Equine GI Flashcards
What is a key indicator of the potential need for surgical intervention?
Recurrence of pain despite moderate/potent analgesia, or non-response to analgesia
What is the surgical treatment for large colon obstruction?
Pelvic flexure enterotomy
What is post-op ileus?
Impairment of GI motility after surgery
usually stomach + colon
When should you not give Flunixin as analgesia for colic?
If colic of unknown cause with mild/moderate pain
Potent analgesic so masks colic pain and effects of SIRS
Makes decision making more difficult (i.e. whether to refer for surgery or not)
What can oral fluid therapy assist with resolving?
Large colon impactions
Hydrates ingesta
What is meconium retention in foals?
What is the treatment?
What is an important differential diagnosis?
Failure to pass normal black faeces
Tx: Enema
DDx: Ruptured bladder
What is the main treatment for gastric ulcers?
Which type is more responsive to treatment?
Omeprazole
ESGUS
What is the treatment of spasmodic colic?
Butylscopolamine (Buscopan)
+/- metimazole/phenylbutazone
What type of colic is the most frequently diagnosed?
Spasmodic colic
What type of colic is seen more commonly with increased stabling, straw bedding and box rest?
Pelvic flexure impaction
Horses may eat the straw bedding
What would you find in a rectal exam of a horse with a pelvic flexure (large colon) impaction?
In what horses do these RARELY occur?
Doughy, firm structure
Caudal-left abdomen
Horses turned out to grass all the time (more likely to be EGS)
What is the treatment for Nephrosplenic entrapment?
Phenylnephrine (reduces splenic size)
Lunge then reasess rectally
How do you diagnose Nephrosplenic entrapment?
What type of horses are predisposed?
Rectal (left dorsal displacement)
Ultrasound: can’t see left kidney
Warmbloods/large horses
What is the prognosis and treatment of gastrointestinal rupture?
What is it often due to?
Hopeless prognosis
Euthanasia
Stomach rupture, due to gastric reflux
What is the treatment for “choke” oesophageal obstruction?
Remove feed, usually resolves spontaneously
If not, sedate and lavage oesophagus
Where would you palpate for choke or oesophageal tears?
Left cervical region
What are the 3 groups of causes of dysphagia?
Pain
Neurogenic
Obstructive
How can haemoabdomen occur following parturition?
Rupture of the middle uterine artery
What is an incision hernia?
A complication of colic surgery
Hernia at incision site
Increased risk of hernia if incision site infection occurs
What is the treatment for carbohydrate overload?
Lavage gastric contents until runs clear Cryotherapy of the feet Flunixin Referral if SIRS Activated charcoal?
What does carbohydrate overload cause?
Intestinal bacteria ferment carbohydrates producing endotoxins
SIRS, laminitis, diarrhoea and death!
What is the epidemiology of pedunculated lipoma strangulation?
Ponies (more than horses)
Geldings
Over 8 years
Small intestine most common