CHRONIC COLIC IN THE MATURE HORSE - A RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF 106 CASES

The clinical features of 106 horses presenting with chronic colic exam ined over a 5 year period were reviewed, Chronic colic was defined as colic signs observed daily for 3 days or longer, except when masked by analgesics, The diagnosed causes of chronic colic included colonic im paction (31%), peritonitis (16%), enteritis/colitis (7%), colonic disp lacement/torsion (6%) and lymphosarcoma (4%). A variety of other disea ses were diagnosed in a small number of cases, including intestinal ad hesions, ileal obstructions, grass sickness, liver disease, caecal imp actions, thromboembolic disease, intussusceptions etc, No diagnosis wa s reached in 8% of cases, Diagnosis was relatively easily achieved in most cases of colonic impaction and peritonitis by results of transrec tal palpation and evaluation of peritoneal fluid, Specific clinical fe atures, transrectal palpation, abdominal paracentesis and laboratory e valuations of blood were helpful in the diagnosis of some of the other diseases, but exploratory laparotomy remained necessary in a few case s to achieve a diagnosis.