User:Alsiola vet/colic
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This is a sandbox for me to restructure some of the equine colic page in before putting the a revised version on the real page. All comments are welcome on the talk page!Alsiola vet (talk) 21:09, 12 July 2008 (UTC)
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Colic in horses is defined as abdominal pain, and can be caused by a wide variety of conditions. Many of these conditions are life threatening, and therefore it is essential to diagnose and treat cases of colic as quickly as possible. The most common causes of colic are gastrointestinal conditions, although it can also be caused by other abdominal conditions. In the latter case, it is often called false colic. Treatment of colic is largely dependent upon identifying the underlying reason for the pain, and treating this cause appropriately. Most commonly this is done medically[citation needed], but in a small percentage of cases, surgical intervention is needed.[citation needed] Among domesticated horses, colic is a major cause of premature death.[citation needed] The incidence of colic in the general horse population has been estimated between 10 and 20 percent on an annual basis[citation needed]. It is important that any person who owns or works with horses be able to recognize the signs of colic, so that a veterinarian may be called promptly.