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COLIC IN HORSES WHAT IS COLIC? The term "colic" means only "pain in the abdomen" or "pain in the belly". There are many causes for such pain, ranging from the mild and inconse- quential to the life-threatening or fatal. One of the problems with equine colic is that it can be very difficult in the early stages to distinguish the mild from the potentially fatal. This is why all cases of abdominal pain should be taken seriously from the onset. A tour of the gastro-intestinal tract A guided tour of the horse's gastro-intestinal tract (GIT or "guts") helps to explain why there are so many forms of colic. The horse's GIT is similar to that of most species but it has a number of specialised design features, some of which predispose it to colic. Once food has been chewed, it passes down the esophagus ("gullet") into the stomach. The horse has a fairly small stomach for its size (8-15 litres), a design well suited to an animal which grazes almost continuously in its natural state. Major types of colic • Impaction colic: This is the term used when the intestine becomes blocked by a firm mass of food. Impactions most commonly occur in the large intestine at one of the flexures. This is a fairly common type of colic which usually resolves relatively easily with appropriate treatment. However, an impaction may be just the first obvious sign in a more complicated case. • Gas colic: Sometimes gas builds up in the intestine, most commonly in the large intestine and/or caecum. The gas stretches the intestine, causing pain. Gas colics usually resolve fairly easily with appropriate treatment, although it is essential to ensure that there is no underlying reason for the problem. • Spasmodic colic: Some cases of colic are due to increased intestinal contractions, the abnormal spasms causing the intestines to contract painfully. These cases usually respond fairly well. • Displacement/volvulus/torsion ('twisted gut"): In a "displacement", a portion of the intestine has moved to an abnormal position in the abdomen. A "volvulvus" or "torsion" occurs when a piece of the intestine twists. The suspension of the small intestine from the mesentery (the "net curtain") and the unfixed nature of much of the large intestine predispose horses to intestinal displacements and torsions. Except in rare cases, these types of colic cause a total blockage of the intestine and require immediate surgery if the horse is to survive. In the early stages of displacement/torsion colic, the signs may be similar to those of a horse with one of the more benign causes of colic. That is why it is important to take all cases of colic seriously, and to seek veterinary advice at an early stage. • Enteritis/colitis: Some cases of abdominal pain are due to inflammation of the small (enteritis) or large (colitis) intestines. These are serious medical cases and require immediate veterinary attention. • Gastric distension/rupture: When a horse gorges itself on grain or, even more seriously, a substance which expands when dampened like dried beet pulp, the contents of the stomach can swell. The horse's small stomach and its inability to vomit mean that in these circumstances the stomach may burst. Once this has happened death is inevitable. If you suspect that your horse may have gorged itself on concentrate feeds, seek veterinary advice immediately. • "Unknown": In many cases of colic it is impossible to determine the reason for the pain. Symptomatic treatment, close monitoring and attention to any adverse developments usually lead to resolution of the problem. Signs of Colic The signs of colic in horses range from almost imperceptible in mild cases to extremely violent in severe cases. The following list includes the most common signs: • lying down more than usual • getting up and lying down repeatedly • standing stretched out • standing frequently as if to urinate • turning the head towards the flank • repeatedly curling the upper lip • pawing the ground • kicking at the abdomen • rolling THIS ARTICLE ON COLIC WAS WRITTEN BY THE VETERINARIAN JANET DOUGLAS FROM THE EQUINE RESEARCH CENTER IN CANADA. |
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MORE ON CLONIE PONIES Can you steal a few hairs from a Champion Sport Horse and clone your own? The forces are gathering in the war against laminitis. The death of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro brought sharply into focus the challenges that laminitis, or founder, bring. The champion racehorse survived and recovered from a catastrophic leg injury, only to succumb to laminitis. Barbaro's battle with laminitis raised awareness of the problem, and has re-energised efforts to find solutions. More about Cloning Techniques Equus Newsletter #1 described animal cloning as the process by which an entire organism is reproduced from a single cell taken from the parent organism to create a genetically identical animal with the same exact DNA. Cloning happens quite frequently in nature. Asexual reproduction in certain organisms and the development of twins from a single fertilized egg are both instances of Cloning. With the advancement of biological technology and the merge of different laboratory techniques developed by specialists with different backgrounds such as cell culture, cryobiology, microsurgery and embryology, it is now possible to artificially recreate the process of Animal Cloning. A biopsy (small sample of tissue) is removed from the donor animal and cells extracted from the biopsy are cultured. At this stage it is possible to freeze them in liquid nitrogen for future use. The nucleus in each of these cells contains almost the whole donor animals genetic material. To produce a clone, an embryo must be provided which will these chosen genes and for this purpose another equine oocyte nucleus is harvested and its nucleus is removed and replaced by the donor animal’s nucleus. This process requires the use of a microscope and micromanipulation apparatus commensurate with the oocyte and nucleus size - 100 and 10 Micron respectively! 