Radiographic parameters for diagnosing sand colic in horses

Abstract

Background: Ingestion of sand can cause colic, diarrhoea and weight loss in horses, but these signs are unspecific and can have many other causes. The amount of sand that induces disease may vary between individuals. To avoid over-diagnosing, it is important to determine the amount of sand that can be found in horses without clinical signs of gastrointestinal disease. The aim of this study was to use previously suggested parameters for establishing a radiographic diagnosis of sand colic, and compare these findings between a sand colic group and a control group.

Risk Factors for Equine Gastric Glandular Disease: A Case‐Control Study in a Finnish Referral Hospital Population

“…In this study, sand in the colon had a protective role, although not significant ( P = .051) for EGGD. Sand enteropathy is a common problem for horses in Finland, other Nordic countries, and certain parts of the United States . Clinical signs of sand enteropathy can mimic those of gastric ulceration, as both clinical syndromes can present with colic and weight loss .…”

“…Sand enteropathy is a common problem for horses in Finland, other Nordic countries, and certain parts of the United States . Clinical signs of sand enteropathy can mimic those of gastric ulceration, as both clinical syndromes can present with colic and weight loss . It is not fully understood why certain horses consume sand or why the problem is scattered geographically .…”

“…36 It is not fully understood why certain horses consume sand or why the problem is scattered geographically. [34][35][36][37] In Northern countries the pasture season is short (approximately 5 months); and for the remaining part of the year the horses are kept on sand/dirt paddocks and provided with supplementary roughage. It is possible that the horses that develop sand enteropathy are kept outside for a longer period of time each day.…”

Clinical findings and management of 153 horses with large colon sand accumulations

“…Previous studies have defined accumulations of sand >5 × 15 cm or >15 × 5 cm as clinically relevant. This measurement, or 75 cm 2 , was therefore chosen as the minimal accumulation of sand that could be present for inclusion in this study.…”

“…This measurement, or 75 cm 2 , was therefore chosen as the minimal accumulation of sand that could be present for inclusion in this study. While other specific radiographic criteria for diagnosing clinically significant sand accumulation have been described in the literature these criteria are not employed in our facility and were therefore not used in this study. Keppie et al and Kendell et al used a system that took both the size and radio‐density of the accumulation into account.…”