Colic Surgery Required to Remove Three Intestinal Obstructions from Mini Horse

“I call them my Geriatric Club,” joked horse owner Laura Croyle, referring to her three horses – Big Chief and Little Cloud, both 20-year-old miniatures, and Dex, a 30-year-old mustang.

The three “brothers” have been herd mates for 10 years and are inseparable. So, it’s understandable when Dex and Little Cloud put up a fuss when Big Chief was taken to UC Davis for five days. The miniature gelding developed a case of colic and was writhing in pain when Laura and her husband Warren found him one morning four months ago.

“Big Chief was on the ground, obviously in a lot of pain,” Laura said. “He was upside down and not even rolling around. It was as if he’d given up.”

Big Chief had historical issues with colic, but the bouts were always minor, as he responded well to medication. But this time was different. He wasn’t responding. Knowing Big Chief’s history, his primary veterinarian referred him to the UC Davis Large Animal Hospital.

Faculty equine surgeon Dr. Sandra Valdez and equine surgery resident Dr. David Orozco-Lopez took the lead on Big Chief’s case.

Big Chief underwent a comprehensive diagnostic workup. This included a complete physical examination, bloodwork, nasogastric intubation, and abdominal radiographs and ultrasonography. The abdominal radiographs revealed two intra-abdominal structures that lacked the mineral opacity typically seen with enteroliths.

Because Big Chief was no longer exhibiting marked abdominal pain at the time of admission, advanced imaging (CT scan) was initially considered to better characterize the structures prior to surgery the following day. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit for close monitoring and intravenous fluid therapy. Overnight, however, he became progressively more painful, and his condition deteriorated rapidly by the following morning. Given the change in clinical status, the decision was made to proceed directly to exploratory abdominal surgery and forego advanced imaging.

With the leadership of the Anesthesia Service and highly experienced technical staff members, Big Chief was carefully placed under general anesthesia and taken to surgery. Upon exploring the abdomen, Drs. Valdez and Orozco-Lopez discovered a large colon obstruction caused by three trichobezoars. Two of them corresponded to the structures observed on abdominal radiographs. However, the largest mass—which was blocking the entire lumen of the large intestine—had not been visible on imaging, as it lacked a mineralized outer layer and consisted primarily of compacted chewed hair, making it radiographically undetectable.

All three trichobezoars were successfully removed through a large colon enterotomy – a surgical incision into the large intestine. Big Chief recovered smoothly from anesthesia without complications. Post-operatively, he was maintained on intravenous fluids, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and analgesics. All treatments were gradually tapered as his clinical condition improved. He was discharged with an excellent appetite, normal manure production, and an expectation for a full recovery.

Two of the trichobezoars were oddly shaped, measuring 7x7x12 and 3x2x6 centimeters, and the third was more rounded, measuring 5 centimeters in diameter. These gastrointestinal blockages are caused by an accumulation of ingested hair (often from chewing tails or manes), sand, rocks, or other minerals from the ground.

“I couldn’t believe the size of the largest one,” Laura said. “That might not have made much of an impact for a larger horse, but for a mini – no wonder he was so uncomfortable.”

Horses recovering from colic surgery are generally required to maintain a strict 3-month routine. In the first month, they should be kept on strict stall rest with twice daily hand walks for 10 minutes. During the second month, they are allowed to access a small run in addition to stall rest and hand walks. Finally, in the third month, they are granted access to a large pasture.

The Croyles report that Big Chief’s recovery couldn’t have been better, and Dex and Little Cloud are happy their buddy is back to normal.

“Without UC Davis, Big Chief would’ve died,” said Laura. “Warren and I are beyond grateful that he is still here with us, back to his ‘large and in charge’ self.”

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