Generally, the population of horses that develop severe colic includes the ones that don’t respond to the veterinarian’s initial treatment. Almost all severe colics start as mild colics that are simply left too long.
While it’s widely hypothesized that horses shed equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) during times of stress and illness, researchers on a new study say that critically ill horses with acute gastrointestinal disease (colic or colitis) in a veterinary hospital
Champion Vindication, one of this year’s leading second-crop sires, was euthanized because of complications from colic. The 8-year-old syndicated son of Seattle Slew was taken Wednesday to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital near Lexington, Ky.
Two-time grade I winner Saratoga Passage, the all-time leading Washington-bred money-earner, has died from colic, co-owner Helen Beck said.
Saratoga Passage, who was 23 when he died July 5, earned $818,212 in a 47-race career that
The age-old disease of colic can best by managed be returning the horse–as much as possible–to its natural environment. This means
Veterinary surgeons at the University of Liverpool have developed a Web site dedicated to explaining the causes, prevention and treatment of colic in order to provide more
Too much alfalfa, too little oat and grass hay, and limited access to pasture grazing are important factors that put horses at risk for developing enterolithiasis (intestinal stones that have the potential to cause colic).
Further complicating the debate regarding whether or not the equine tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata causes colic in horses, Canadian researchers did not find evidence of a significant association between A. perfoliata infection and
How is feeding carbohydrates related to gastrointestinal (GI) disease? The propensity to feed high-grain and high-concentrate diets instead of relying on high-fiber diets has increased the incidence of colic.
One of the more exotic forms of colic is caused by enteroliths, or stone-like formations that form in a horse’s digestive tract.
Incisional hernias (protrusion of abdominal contents through a gap in an incision beneath the skin) occur in up to 17% of horses receiving abdominal surgery, reported Gal Kelmer, DVM, MS, clinical assistant professor at the University of
A 2008 Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) publication examining dehydration in working horses was summarized and printed on TheHorse.com on April 24, 2008, prior to its actual publication in EVJ. It was reviewed and approved by the researcher.
What’s the best way to feed a horse when his GI tract isn’t yet quite right after colic or colic surgery?
Sand colic due to an accumulation of sand in the intestines accounts for up to 30% of all colics, often causing weight loss and chronic diarrhea. Psyllium has often been recommended as a laxative for clearing sand out of the intestines, although
In the past few years, we’ve been hearing how many more horses have gastric ulcers than we used to think. We also know that oral omeprazole paste (GastroGard, manufactured by Merial Limited, Decatur, Ga.) effectively treats and prevents ulcers.
Intravenous (IV) lidocaine is one systemic way to manage pain and inflammation, and it also has been used to improve intestinal motility in colic cases. Its use has been a fairly hot topic of late, so Margaret Mudge, VMD, Dipl. ACVS, ACVECC,
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