Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Secondary approaches to the abdominal cavity for horses with signs of colic may be key to successful resolution of an either very proximal or very distal small colon obstruction
- Journal:
- Equine Veterinary Education
- Year:
- 2013
- Authors:
- Klohnen, A.
- Affiliation:
- Chino Valley Equine Hospital Chino Hills California USA · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Colic surgery is a common emergency procedure for horses, especially when they have blockages in their small colon, which is part of their digestive system. These blockages can happen for various reasons, like hard stool buildup or foreign objects. Although small colon obstructions are not seen very often, they can be serious and require careful diagnosis and treatment. The study suggests that using different surgical approaches to access the abdomen may help veterinarians successfully resolve these issues. Overall, the findings indicate that addressing these obstructions effectively can lead to better outcomes for affected horses.
Abstract
Equine emergency colic surgery is one of the most common surgeries performed. Small colon obstructions (as the cause of the exploratory celiotomy) are relatively infrequently diagnosed (2–5%). The most frequently seen small colon problems are small colon impactions, a small colon faecalith, small colon enterolith(s), small colon lipomas and small colon foreign bodies. Less frequently, a diagnosis of rents in the small colon mesentery, damage to the small colon vascular supply after a foaling accident or intramural masses are made.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://doi.org/10.1111/eve.12045