This type of colic has been associated with horses that crib 2. Treatment involves surgery where the surgeon gently frees the entrapped or stuck small intestine (remember it is stuck between some really big blood vessels!), removes the dead small intestine, and reconnects the remaining healthy sections. Eventually compression within this small space cuts off the blood supply to the affected small intestine and it dies. Small intestine usually does not move into this small space, but if it does happen to go into this narrow tunnel, it gets stuck (also known as entrapped) and is unable to move out. The epiploic foramen is a small opening within the upper abdominal cavity located between some of the horse’s largest blood vessels, the vena cava and the portal vein, and the liver 1. A colic surgery where the dead piece of small intestine is removed and the remaining healthy sections are reconnected is needed if the horse’s life is to be saved. The amount of affected small intestine can range from a few feet to several dozen feet. The lipoma and stalk can wrap tightly around a piece of small intestine, cutting off the blood supply, resulting in death of that section of small intestine. Occasionally the lipoma develops a long string-like stalk. A lipoma is a small, benign, fatty tumor that develops within the abdomen. With no blood to bring nourishment and oxygen to the cells, the strangulated portion of the small intestine dies. Strangulating, means that the blood supply to a piece of intestine has been cut off. Some of the most common problems are discussed below. There are a variety of problems that can occur in the small intestine and cause colic.
The ileum is attached to the cecum, which is the first portion of the large intestine and similar to the human appendix 1. The final section is the ileum, which includes the last 1-2 feet of small intestine. This is the longest section and compromises the majority of the small intestine.
It starts at the stomach and extends 3-4 feet. The horse small intestine is over 70 feet in length and contains three parts.
We will continue our series of articles on colic by discussing causes of colic that occur in the small intestine.