Medical treatment of equine colic

Abstract

COLIC is not a specific disease or diagnosis; it is a clinical syndrome involving abdominal pain. A large number of different diseases, both intestinal and non‐intestinal, can cause abdominal pain, and a thorough and systematic physical examination is required in each case to diagnose the cause, or at least to differentiate the 'benign' colics from the life‐threatening and surgical causes. The majority of colic cases encountered in first opinion practice are associated with mild and non‐specific signs and will often, therefore, be amenable to medical therapy. In many cases, the response (or lack of response) to simple medical treatments will also be helpful diagnostically.