Page 761 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

OBSERVATION OF THE RESPIRATORY PATTERN

Fast, shallow breathing often accompanies severe colic.
VetBooks.ir EXAMINATION OF THE MUCOUS MEMBRANES

The gums of a healthy horse are a pale salmon-pink colour. In a serious colic they change
colour, becoming redder, bluish purple or greyish white. The conjunctival membranes turn
from salmon pink to brick red as the horse becomes toxic and circulatory changes occur.

MEASUREMENT OF CAPILLARY REFILL TIME

Pressing firmly on the horse’s gum blanches the mucous membrane. The pink colour should
return within three seconds. Failure to do so indicates circulatory shock.

CHECKING IF THE HORSE IS DEHYDRATED

This will be assessed from the skin tone and inspection of the mucous membranes.

ASSESSING IF THE ABDOMEN IS DISTENDED

Accumulation of gas and food material in the intestines may lead to painful abdominal
distension.

RECTAL EXAMINATION

A lot of valuable information can be obtained by the vet performing a rectal examination.
The vet will feel for:
• droppings in the rectum, to see if digested food material is still passing through the horse

• the consistency of the droppings, to see if the horse has diarrhoea or is constipated

• impaction of the large bowel

• loops of small intestine (normally not palpable) distended by gas

• tight bands of tissue and sites of acute pain indicating bowel displacement
• with a severe displacement, the rectum may be so tight that internal examination is not

possible.

PASSING A STOMACH TUBE
A warmed, flexible stomach (nasogastric) tube may be passed up one nostril, into the

pharynx. When the horse swallows, the tube is pushed down the oesophagus, into the
stomach (Figure 17.6). This procedure may be helpful in establishing a diagnosis. For

example, reflux of a large amount of gas or fluid suggests that the problem lies in the