7 days after this the young embryo will be embedded in the uterus of a receiver mare. Gestation now begins and after a normal gestation period the mare will give birth to a foal. This foal will carry the whole genetic material of the donor animal, as if it were its true twin World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) on cloning While the WBFSH does express concern about ethical aspects of cloning and the resulting genetic progress, it nonetheless intends to remain practical as cloning does serve various purposes. The WBFSH recognizes that cloninghas little chance of being banned since all horses are required to be registered because of traceability legislations, and will thus acquire a legal existence anyhow. While studbook registration is the studbook organization’s responsibility, the WBFSH does recommend clearly naming clones and both their genetic and breeding donor sources. The federation further advises breeding organisations to consider clones as brand new individuals to test and to disregard their model’s performances. CLONING AND THE RACE HORSE INDUSTRY When the first horse clone Prometea was born, considerable discussion in the horseracing world was sparked. Enthusiasts and breeders alike pondered a future where widespread cloning might lead to races populated entirely by genetically identical clones. According to Eric Palmer from Cryozootech, race associations have banned all clones from racing although some are registered in studbooks including one stallion which has legal status for AI in Europe. North America's Jockey Club and the British Horseracing Board permit only natural breeding methods which means no artificial insemination, and certainly no cloning. Australasian racing ministers voted unanimously to ban cloned horses from racing in their jurisdictions after the thoroughbred and harness racing industries protested against plans to clone former Australian harness racing champion Gammalite. A representative told reporters: "I do think by introducing cloning it does have the potential to get rid of the beauty of racing which is its uncertainty". Harness Racing Victoria chief executive Rob Pollock endorsed the decision, saying "We don't want our races determined in laboratories". But Clone International spokesman Stephen Fry said it was premature to ban a technology before it was properly understood as cloning horses could help eradicate the highly contagious equine respiratory diseases. "I see the application to be for breeding purposes, not for racing purposes," he said. Racehorse owners often miss the chance to stud their champions to the highest bidder because many male horses are gelded at an early age to improve their temperament. Cloning could permit these horses to pass on their genetic material on to future stallions. Many owners stop racing their champion thoroughbreds at 3 years old, to put them out to stud, an economic decision. Perversely, this leads to breeding for a particular kind of early performance, which has effects on training and life histories of the animals. Fears that cloning will shrink the gene pool, whilst largely valid, dont take into account that since the whole point of racing is to get to the finish line fastest this certainly does not encourage breeding for phenotypic diversity at all either. ndeed, the debilitating muscle ailment hyperkalemic periodic paralysis widespread among pedigreed quarter horses today, has been traced by researchers to a genetic defect from a single champion stallion named Impressive, further proof that by encouraging the best racing traits in breeding this is often at the expense of genetic diversity. Some breeders fear that cloning will only further shrink the gene pool, in addition to sucking excitement out of the sport and profit out of the breeding industry. It is so that as cloning is a process of replicating a genetic constitution, this hampers diversity in genes and while lessening the diversity in genes, we weaken our ability of adaptation. Cloning is also detrimental to the beauty that lies in diversity. However, because with cloning one knows exactly what genetic material one is dealing with, this could just be the answer to combating the wrong traits too. TO CLONE OR NOT TO CLONE? A VERY CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE INDEED! THERE ARE MANY VIEWPOINTS AND THE INTERNATIONAL DEBATE IS FAR FROM OVER! |
Acc Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/ Prometea, the world's first horse clone, nuzzles the hand of Italian scientist Cesare Galli as her mother Stella Cometa looks on. |
TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1.The competition is open to all, excluding any employees of Equus Horse Feeds and their family members. 2.Decision of judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 3.The prize is not transferable and cannot be converted to cash. 4.Competition closes 31 March 2009. 5.The winner will be notified by e-mail to the address supplied, and published on the Equus website www.equusfeeds.co.za, as well as the Equus newsletter after the closing date. 6.The prize will be delivered free of charge to the feed store stocking Equus products which is closest to the winner. |
