Equine Colic Surgery

Equine colic is the top disease killer of horses, according to the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. By definition colic is defined as abdominal pain in a horse. There are nearly 100 different possible causes for colic, only the most severe require surgical treatment. According to the website equinehospital.net only about 5 percent of equine colic cases result in surgery.

  1. Symptoms

    • Common symptoms of equine colic include a loss of appetite, abnormal stretching, kicking or looking at its side or belly and lying down. Any of these symptoms can indicate some sort of pain in the abdomen. In some cases the pain will resolve itself and go away without treatment. In other cases some sort of treatment up to and including surgical intervention may be required.

    Simple Cases

    • Some causes of colic that are unlikely to require surgical treatment include gas pains or spasms in the intestine. Treatment of some most of the minor cases of colic, if necessary, involves intubation with mineral spirits to improve action of the intestines.

    Major Cases

    • According to Doug Thal, DVM, posting to the website thalequine.com, the major cases of colic that usually require surgery are associated with a mechanical failure in the horse's abdomen. This can include twists or strangulation of the small or large intestines or an impaction or blockage of the colon. Each situation has its own surgical protocol and its own prognosis for success or failure.

    Candidates for Surgery

    • Not all horses are a candidate for colic surgery, Thal said. High strung performance horses may not be able to tolerate the down time in a confined stall that is common after surgery. Older horses, with other health issues, are also not candidates for major surgery.

    Surgery

    • The horse is anesthetized and hoisted by its feet to a padded surgical table. Thal says a 15 inch incision is made at the midline of the abdomen. The surgeon explores the interior of the abdomen attempting to locate the problem. Surgical repair may include clearing a blockage, repositioning twisted intestines or removing segments of damaged intestines.

    Complications

    • Horses may exhibit complications to the surgery or the anesthesia up to five days after the surgery. Infections, laminitis, also known as founder, and colic recurrence are all possible types of complications. If recovery goes well the horse may be sent home from the hospital about a week after surgery.