At BVEH your horse’s health is our passion. Our goal is to care for each patient, from conception through retirement, with the highest quality care available at a reasonable cost. As highly trained and dedicated professionals, we are committed to exceeding expectations and to helping each horse reach its full athletic potential.

The Equine Acute Abdominal Crisis

ColicBen Buchanan, DVM

Brazos Valley Equine HospitalBoard-certified Specialist

•Internal Medicine•Emergency and Critical Care

Slided Developed By

• AAEP

• www.aaep.org/horseowner

• Photos courtesy of– Ben Espsy, DVM, DACT – Diana Zimmel, DVM, DACVIM, DABVP

• www.aaep.org/horseowner

Surgery?

• Most cases of colic resolve with medical treatment

• Surgical cases minority of total colics

Surgery?

• Most common cause of equine mortality– These are the ones that don’t resolve

• Treat every case as it is surgical

Indications for Surgery

• Pain– Recurrent or intractable– The longer it persists, the less severe required to

indicate surgery

• Gastric reflux (large amount)– Not necessarily

Indications for Surgery

• Rectal exam– Small intestinal distention– Displacement or distended large colon– Mass

• Ultrasound– Thickened bowel wall– Gas in bowel wall

Indications for Surgery

• Absence of borborygmi– Ileus

• Peritoneal fluid– Increased protein– Serosanguinous

Normal Mucosa

Strangulation ObstructionEndotoxin

Verminous Arteritis

Contraindications for Surgery

• Fever– Most often means enteritis

• CBC– Neutropenia: enteritis

• Auscultation– Good motility

Preoperative Prognostic Indicators

• Cardiovascular status (shock)– Indicates severity of problem– Reversible?

• Small intestinal distention– Usually strangulated– Small intestine has more postoperative

complications– Peritoneal fluid elevations

Thank You

• Ben Buchanan, DVM, DACVIM, DACVECC

– Brazos Valley Equine Hospital– bbuchanan@bveh.com– 936-825-2197