A potency-enhanced polyanionic phyto-saccharide of elm mucilage (PEPPS) was prescribed in 209 horses in an open-labeled field trial. Clients provided informed consent to 32 equine veterinarians to prescribe PEPPS for low grade colic and diarrhea unresponsive to deworming. Most of the horses (n = 175/209) were presumed to have ulcers clinically, while 23/209 were confirmed by gastroscopy to have...

BACKGROUND Colic is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in domesticated horses yet many questions about this condition remain to be answered. One such question is: does season have an effect on the occurrence of colic? Time-series analysis provides a rigorous statistical approach to this question but until now, to our knowledge, it has not been used in this context. Traditional time-s...

This article discusses the potential role of oxidative injury to the intestinal tract of horses and the therapeutic approaches that have been investigated to decrease cellular damage secondary to ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. Equine colic is a major concern for horse owners and veterinary practitioners. Strangulating and obstructive lesions of the small and large intestines commonly require...

"Clinical governance" is the term used to describe a systematic approach to maintaining and improving the quality of patient care within a health system. This article introduces the concept of clinical governance as a tool for improving the quality of care. It also discusses the potential value of a large database of colic surgery in implementing some of the components of clinical governance in...

Colic remains a significant problem in the horse in terms of welfare and economics; in some equine populations it is the single most common cause of death. Many causes of colic are cited in the equestrian and veterinary literature but little scientific evidence exists to substantiate these theories. Recent epidemiological investigations have confirmed that colic is complex and multi-factorial i...

Background: The equine colic, which is caused by the presence of enteroliths that are most often found in the small or large colon, is typical for certain geographical regions (dry and hot climate). A diet rich in alfalfa is one of the highest risk factors. The earliest symptoms include weight loss and repeated episodes of colic pain. Aims: To present the resul...

Pathogens frequently associated with multi-drug resistant (MDR) phenotypes, including extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) and Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from horses admitted to horse clinics, pose a risk for animal patients and personnel in horse clinics. To estimate current rates of colonization, a total of 341 equine patients were screened for c...