Lecture 3: Introduction to Equine Colic Flashcards
what is colic
Abdominal pain, GI origin
What is the most common cause of equine mortality
Colic
What are some things that can cause false colic
Myopathy, urinary obstruction, uterine torsion/contraction, peritonitis, pleuritis
What are some signs of colic
Pawing, lying down, rolling, backing up, stretching out, looking around at abdomen, rolling lips (flehmen)
What is the number one problem with colic
Pain- sympathetic discharge leads to ileus, bowel shutdown, gas distention, displacement and strangulation
Any bowel compromise can lead to ___, ____, ___ with or without rupture bowel
Endotoxemia, shock, and death
How can colic lead to endotoxemia, shock and death
Normally the mucosal barrier is preventing the endotoxins from entering but a compromised bowel they can become absorbed
What are the origins of pain in colic
- Spasm
- Distention (Gas, visceral pain)
- Ischemia/hypoxia
- Inflammation
- Peritonitis-parietal pain
What can cause distention (gas, visceral pain)
Primary flatulence, proximal to obstruction, ileus
What is one of the most painful conditions in colic
Gas distention
What happened
strangulation obstruction
What happened
Strangulation obstruction—> epithelium is gone so endotoxins can rush in and blood also rushes in but venous outflow is blocked
What wrong
Ischemic strangulation obstruction- no blood but epithelium/villi gone
What are some specific questions to ask for colic history
- Degree and change in pain
- Last defecation
- Sweating
- Signs of pain
- Response to treatment
- Previous colic or abdominal surgery
- Duration of colic
- Last time fed-food and water
- Changes to food/water, medication, housing, travel, exercise, other horses
- Exposure to foreign bodies
- Pregnancy
- Recent worming
- Recent trauma, injury, or illness
What should you be evaluating related to pain in PE
Severity, continuous/intermittent, response/duration to pain control medication
What are some attitude behaviors in horses with colic
Depressed, anxious, intangible
Normal or abnormal MM?
normal
Normal or abnormal MM?
pale- beginning of shock, decreased BF, or so distended can’t breath
Normal or abnormal MM?
cyanotic rim- vasoconstriction
Normal or abnormal MM?
Vasodilatory stage of septic shock
On PE temperature in increased what does that tell you
Enteritis, rarely surgical
On PE temperature is decreased, what does that tell you
Shock
If pulse is bounding what does that tell you
Vasodilation
If pulse is weak what does that tell you
Shock
What are some reasons that respiration effort can increase
Abdominal gas distention and diaphragmatic hernia—> suffocating
You auscultate the abdomen during a colic, what are you likely to hear
Decreased/absent gut sounds due to pain resulting in sympathetic discharge—> decrease GI motility
Spasms- short not long and productive
Tympany- gas distention
What is ballottement
Percussion test where you poke abdomen and can sometimes see a fluid wave
When is it common to see a fluid wave
Foals with uroperitoneum
How can you assess parietal pain
Secession-depress and release abdomen by pushing fist into flank
Where do you listen for sand accumulation
Near xiphoid, ventral abdomen
What is the point of passing NG tube
Reflux- assessing for accumulated fluid in stomach
How do you perform NG tube for reflux purposes
Pump in water and then lower to create a siphon
In a normal rectal exam where is pelvic flexure
Left side
In normal rectal exam how should dorsal and ventral colon feel
Dorsal colon: smooth
Ventral colon: haustrae
T of F: SI is easy to find on normal rectal exam
False!
In normal rectal exam where should cecum be
On the right
In a normal rectal exam what should cecum feel like
Haustrae present, slight distention, presence of medial band
Where should spleen be in normal rectal exam
Against left abdominal wall
What quadrant would you check for nephrosplenic
Left dorsal quadrant
If there is fluid in abdomen what does it feel like
Arm floats in space
What part of intestines can occupy nephrosplenic space
Colon
What are some SI rectal exam abnormalities
The fact that you can feel them, mild distention (proximal enteritis), thicker bowel wall, taut distention is serious finding