Horses have up to 70 feet of intestine and can spare up to a third. Recovering horses require proper nutrition and management to reduce stress. If postoperative complications occurred, especially in the incision, additional rest is recommended. The survival rate rapidly decreases in inverse proportion to the duration of clinical signs. Horse colic surgery. “An older horse can do really well after colic surgery, even with a big resection,” Aitken said. Significant improvements have been made. It's a one time shot, and if the horse needs it again it'll be on your own dime. “He’s too old.” The oldest horse that I have ever sent to colic surgery was 29 years old. Really. After colic surgery, your horse will be watched for motility upset and infections of the incision site and abdominal cavity. Colic is a nonspecific term that refers to any type of abdominal pain or discomfort. Earlier referral of cases for surgery… Some of the worst candidates are intense performance horses that simply cannot tolerate being locked in a stall for the weeks following surgery. Many horses referred to hospitals for colic surgery are presented with severe gastrointestinal lesions that can quickly lead to shock and death. I have no intentions of getting colic surgery for any of mine, the 7 y/o included. Colic surgeries can incur upwards of $7,500 in veterinary fees, and this is a common health conditions for horses. Of the 51 control horses, only four (8%) owners/trainers felt that horse performance improved; 39 (76%) felt the horse performed similarly to before surgery; eight (16%) felt that performance declined following colic surgery. If you’ve made the decision to give him a chance, chances are things will turn out OK. 3. A horse’s chances of surviving colic surgery have improved greatly during the past 35 years. Have your veterinarian check the horse at 30, 60 and 90 days to ensure that the horse … “Just because an older horse is colicking, they aren’t doomed. However, colic surgery is certainly not a guaranteed end of your horse’s career, either. https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health-archive/colic-surgery If you want to be able to afford emergency colic surgery, you may want to take out a policy specifically for this scenario. Colic surgery is not for every horse. Colic Surgery. • Is the horse a good colic surgery candidate? Older horses and horses that have other disease are also not good candidates. Temperament plays a big role. Colic can be acute, chronic, or recurrent and is generally caused by distension or obstruction of the gut with fluid, food being ingested, a foreign object, or gas. Plus, once your horse has had colic surgery, you won't be able to insure him/her again for it. 60 to 90 days: Gradually return to normal activity from day 60 to day 90 after surgery. 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