Researchers still aren’t sure exactly what causes postoperative ileus in horses; however, studies have estimated that it occurs in 10-50% of surgical colic cases | Photo: Rebecca McConnico

At the 2013 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum, held June 12-15 in Seattle, Wash., Neil P.H. Hudson, MA, VetMB, PhD, DEIM, DipVetClinStud, MRCVS, a senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, provided insight on what we know, what we’re still trying to learn, and what controversies surround postoperative ileus.

Equine Colic and Ileus

“Colic is reported by insurance companies and universities as the single greatest killer of horses,” Hudson said.

Study results indicate four to 10 out of every 100 horses will colic each year. And while not all of those colics are surgical cases—meaning veterinarians can successfully manage some cases medically—Hudson noted that “all horses undergoing a laparotomy (i.e., exploratory colic surgery) for an acute abdominal crisis are at risk of developing postoperative ileus