Identifying the danger signs of colic
Researchers at the University of Nottingham are carrying out a survey to gather information on equine colic.
They require 1000 cases of colic for their study, however, only 80 vets have registered to take part, with many more needed.
Colic is the number one killer of horses, although most cases can be treated, and less that 10 per cent are severe enough to require surgery. Vets face difficultly differentiating between mild cases and those that are in the early stages of being potentially life-threatening.
Nottingham's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science are looking at how equine colic cases first present to vets, how they are diagnosed, and what the outcomes are.
The aim of the study is to establish a set of guidelines that will transform the diagnosis of the condition.
Dr Sarah Freeman, an expert in equine surgery, said: "We don't just want to hear about the difficult surgical cases. No matter how mild the case is, we want to hear from veterinary surgeons across the country.
"Most of the research so far has focused on surgical and hospital based cases. Very little work has been done on the first assessment of colic. The critical thing is to identify the danger signs in cases which need to be seen very quickly. By doing that we will be able to develop a standard set of guidelines of things to do and the specific warning signs to look out for in certain types of colic."
Click here to register and complete the online survey.
BSAVA is to partner with BVA Live (11-12 June 2026) to champion clinical research.
