Colic - LI Flashcards
Where is the large intestine attched to the body wall? (2)
- Caecum
- Right dorsal colon
What shape does the large colon form in the abdomen?
U - shape
What allows the entire large colon to move, twist or displace?
The lack of attachments
What presents a site for formation of LI impactions?
The anatomical 180 degree bend
How many taenia bands does the RDC have?
3
What can altered intestinal motility patterns cause? (2)
Localised impaction, or anatomic displacement
Large colon diseases can be grouped together as the are likely to have a similar aetiopathogenesis, what can these be denoted as?
SCOD
Simple colonic obstruction and distension
Define SCOD
Effectively SCOD is all forms of large colon disease except those causing vascular obstruction
Group together impactions and distensions
Intestine doesn’t die just compromised
Ultimately the colon is healthy
Name risk factors for SCOD (8)
- crib-biting/wind-sucking
- stabling 24 hours per day
- history of travel in previous 24 hours
- recent change in exercise program
- absence of use of moxidectin/ivermectin in previous 12 months
- increasing hours in stable
- history of previous colic episode
- less regular dental care
What is the major difficuty of reassuring yourself when you have a pelvic felxure impaction?
Reassue yourself there are no other anatomic displacements
What does a pelvic felxure impaction feel like?
Doughy/raltively firm – too much ingesta and cant move through properly.
How can you medically manage a pelvic flexure impaction?
Pain relief, a small number cant be managed so will need surgery where everything is essentially emptied out
When do secondary pelvic flexure impactions occur?
To sequestration of fluid in the small intestine in.
Name 3 things which cause secondry PF impaction (4)
–Ileal impaction
–Anterior enteritis (infectious)
–Equine grass sickness
–occasionally in other strangulating lesions depending on duration of clinical signs
What is actually happening in a secondary PF impaction?
•The fluid is stuck and the fluid has never got to the colon where it is to be absorbed
What is this?
Primary PF impaction– huge amount of ingesta
All food material built up
Dough like
What is this? What would it feel like?
Secondary PF impaction – grass sickness Fluid not getting through. Colon can do its job, just no more fluid going in
Shrink wrapped ingesta
How can we treat a PF impaction?
•Generally treatment consists of hydration of the impacted ingesta to soften and allow the body to move it on
–Most easily achieved by nasogastric intubation of fluids
–Aim to exceed to absorptive capacity of the large intestine. So need to put in more than the 4 litres needed.
How much of the ileal outflow does the caecum absorb?
70%
What is the effect of paraffin?
Facecal softening
What is the risk of administering paraffin?
Inadvertently administering paraffin into the trachea will kill a horse (slowly and distressingly)
What is the main benefit of using paraffin?
Hint: If you see oil staining
If you see oil staining around the tail you know the horse is passing something
The colon single point of fixation of the colon allows it to move freely within the abdomen, what may this result in? (3)
–left dorsal displacement (nephrosplenic entrapment)
–simple left colon displacement (retroflexion of the pelvic flexure)
- Twist back on itself
- Absence of the PF
–right dorsal displacement
- Colon between the caecum and the right body wall
- Spleen may be moved abaxially
What are the clinical signs of a displacement? (5)
- Abdominal distension (especially on the left for left dorsal displacement)
- Reduced gut sounds - things aren’t moving like they should
- Varying degrees of pain
- Usually cardiovascularly stable
–We haven’t killed any guy. No anaeorobic respiration
–Normal PCV, lactate etc.
•Heart rate often normal even when relatively severe signs of pain
