Diagnosis and surgical management of colic in the foal

Over a six year period, 83 fools that where referred to the clinic because of colic underwent explorative abdominal surgery. Indication for an explora tive laparotomy was based on the results of clinical examination, laborator y evaluation, abdominal radiography and peritoneal fluid analysation follow ing abdominocentesis. Severe or persisting abdominal pain in combination wi th abdominal distension were predominant reasons for explorative surgery as well as radiographically visualized distension of small intestine or abnor mal laboratory findings. Intraoperative findings included small intestinal ileus (n=41), large intes tinal lesions (n=25), uroperitoneum (n=8) and others (n=9) like perforated gastric ulcer, peritonitis or ovarian torsion. Of the 83 foals subjected to abdominal surgery 49 (59%) could be released from the clinic in a good gen eral condition without further signs of colic. 21 foals had to be euthanize d during surgery because of a poor prognosis. Therefore there was a surviva l rate of 79% in those foals that were allowed to recover from surgery. With one exception all foals in which uroperitoneum was diagnosed were disc harged fom the clinic. In the contrast to this prognosis for fools with sma ll intestinal strangulation was judged to be poor due to the common intraop erative finding of severe damage in large sections of the small intestine a nd a survival rate of 46%. In foals with large intestinal lesions, a surviv al rate of 80% was found.