DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF COLIC IN HORSES

Abstract

The article presents the results of treatment of colic in horses. For the study we selected 22 horses brought to the clinic with colic symptoms. The clinical studies were conducted analyzing the data contained in the patient data system. We analyzed the treatment methods used and their effectiveness. We used drug treatment and a combination of drug and surgical interventions. In all cases, symptomatic therapy was used. Gastrointestinal diseases are frequent in horses and are the most common cause of emergency room visits. Our findings indicate that medication is the most effective treatment method, with a recovery rate of 78%. The treatment regimen includes flunixin for pain relief, dexamethasone for sedation, and butylscopolamine bromide, dipyrone, and drotaverine hydrochloride to alleviate spasms. Liquid therapy involves the use of various infusion solutions, which are combined with each other and with antibiotic treatment for enhanced effectiveness. Less effective is the use of surgery alone (with a recovery rate of 22%), which aims to eliminate the cause of the disease through surgical procedures. The integrated use of medicinal and surgical methods enables to improve and lead to recovery and a positive outcome of colic in horses (recovery rate of 25%).