Original Research

Causes of gastrointestinal colic at an equine referral hospital in South Africa (1998 - 2007)

A. Voigt, M.N. Saulez, C.M. Donnellan, B. Gummow
Journal of the South African Veterinary Association | Vol 80, No 3 | a201 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jsava.v80i3.201 | © 2009 A. Voigt, M.N. Saulez, C.M. Donnellan, B. Gummow | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 23 May 2009 | Published: 23 May 2009

About the author(s)

A. Voigt,
M.N. Saulez,
C.M. Donnellan,
B. Gummow,

Full Text:

PDF (335KB)

Abstract

The most common causes of gastrointestinal colic at an equine referral hospital in South Africa were determined following retrieval of the medical records of horses admitted during a 10-year study period. The study included 935 horses of which 28 % were admitted after hours. Most horses were Thoroughbreds (54 %), male (57 %), with a mean age of 8.2 years and originated from the Gauteng Province (81 %). Heart rate (98 %), mucous membrane colour (95 %) and auscultation of the abdomen (91 %) were the clinical data commonly obtained at admission. Packed cell volume, total serum protein and white cell count were recorded in 78 %, 75 % and 44 % of horses respectively. Transrectal palpation (93 %), nasogastric intubation (84 %), intravenous catheterisation (74 %) and abdominocentesis (53 %) were the most frequently performed procedures. Medical intervention was performed in 558 horses (60 %). The common causes of medical colic were impactions (39 %), tympany (7 %) and displacement of the large colon (6 %). An exploratory laparotomy was performed in 331 horses (36 %). The common causes of surgical colic were displacement (29 %), impaction (22 %) and small intestinal strangulating lesions (18 %). Death occurred in 3 % of horses, while euthanasia before medical intervention was performed in 4 %. Overall, medical intervention was successful in 93 % of horses and 67 % in horses managed surgically. In conclusion, 55 % of all the equine admissions responded to medical intervention and the recovery rate for horses receiving both medical and surgical intervention was comparable to that reported in other studies.

Keywords

Abdominal Pain; Horse; Medical And Surgical Intervention; Survival

Metrics

Total abstract views: 4242
Total article views: 2802

 

Crossref Citations

1. A retrospective study of gastrointestinal disorders in a predominantly Austrian leisure horse referral hospital population
V. Gunes, A. C. Onmaz, A. Pavaloiu, G. Kaya Karasu, R. van den Hoven
Equine Veterinary Education  vol: 34  issue: 9  first page: 467  year: 2022  
doi: 10.1111/eve.13500

2. Outcome and complications following transrectal and transabdominal large intestinal trocarization in equids with colic: 228 cases (2004-2015)
Angelika Schoster, Nicole Altermatt, Paul R. Torgerson, Andrea S. Bischofberger
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association  vol: 257  issue: 2  first page: 189  year: 2020  
doi: 10.2460/javma.257.2.189

3. The Microbiological Quality of Concentrates for Horses—A Retrospective Study on Influencing Factors and Associations with Clinical Symptoms Reported by Owners or Referring Vets
Sandra Intemann, Bernd Reckels, Dana Carina Schubert, Petra Wolf, Josef Kamphues, Christian Visscher
Veterinary Sciences  vol: 9  issue: 8  first page: 413  year: 2022  
doi: 10.3390/vetsci9080413

4. Current Topics in Medical Colic
Michelle Henry Barton, Gayle D. Hallowell
Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice  vol: 39  issue: 2  first page: 229  year: 2023  
doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2023.03.008

5. Epidemiological and pathological aspects of noninfectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in 114 horses in Southern Brazil
Matheus V. Bianchi, Paula R. Ribeiro, Alanna S. Stolf, Marianna Bertolini, Cláudio J.M. Laisse, Luciana Sonne, David Driemeier, Saulo P. Pavarini
Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira  vol: 40  issue: 4  first page: 242  year: 2020  
doi: 10.1590/1678-5150-pvb-6516

6. Hospital-based study of dental pathology and faecal particle size distribution in horses with large colon impaction
Helga Gunnarsdottir, Yves Van der Stede, Caroline De Vlamynck, Floor Muurling, Dominique De Clercq, Gunther van Loon, Lieven Vlaminck
The Veterinary Journal  vol: 202  issue: 1  first page: 153  year: 2014  
doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.07.013

7. Standing flank laparotomy for colic: 37 cases
Marco A. F. Lopes, Joanne Hardy, Kelly Farnsworth, Raphael Labens, W. Y. Eunice Lam, Erik Noschka, Tiago Afonso, Claudia Cruz Villagrán, Luiz C. P. Santos, Montague Saulez, Gal Kelmer
Equine Veterinary Journal  vol: 54  issue: 5  first page: 934  year: 2022  
doi: 10.1111/evj.13511

8. How to perform a percutaneous cecal or colonic trocarization in horses with severe abdominal tympany
Eric L. Schroeder, Alison K. Gardner, Margaret C. Mudge
Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care  vol: 32  issue: S1  first page: 57  year: 2022  
doi: 10.1111/vec.13123

9. Diagnosis, management and prognosis of large colon impactions
R. Reid Hanson, J. Schumacher
Equine Veterinary Education  vol: 33  issue: 2  first page: 90  year: 2021  
doi: 10.1111/eve.13120

10. Occurrence, treatment protocols, and outcomes of colic in horses within Nairobi County, Kenya
Anderson Gitari, James Nguhiu, Vijay Varma, Eddy Mogoa
Veterinary World  vol: 10  issue: 10  first page: 1255  year: 2017  
doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2017.1255-1263

11. Short-term survival and mortality rates in a retrospective study of colic in 1588 Danish horses
Mogens T Christophersen, Nana Dupont, Kristina S Berg-Sørensen, Christel Konnerup, Tina H Pihl, Pia H Andersen
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica  vol: 56  issue: 1  year: 2014  
doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-56-20

12. Ultrasonographic evidence of colonic mesenteric vessels as an indicator of right dorsal displacement of the large colon in 13 horses
N. S. GRENAGER, M. G. DURHAM
Equine Veterinary Journal  vol: 43  issue: s39  first page: 153  year: 2011  
doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2011.00418.x

13. Small Colon Faecalith with Large Colon Displacement in Ten Cases (2015–2023): A Detailed Case Description and Literature Review
Nicola Scilimati, Anna Cerullo, Sara Nannarone, Rodolfo Gialletti, Gessica Giusto, Alice Bertoletti
Animals  vol: 14  issue: 2  first page: 262  year: 2024  
doi: 10.3390/ani14020262

14. Transrectal decompression as a new approach for treatment of large intestinal tympany in horses with colic: Preliminary results
G. B. Scotti, S. S. Lazzaretti, D. D. Zani, M. Magri
Equine Veterinary Education  vol: 25  issue: 4  first page: 184  year: 2013  
doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3292.2012.00445.x