Page 774 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

may be kinder to destroy the horse than to subject it to a long and painful journey.

VetBooks.ir The age of the horse or pony

Provided they are well in every other way, horses in their early twenties can have a similar
survival rate to younger horses. Horses in their mid to late twenties have a reduced survival
rate. One needs to remember that full recovery from colic surgery can take up to 6 months

and it is important to consider what benefit colic surgery will be to a very elderly horse or
pony.

The financial implications

Colic surgery requires several vets for a period of several hours and a whole back up team to
help before and after the surgery (Figure 17.12). The intensive care and fluid therapy that

follows is also expensive and the cost can be several thousand pounds.

Figure 17.12 Colic surgery

The survival rate