Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgical colic causes and outcomes in endurance racehorses
By Alexander, G. R. & Haines, G. R.·Published in Equine Veterinary Education·2012·View original on Crossref →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Surgical colic in racing endurance horses
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This study looked at horses that developed severe belly pain, known as colic, while participating in endurance races and needed surgery. Out of 15 horses, 13 had a twisted section of their small intestine, which is a serious condition. Most of these horses underwent surgery to remove the damaged part of the intestine. After surgery, many experienced a common issue where their intestines didn't work properly for a while, especially those that had part of their intestine removed. In the end, 11 of the 15 horses survived, and 4 of them returned to racing.
Abstract
Summary A retrospective study was performed of horses that developed colic during endurance racing, and subsequently required surgery. Fifteen horses met the inclusion criteria, of which 13 (87%) had small intestinal volvulus. Nine of the 15 horses (60%) had a small intestinal resection and anastomosis performed. Post operative ileus, particularly in those horses that had a resection performed, was a common complication. Eleven of the 15 (73%) survived, and 4 (27%) have since raced.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3292.2011.00360.x