Horse Colic
The term colic refers to pain in the abdomen of horses. It is not a single disease, but is the manifestation of a considerable number of diseases: all of which produce pain, and some of which are potentially deadly.
Making a specific diagnosis to determine the actual cause of the colic can be extremely difficult for veterinarians at times.
Because of the multitude of possible causes, it is of value to examine several excellent recent research reviews which looked closely at the classification of colics, and at the causative factors, incidence and mortality associated with these diseases.
The majority of cases of colic occur due to unknown causes, but are primarily presumed to be associated with intestinal muscle spasm or the accumulation of abnormal amounts of gas in a portion of the intestine. In general, colic results due to the distension of the bowel by ingesta, fluid, gas, or due to a functional impairment of the normal intestinal motility. In more severe cases, abdominal pain may be the result of damage to the intestinal wall by reduced blood supply (ischaemia), inflammation, death of tissue (infarction) or oedema (swelling and increased fluid).
The causes of colic can be classified by well recognised pathological categories, including obstruction, strangulation, enteritis/colitis, peritonitis, as well as by the site involved – stomach, small intestine, caecum, large colon, small colon, peritoneum, and other organs including liver, spleen and kidney
Rather than simply listing the types of colic which can occur, it is now of value to look at what we do actually know about causes, prevalence and risk factors, as well as strategies to prevent colics.
Nathaniel White, DVM, of the Marion Dupont Scott Equine Medical Center, Virginia, reviewed the risk factors in the USA in 2002, in his publication “Prevalence, demographics and Risk Factors for Colic, www.ivis.org, with the following comments and observations;
Out of 100 horses in the general
Making a specific diagnosis to determine the actual cause of the colic can be extremely difficult for veterinarians at times.
Because of the multitude of possible causes, it is of value to examine several excellent recent research reviews which looked closely at the classification of colics, and at the causative factors, incidence and mortality associated with these diseases.
The majority of cases of colic occur due to unknown causes, but are primarily presumed to be associated with intestinal muscle spasm or the accumulation of abnormal amounts of gas in a portion of the intestine. In general, colic results due to the distension of the bowel by ingesta, fluid, gas, or due to a functional impairment of the normal intestinal motility. In more severe cases, abdominal pain may be the result of damage to the intestinal wall by reduced blood supply (ischaemia), inflammation, death of tissue (infarction) or oedema (swelling and increased fluid).
The causes of colic can be classified by well recognised pathological categories, including obstruction, strangulation, enteritis/colitis, peritonitis, as well as by the site involved – stomach, small intestine, caecum, large colon, small colon, peritoneum, and other organs including liver, spleen and kidney
Rather than simply listing the types of colic which can occur, it is now of value to look at what we do actually know about causes, prevalence and risk factors, as well as strategies to prevent colics.
Nathaniel White, DVM, of the Marion Dupont Scott Equine Medical Center, Virginia, reviewed the risk factors in the USA in 2002, in his publication “Prevalence, demographics and Risk Factors for Colic, www.ivis.org, with the following comments and observations;
Out of 100 horses in the general