, from November 2014 to April 2015. The objectives were to describe clinical epidemiology of equine colic, to characterize the main types of equine colic, and to determine the major risk factors associated with equine colic. The method which was used in the study was attending clinical case of equine and assessing physiological parameters, fecal egg count, abdominal sounds, and rectal examination as well as questioner interviewing of the owners. The data were collected and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science. The incidence of colic was 10.3% in the study period. Colicky were typed as unknown, flatulent, impaction, spasmodic, and enterolithiasis. The proportion of case incidence were 63.1 (41/65), 33.8 (22/65), and 3.1% (2/65), in donkey, horse, and mule, respectively. The total mean (±SD) of temperature 37.80 ± 1.003, heart rate 57.54 ± 10.098, fecal egg count 236.922 ± 67.990, respiratory rate 30.92 ± 7.315, and packed cell volume 41.40 ± 10.221 were recorded. The case fatality rate of equine colic was 15.38% (10/65). There were statistically highly significant (p < 0.01) differences in impaction colic in relation to species. Interview with 183 equine owners revealed incidence of equine colic as the sixth major disease condition affecting equine. A long-term epidemiological study of the true representative population should be carried out to determine the incidence rate and associated risk factors of equine colic in the study area.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2017-04-11 PubMed ID: 28401328DOI: 10.1007/s11250-017-1283-yGoogle Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

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.

The research tracks an incidence of equine colic in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia, and analyses the major associated risk factors discovered during the study.

Background and Objectives

  • The research was a prospective study looking into the clinical epidemiology of equine colic in and around Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.
  • The main objectives were to describe the clinical epidemiology, identify the main types of the disorder and uncover the primary risk factors associated with equine colic.

Research Method

  • The researchers examined clinical cases of equine and assessed various physiological parameters, including fecal egg count, abdominal sounds, and rectal examination.
  • Owners were interviewed to gain further insight into incidence rates and possible causal factors. All the collected data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science.

Findings

  • During the study period, the incidence of equine colic was found to be 10.3%.
  • Types of equine colic were categorized as unknown, flatulent, impaction, spasmodic, and enterolithiasis. The proportion of the case incidence was 63.1% for donkeys, 33.8% for horses, and 3.1% for mules.
  • Varying levels of temperature, heart and respiratory rates, fecal egg count, and packed cell volume were recorded, giving insight into the overall health status of the examined animals.
  • The fatality rate of equine colic was concluded to be 15.38% (10 out of 65 cases).
  • Species-specific differences became apparent: impaction colic was statistically significantly more common in certain species (p < 0.01).
  • Interviews with 183 equine owners revealed equine colic as the sixth most common disease affecting equines.

Conclusions and Further Research

  • The study provides valuable information on the epidemiology and associated risk factors of equine colic in the Debre Zeit area. However, larger-scale, long-term research projects are needed to uncover the true incidence rate and confirm the risk factors of equine colic in this population.

Cite This Article

APA
Worku Y, Wondimagegn W, Aklilu N, Assefa Z, Gizachew A. (2017). Equine colic: clinical epidemiology and associated risk factors in and around Debre Zeit. Trop Anim Health Prod, 49(5), 959-965. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-017-1283-y

Publication

Tropical animal health and production
ISSN: 1573-7438
NlmUniqueID: 1277355
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 49
Issue: 5
Pages: 959-965

Researcher Affiliations

Worku, Yonas
  • Livestock and Fishers Office of Oromia Region, Oromia, Ethiopia.
Wondimagegn, Workneh
  • Department of Animal Production and Technology, College Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. workiefikir@gmail.com.
Aklilu, Nigatu
  • Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.
Assefa, Zerihun
  • Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.
Gizachew, Ayele
  • Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Colic / classification
  • Colic / epidemiology
  • Colic / etiology
  • Colic / veterinary
  • Equidae
  • Ethiopia / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / classification
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
  • Horse Diseases / etiology
  • Horses
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors

