ABSTRACT
Colic during Pregnancy Diagnostics Abdominal pain occurs frequently in pregnant mares, and most episodes resolve with minimal medical therapy. However, some colic episodes in pregnant mares are more severe and require surgical intervention. The first step in determining whether surgery is necessary is establishing the origin of the pain. The most common sites of colic in pregnant mares are the gastrointestinal tract and the uterus. Another less frequent cause of abdominal pain is damage to the abdominal tunic. Most colic episodes originate because of lesions involving the gastrointestinal tract, but abnormalities involving the uterus become more likely as the pregnancy progresses. Because the causes of uterine-related colic are few, and their occurrence relatively infrequent as compared with those involving the gastrointestinal tract, the easiest way to determine the colic source is to eliminate the uterine and abdominal-wall causes first. The first step is to palpate the uterus via the rectum to ascertain its shape, size, and orientation. If these findings are normal, the uterus is highly unlikely to be the source of abdominal pain. Occasionally, parturition or abortion can be confused with colic, so a cervical examination by speculum or by gentle palpation can be helpful. If the uterus is not the cause of pain, the location of colic is assumed to be gastrointestinal, as abdominal tunic disorders are readily apparent by visual observation.
