EQUINE | Equine Disease Update
elusive. Simple colic, commonly diagnosed as “gas
colic,” “spasmodic colic,” or “ileus,” makes up ap-
proximately 85% of all colic episodes, yet the cause or
mechanism for these gastrointestinal abnormalities re-
mains unknown. Similarly, the cause of diseases with
a higher morbidity and mortality such as intestinal
strangulations have no known cause. Epidemiologi-
cal research over the past three decades has identified
risk factors appearing to have a causal relationship, yet
specific mechanisms such as why intestine twists and
strangulates on its mesentery is unknown. Alteration
in intestinal function is most likely multifactorial, with
combined event and environmental factors increasing
risk. Some of these factors are non-specific, but still are sig-
nificantly related to increased colic risk.
Numerous factors are reported to increase colic risk
including some basic husbandry and feeding practices
(see Table 1). Multiple aspects of the pathophysiology of colic have
been investigated. Research on intestinal motility, sys-
temic inflammatory response syndrome (also known
as endotoxic shock), intestinal injury and inflamma-
tion, parasite control, gastric ulcers, surgical tech-
niques, and response to therapy have all improved the
understanding of events that occur during colic. There
is no question the additional information has changed
the veterinarian’s ability to improve colic treatment
and survival. Still, how intestinal dysfunction and sys-
temic responses are initiated remain to be discovered.
More research is needed if we are to change the colic
p