References

This article includes 20 references
  1. Equine Vet J. 2003 Jun;35(4):343-9
    pubmed: 12880001
  2. Vet Res. 2002 Nov-Dec;33(6):641-52
    pubmed: 12498565
  3. Equine Vet J. 2008 Jun;40(4):405-10
    pubmed: 18487105
  4. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2001 Jul 1;219(1):67-71
    pubmed: 11439773
  5. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2000 Jun 1;216(11):1787-94
    pubmed: 10844972
  6. BMC Vet Res. 2007 Feb 02;3:1
    pubmed: 17274808
  7. Prev Vet Med. 2009 Nov 15;92 (3):179-87
    pubmed: 19758718
  8. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract. 2009 Aug;25(2):317-27
    pubmed: 19580942
  9. Equine Vet J. 2002 Jul;34(5):432-7
    pubmed: 12358043
  10. Vet Rec. 2001 Oct 6;149(14):417-23
    pubmed: 11678214
  11. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2009 Jun;93(3):339-49
    pubmed: 19646108
  12. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2001 Nov 15;219(10):1419-25
    pubmed: 11724182
  13. Equine Vet J. 2005 Jul;37(4):296-302
    pubmed: 16028616
  14. Vet J. 2006 Jul;172(1):29-39
    pubmed: 15939639
  15. Equine Vet J. 2001 Jul;33(4):380-5
    pubmed: 11469771
  16. Equine Vet J Suppl. 2000 Jun;(32):11-8
    pubmed: 11202376
  17. Vet Rec. 2006 Mar 25;158(12):397-406
    pubmed: 16565338
  18. Equine Vet J. 2002 Jul;34(5):455-63
    pubmed: 12358047
  19. Equine Vet J Suppl. 2000 Jun;(32):37-41
    pubmed: 11202380
  20. Equine Vet J. 1990 May;22(3):182-5
    pubmed: 2361506

Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
  1. Tharwat M, Al-Sobayil F. Equine colic: A comprehensive overview of the sonographic evaluation, diagnostic criteria, and management of different categories. Open Vet J 2025 Mar;15(3):1116-1139.
    doi: 10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i3.5pubmed: 40276205google scholar: lookup
  2. Klinhom S, Kunasol C, Sriwichaiin S, Kerdphoo S, Chattipakorn N, Chattipakorn SC, Thitaram C. Characteristics of gut microbiota profiles in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) with gastrointestinal disorders. Sci Rep 2025 Jan 8;15(1):1327.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-85495-0pubmed: 39779898google scholar: lookup
  3. Mickevičienė I, Mikalauskienė D, Miknienė Z. The prognostic importance of physiological and biochemical parameters in horses afflicted with colic. Open Vet J 2024 Aug;14(8):1801-1807.
    doi: 10.5455/OVJ.2024.v14.i8.8pubmed: 39308735google scholar: lookup
  4. Fikri F, Hendrawan D, Wicaksono AP, Purnomo A, Khairani S, Chhetri S, Purnama MTE, Çalışkan H. Colic incidence, risk factors, and therapeutic management in a working horse population in Tuban, Indonesia. Vet World 2024 May;17(5):963-972.
    doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.963-972pubmed: 38911082google scholar: lookup
  5. Fikri F, Hendrawan D, Wicaksono AP, Purnomo A, Khairani S, Chhetri S, Maslamama ST, Purnama MTE. Incidence, risk factors, and therapeutic management of equine colic in Lamongan, Indonesia. Vet World 2023;16(7):1408-1414.
    doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.1408-1414pubmed: 37621536google scholar: lookup
  6. Lara F, Castro R, Thomson P. Changes in the gut microbiome and colic in horses: Are they causes or consequences?. Open Vet J 2022 Mar-Apr;12(2):242-249.
    doi: 10.5455/OVJ.2022.v12.i2.12pubmed: 35603065google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,357 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.