equine GI

Question 1

what are some things that can lead to colic in horses

Answer 1

• Gastric ulcers
• small intestinal disease
• colonic disease
• parasites
• peritonitis

Question 2

GI tract path

Answer 2

stomach
duodenum, jejunum, ileum
cecum
R. ventral colon
* sternal flexure
L. ventral colon
* pelvic flexure
L. dorsal colon
* diaphragmatic flexure
R. dorsal colon
Transverse colon
Descending (small) colon
rectum / anus

Question 3

where in the GI tract are bands (taenia) located

Answer 3

cecum, colon (ventral, dorsal, small) and pelvic flexure

Question 4

small segmented pouches of bowel separated by haustral folds

Answer 4

haustra

Question 4

functions of small intestine

Answer 4

digestion of simple carbohydrates and readily accessible protein

most protein is absorbed in foregut

Question 5

function of colon

Answer 5

reabsorption of water
some further fermentation

Question 5

function of cecum

Answer 5

fermentation of some carbs and proteins that escaped digestion in the SI

• cellulose breakdown

creation and absorption of VFAs

Question 6

where does fermentation occur

Answer 6

cecum and colon

Question 7

what does fermentation in the hindgut produce

Answer 7

CO2, methane, VFAs

Question 8

main difference b/w hindgut and foregut digestion

Answer 8

hindgut digestion is largely microbial and not enzymatic as in the foregut

Question 9

microbial fermentation in the hindgut allows horses to breakdown _______

Answer 9

cellulose

Question 10

Propionate

Answer 10

used for glucose production

Question 11

acetate gets converted to - converted to _________ and is used for immediate energy or for fat
synthesis

Answer 11

acetyl CoA

Question 12

Butyrate

Answer 12

also converted acetyl CoA

Question 13

what does the mircobiota consist of

Answer 13

bacteria, fungi, protozoa
* Phylum Fermicutes 46-70%
* Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria, and
Spirochaetes make up 0-15% each.

Question 14

does microbiota differ in healthy vs sick horses

Answer 14

yuh (or should i say yee)
Diarrheic horses have more Fusobacteria than healthy horses and have
fewer Clostridiales

Question 15

clinical signs of colic

Answer 15

• Sweating
• Pawing
• Tachycardia
• Tachypnea
• Up and down
• Rolling
• Stretching out
• Shifting
• Biting or looking at sides
• Kicking at abdomen

Question 16

Stomach is divided into upper squamous stomach and the lower
glandular stomach by the ________

Answer 16

margo plicatus

ulcerations can occur in both upper and lower

Question 17

Grading systems ESGD (equine squamous gastric disease)

Answer 17

• Grade 0 is normal
• Grade 1-hyperkeratosis
• Grade 2- small, single or multifocal
  lesions
• Grade 3- large single or extensive
  superficial lesions
• Grade 4- extensive lesions with areas
  of apparent deep ulceration

Question 18

enteritis

Answer 18

inflammatory disease of small intestine

Question 19

clinical signs of small intestine strangulation

Answer 19

severe pain, serosanguinous belly tap

Question 20

Strangulating lipoma

Answer 20

Lipomas form on stalks in the mesentery.

Question 21

what horses are prone to Inguinal hernia

Answer 21

stallions

Question 22

enteritis characterized by : Fever, reflux (vomiting is not a thing), leukocytosis, colic that resolves with decompression

Answer 22

Acute : Proximal enteritis

Question 23

enteritis characterized by Weight loss and panhypoproteinemia (loss of protein)

Answer 23

Chronic/insidious: Inflammatory bowel syndromes, neoplasia

Question 24

ileal impactions (in SI) can be caused by?

Answer 24

• Feeding coastal Bermuda hay
• Tapeworm infestation (Anoplocephala)

Question 25

main causes/types of small intestine impactions

Answer 25

• lesions in SI
• ileal impactions
• adhesions (scar tissue)
• Ascaridiasis (worms)

Question 26

main causes/types of large colon impaction

Answer 26

• pelvic flexure
• sand impactions
• enteroliths (mineral calculus)
• cecal impaction

Question 27

what is colitis

Answer 27

inflammatory disease of large intestine

Question 28

colitis etiologies

Answer 28

• Infectious- Salmonella, Clostridium, Coronavirus, Potomac Horse Fever
• Verminous- encysted small strongyles
• Caustic- sand colitis

Question 29

Nephrosplenic entrapment = _______Displacement

Answer 29

Left Dorsal

Question 30

2 types of large colon displacements

Answer 30

Nephrosplenic entrapment (Left Dorsal)
Right Dorsal displacement

Question 31

pelvic flexure

Answer 31

Ventral colon to dorsal colon, 180 degrees, narrows significantly

Question 32

sand impactions

Answer 32

Accumulates in the ventral colon, right dorsal colon, pelvic flexure

Question 33

enteroliths

Answer 33

mineral calculus
* California, alfalfa associated
* Typically in the right dorsal colon/transverse colon

Question 34

cecal impaction

Answer 34

Primary but also important secondary condition
* Often associated with orthopedic surgical disease

Question 35

colon volvulus

Answer 35

Severe, unrelenting abdominal pain
* Gross distension of the abdomen
* The volvulus is typically at the mesenteric attachment of the
colon to the dorsal body wall involving the cecum and entire large
colon
* Can twist just at the sternal/diaphragmatic flexure

Question 36

issues of descending (small) colon

Answer 36

• Impaction/Fecoliths
• Salmonellosis
• Foals with meconium impactions

Question 37

peritonisis

Answer 37

Unknown etiology
* Recent abdominal surgery
* Cyathostomiasis (small strongyles)
* Infiltrative bowel disease
* Internal abscesses

Question 38

where are tapeworms found

Answer 38

• Ileocecal intussusception, cecocolic intussusception, typhilitis

Question 39

Ascarids lead to…

Answer 39

Small intestinal impaction

Question 40

strongyles are…

Answer 40

blood worms

Question 41

where can strongyles be found

Answer 41

• Large colon - thromboembolic colic
  Cranial mesenteric aneurysm
  Strongylus vulgaris
• Small- encysted cyathostomes

Question 42

bacteria that causes a proliferative enteropathy

Answer 42

Lawsonia intracellularis