Diseases of the Small Intestine

Small intestinal diseases can account for 25-64% of all colic cases treated at veterinary hospitals in adult horses 1-10 and in foals. Strangulating lesions of the small intestine can be the most challenging to treat surgically, and they cause a severe disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. Strangulation of small intestine by a pedunculated lipoma accounted for 9.6% of 2000 horses that underwent colic surgery in one study, with 89-96% in the small intestine. A typical small intestinal volvulus involves a >360 degree rotation of long segments of small intestine into tight spirals around the mesenteric axis. An intussusception forms when the invaginated segment or intussusceptum enters the…