Diseases of the Small Intestine

Small intestinal diseases can account for 25-64% of all colic cases treated at veterinary hospitals in adult horses 1-10 and in foals. Strangulating lesions of the small intestine can be the most challenging to treat surgically, and they cause a severe disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. Strangulation of small intestine by a pedunculated lipoma accounted for 9.6% of 2000 horses that underwent colic surgery in one study, with 89-96% in the small intestine. A typical small intestinal volvulus involves a >360 degree rotation of long segments of small intestine into tight spirals around the mesenteric axis. An intussusception forms when the invaginated segment or intussusceptum enters the intussuscipiens, which is the intestine immediately aboral to it. In the most common form of inguinal hernia in adult horses, small intestine passes through the vaginal ring into the vaginal tunic and is an acquired rather than congenital disease.