Colics in the Horse* 



BY DAVID S. WHITE, D. V. M., COLUMBUS, OHIO 



DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE, OHIO 



STATE UNIVERSITY 



In this paper I will deal with colic in a narrow sense 

 only, using the term to signify that a given patient is 

 suffering from severe pain due to some disorder of the 

 stomach or bowels or both. As is frequently observed, 

 colics, while usually acute, are sometimes chronic, lasting 

 for several weeks with either continuous or intermittent 

 pain. These colics are usually due to some bowel lesion 

 of long standing (tumor, stenosis near termination of 

 ilium, chronic dilatation of the cecum, hernias) or occa- 

 sionally helminths. On account of their greater fre- 

 quency, only those colics will be discussed which are 

 acute in course and due mainly to simple fecal impactions, 

 impactions complicated with displacement, and gaseous 

 distention of the stomach. Gastro-enteritis, a common 

 cause of abdominal pain in the horse, can not be touched 

 upon for lack of space. 



The morbidity of colic is about 10% of all cf the ail- 

 ments of horses and 50% of their internal diseases. 



The mortality averages 10%. The most common 

 causes of death, according to Froehner, are the follow- 

 ing: 



*Excerpted from an article in tlie January, 1914, issue of the Veterinary 

 Alumni Quarterly (O. S. U., Columbus). 



