Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fibrous foreign body impaction colic in young horses.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1977
- Authors:
- Boles, C L & Kohn, C W
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In a study of 207 horses with colic (abdominal pain) over three years, 10 young horses, all 3 years old or younger, were found to have colic caused by swallowing synthetic fencing material. These horses showed mild to moderate abdominal pain and did not get better with standard treatments. During surgery, veterinarians discovered that the horses had blockages in parts of their intestines, and in most cases, the affected sections could not be removed easily, requiring surgical openings to take out the foreign material. Out of the 10 horses treated, 5 survived after the surgery.
Abstract
OF 207 horses with colic seen over a 36-month period, 10 were determined to have impaction colic caused by ingestion of synthetic fencing material. In 6 cases, there was history of exposure to rubberized fencing products. All horses affected were less than or equal to 3 years of age, had signs of mild to moderate abdominal pain, and were unresponsive to usual symptomatic therapy. At surgery, each horse was found to have an impaction involving the distal right dorsal colon, transverse colon, or small colon, and in some cases, all 3 bowel segments. In 9 cases, the involved segment of bowel could not be brought out of the abdominal cavity, and in each of these cases, the foreign bodies were removed through one or more enterotomies. Five of the 10 horses survived.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/885772/