How to decide when to transfer a horse with colic

摘要

Colic is the most common emergency in equine practise and approximately 7%-10 % of colic horses evaluated by private practitioners have a lesion that requires surgical correction; this may be obvious with acute strangulating obstructions, but most cases are not so straightforward. Early identification of horses that require referral because of the presence of surgical lesions or the need for advance intensive medical care is critical to obtain a successful outcome.