Diseases of Equine GI System Flashcards
Enamel Points
- Develop because mandible is narrower than maxilla
- Upper = buccal side; called hooks
- Lower = lingual side; called ramps
- Form oral mucosal ulcerations
Equine Dentistry
- Perform oral exam at least 1x/year; recommend 2x/year
- Float teeth starting at 3-4 years; sometimes 2 years of age
Wolf Teeth
- PM1
- Mainly on maxilla
- Rare on mandible
- Not present in many horses
- Remove under sedation
Choke
Occurs at any location in the esophagus (obstruction)
* poor dentition
* lack of water intake
* overcrowding; needing to eat fast
* type of feed
* behavior - bolt eating
Choke
Clinical Signs
- Colic
- Excessive drooling / foaming
- Feed material coming out of nose
- Coughing
- Anxiety
- Neck extending
Choke
Treatment
- Remove hay and water
- Sedate to calm and relax throat muscles
- Pass NG tube
- Break up food bolus with water
- Push food bolus into stomach
Choke
Complications
- Aspiration pneumonia most significant
- Stricture not as common
Gastric Ulcers
Form with decreased forage intake to counter stomach acid
* young horses prone
* common in performance horses
Gastric Ulcers
Location
Margo Plicatus
* junction between the glandular and non-glandular part of stomach
Colic
Any condition that causes pain
* distention of gut
* torsion / tumor
* ischemia (blood flow restriction)
* enteritis or ulcers
Colic
Clinical Signs
- Pawing at ground
- Rolling
- Frequently laying down and getting up
- Positioning to urinate
- Anorexia / Decreased eating
- Flehmen response
Colic
Flehmen Response
Curling of lip
Borborygmi
Large intestinal motility sounds
Colic
Prevention
- Have a set daily routine
- Feed high quality roughage
- Avoid excessive grain or energy dense supplements
- Smaller, frequent meals
- Plenty of fresh water
- If horse is hot, small sips of lukewarm water
Enteritis
Clinical signs involve abdominal pain
* Inflammation
* Bacterial (Salmonella)
* Ileus
Enteritis
in Ileus
- No GI motility
- Back up of fluid / gas
- Stomach overfills with fluid
- Pain and possible rupture
- Horses unable to vomit
Enteritis
Diagnosis / Treatment
Diagnose with
* U/S
* distended small intestine
* large amounts of reflux noted when tube passed
Treat medically with supportive care and removal of fluid via tube
Strangulating Lipoma
- Must differentiate from enteritis
- Emergency situation
- Most common in older horses and Arabians
- Lipoma fatty tumor
- Signs of colic
Enterolith
Large intestinal disease
* rock of mineral present
* seen with horses around sandy soils
Sand Impactions
Locations
- Ventral colon
- Pelvic flexure
- Transverse colon
Strongyles
Major pathogenic parasites in adult horses
* small ones often seen
* larva encysted in intestinal wall
* swollen blood vessels and hemorrhagic nodules
Ascarids
Major pathogenic parasite seen in foals and weanling
* causes worm impactions that can lead to intestinal rupture and death
Fecal Egg Count
- Best practice; use with strategic worming
- Used to detect resistance of parasites in horses
- Use horses with highest possible pre-treatment egg count
- No treatment for 8-12 weeks before doing count
