enterolith | Horse Racing Free Tips

Companero, a 26-year-old American paint horse, was referred to the Virginia Tech Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center for emergency colic evaluation. The gelding's primary care veterinarian, Dr. Kate Baldwin of TreeHorse Veterinary Services in Biglerville, PA had treated Companero at home for a suspected colon impaction, but due to his continued discomfort, referred him to the Equine Medical Center for further diagnostics and treatment.

Led by Dr. Emily Schaefer, clinical assistant professor of equine medicine, the center's medicine team completed an abdominal ultrasound. The procedure did not identify significant abnormalities. An abdominocentesis, normal in color, returned a slightly elevated white cell count, and rectal palpation revealed a transverse colon obstruction.

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Medical management with intravenous fluids and enteral fluids was started, and Companero initially remained quiet with no overt signs of colic. By the second day of hospitalization, Campanero had not passed any manure and again began showing signs of moderate abdominal discomfort. A second abdominal ultrasound was performed, but no abnormalities were found. A second abdominocentesis revealed changes in the gelding's peritoneal fluid, indicating that surgical intervention would be necessary to relieve the obstruction.

During surgical exploration of Companero's abdomen, Dr. Maureen Kelleher, clinical assistant professor of sports medicine and surgery, discovered three large enteroliths in the transverse and right dorsal colon. An enterotomy was performed, and the enteroliths were removed.

Enteroliths are intestinal “stones” or mineral deposits that form in thin layers over a small piece of foreign matter ingested by the horse, such as a sliver of wood, a pebble or grains of sand. Enteroliths may remain in the colon for variable periods of time, but result in obstructive colic when the normal gastrointestinal motility moves the enterolith from a larger-diameter colon structure to a smaller-diameter structure. Some breeds of horses are predisposed to enteroliths, which are also caused by certain diets and are more prevalent in horses in North America's Western states. Unusual for a horse with enteroliths, Companero has lived his entire life on the East Coast.

Companero needed a little assistance from the center's large animal lift during his recovery from surgery. Once back in his stall, he remained bright and comfortable during his post-operative care, which included fluid therapy, antibiotics and analgesia. The gelding was started on a careful refeeding schedule shortly after surgery.

After seven days in the hospital, Companero and his companion Diablo were transported home. Detailed instructions for an adjusted diet were provided to his owner, Sally Alexander, who will continue his rehabilitation care at home.

Sally, who has been riding for more than 50 years, describes Companero as her “fun” horse. She has spent the past 11 years trail riding through woods and fields, and in the mountains with her husband, Steve, on his off-track thoroughbred, Diablo. Steve and Diablo enjoy jumping and they travel from their home in Gettysburg, PA, to Virginia on a regular basis for jumping lessons. Of course, Diablo accompanied Companero to the hospital to provide moral support during his treatment.

“Everyone at the hospital was so caring and took Companero's problems into account, and that made all the difference in his great outcome. He has bad knees and has trouble getting up when he is down, so extra planning and effort were needed to get him up after surgery,” said Sally, who was very concerned about her gelding because of his age and physical challenges. “It was also great that Dr. Kelleher had experience in this type of problem, which I understand is unusual for this area. We can't thank everyone at the hospital enough for the great care both horses received during their stay.”

The post Surprise: Paint Horse Admitted To Equine Hospital Gets Unusual Diagnosis appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

A horse that ingests a foreign object like a pebble, baling twine or metal may not colic immediately upon eating the inedible item. Instead, his body may hold onto the object and coat it with minerals that form a flat, round or triangular stone inside the bowel. Called enteroliths, these are generally found in the large colon, where they can remain for years before potentially causing an issue.

Though it isn't clear why some horses develop enteroliths, breed disposition, management practices and certain diets (like those high in magnesium and protein) may contribute to enterolith formation. Geography does seem to play a role, with more cases in California and Florida than elsewhere in the United States. Though these stones can occur in all breeds, Morgans, Saddlebreds, Arabians and Arabian crosses are often affected.

Enterolith formation is believed to be affected by gut pH and motility, as well as by the availability of certain minerals. Horses can form both large and small stones; the small stones may be excreted with manure, but the large stones may create an obstruction that leads to colic.

Horses with enteroliths will present differently depending on how many enteroliths there are and where they are located. A horse with a big enterolith in the large colon may have chronic colic symptoms. Horses with smaller stones that move around may show signs of acute colic when something is obstructed. Before the horse exhibits any colic signs, he may have loose manure, weight loss, be reluctant to move or have an attitude change.

Diagnosing enteroliths can be challenging as many of the signs are not specific. X-rays are often used, but they are not always able to definitively diagnose stones not located in the large colon. Early diagnosis is important so that complete obstruction doesn't occur. The only treatment for horses that colic from enteroliths is surgery to remove the stones. Horses that have enteroliths removed should not have any alfalfa in their diets.

Enteroliths can be prevented by offering as much grazing time as possible, increasing the number of meals fed each day, exercising consistently and supplementing with psyllium.

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Surprise: Paint Horse Admitted To Equine Hospital Gets Unusual Diagnosis

Equine Enteroliths: A Difficult Diagnosis