Archive Case #10: Equine Colic

Clinical Clues

1. A 9-year-old Thoroughbred gelding is presented for acute discomfort.
2. The owner reports the horse has been pawing the ground and looking repeatedly at its flank.
3. The horse has rolled several times and appears restless.
4. On examination the horse is sweating with an elevated heart rate.
5. Rectal examination reveals signs of gastrointestinal distension.
6. Pain originating from the gastrointestinal tract is a common emergency syndrome in horses.

Diagnosis

Equine Colic

Colic describes abdominal pain in horses and can arise from many gastrointestinal disorders such as gas distension, impaction, or displacement.

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.