Interval prevalence of and factors associated with colic in horses hospitalized for ocular or orthopedic disease.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE To determine interval (1-year) prevalence of and factors associated with colic in horses hospitalized for ocular or orthopedic disease. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. ANIMALS 105 horses with ocular disease and 197 horses with orthopedic disease admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012. PROCEDURES Medical records were reviewed to determine whether colic (abnormal behavior prompting abdominal palpation per rectum or nasogastric intubation) was observed during hospitalization. Data were collected on putative risk factors for colic, including reason for admission, signalment, and medical or surgical interventions received. RESULTS No significant difference in interval prevalence of colic was identified between horses with ocular disease (8/105 [8%]) or orthopedic disease (9/197 [5%]). However, horses with ocular disease differed significantly from other horses in median age (10 vs 3 years, respectively); proportions of sexually intact males (3% vs 30%), Thoroughbreds (28% vs 62%), and those receiving general anesthesia (65% vs 80%); and median duration of hospitalization (3 vs 2 days). For every 1 mg/kg increase in daily NSAID dose, the odds of colic increased by 98%. No difference between groups was identified in median duration of colic (1 day), hospitalization (7 vs 3 days), or systemic NSAID administration (7 vs 5 days). Colic in both groups resolved with medical management for all but 1 horse with ocular disease. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Horses hospitalized for ocular disease were at no greater odds for colic than were horses hospitalized for orthopedic disease. Medical management of colic appeared adequate for most horses.
Publication Date: 2016-06-17 PubMed ID: 27308887DOI: 10.2460/javma.249.1.90Google 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.
- 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.
This research investigated the prevalence and risk factors associated with colic in horses admitted to a veterinary hospital due to ocular or orthopedic diseases. The results showed no significant difference in colic prevalence between horses with eye problems versus those with bone disorders, however, the use of anti-inflammatory drugs did significantly increase the risk of colic.
Research Design and Subjects
- The study was cross-sectional, examining data from horses hospitalized over a period of one year (July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012).
- The sample included 105 horses with ocular or eye disease and 197 horses with orthopedic or bone disease.
- The researchers reviewed medical records to identify instances of colic, an intestinal condition that causes pain and distress in horses.
Study Focus
- The main goal was to determine the 1-year prevalence of colic and identify factors that could increase its risk.
- Possible risk factors considered in the study included the reason for hospital admission, horse age, breed, gender, medical or surgical treatments, and the duration of hospital stays.
Key Findings
- 8% (8 out of 105) of horses with ocular disease had colic, compared to 5% (9 out of 197) of those with orthopedic disease – a difference that was statistically insignificant.
- Significant differences were found between horses with eye conditions and those with bone conditions in terms of age, horse breed, and gender; however, these factors did not affect the incidence of colic.
- Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with an increased risk of colic – specifically, for every 1 mg/kg increase in daily NSAID dose, the odds of colic increased by close to 100%.
- No major differences were observed in the duration of colic symptoms, length of hospital stay, and duration of systemic NSAID administration between the two groups of horses.
Conclusions
- The study concluded that horses diagnosed with ocular disease did not exhibit a greater risk for colic than those with orthopedic diseases.
- The medical management of colic appears to be adequate for most horses, with only one animal (with an eye condition) not responding to the treatment.
Cite This Article
APA
Scherrer NM, Lassaline M, Richardson DW, Stefanovski D.
(2016).
Interval prevalence of and factors associated with colic in horses hospitalized for ocular or orthopedic disease.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 249(1), 90-95.
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.249.1.90 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bone Diseases / veterinary
- Colic / epidemiology
- Colic / etiology
- Colic / veterinary
- Eye Diseases / veterinary
- Female
- Gastrointestinal Diseases / epidemiology
- Gastrointestinal Diseases / etiology
- Gastrointestinal Diseases / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horses
- Hospitalization
- Hospitals, Teaching
- Male
- Pennsylvania / epidemiology
- Postoperative Complications / epidemiology
- Postoperative Complications / veterinary
- Prevalence
- Risk Factors
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Young K, Hasegawa T, Vridhachalam N, Henderson N, Salmon JH, McCall TF, Hirsch ML, Gilger BC. Ocular toxicity, distribution, and shedding of intravitreal AAV-eqIL-10 in horses. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2024 Dec 12;32(4):101360.
- Manning H, Sampson S. Peri-anaesthetic complications in 1798 equids undergoing high-field elective orthopaedic MRI at a tertiary referral hospital. Equine Vet J 2025 May;57(3):666-673.
- 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.
- Jodzio D, DeNotta S, Plummer C, Sanchez C. Pain scoring systems in hospitalized horses with ocular disease. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):388-397.
- Pezzanite LM, Griffenhagen GM, Krause DM, Hendrickson DA. Retrospective evaluation of association between perioperative antimicrobial protocol and complications following elective equine synovial endoscopy. Vet Med Sci 2021 May;7(3):609-620.
- Curtis L, Burford JH, England GCW, Freeman SL. Risk factors for acute abdominal pain (colic) in the adult horse: A scoping review of risk factors, and a systematic review of the effect of management-related changes. PLoS One 2019;14(7):e0219307.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
