It's no secret that leg wraps and bandages applied to horses' lower limbs protect and support the soft tissues within. But what about the abdominal bandages veterinarians wrap around horses' bodies post-colic surgery—do they function in the same way?

Study author Warren Beard, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, professor of equine surgery at Kansas State University, said equine surgeons have varying opinions on the use of abdominal bandages after colic surgery.

“Many surgeons are of neutral opinion, while others have strong opinions either for, or against, the use of abdominal bandages post-surgery,” Beard said. “The little scientific literature that exists on this topic does not help settle the issue. But, no one doubts that abdominal bandages can help keep the incision protected and clean.

“What was less clear, and what we wanted to focus on for the study, was how much support the bandages were actually providing and how long that support would last,” he said