Changes

===Description===  

===Description===  

Impaction of the large colon is seen in horses with limited access to drinking water or those grazing bare pastures. Horses fed on a low-roughage diet are more prone to developing the condition. The ingested sand accumulates and forms a sediment within the right dorsal colon, pelvic flexure and transverse colon. This type of colic is particularly common in dry sandy regions of the world and is far less common in the UK and rest of Europe. If sufficient sand is

Impaction of the large colon is seen in horses with limited access to drinking water or those grazing bare pastures. Horses fed on a low-roughage diet are more prone to developing the condition. The ingested sand accumulates and forms a sediment within the right dorsal colon, pelvic flexure and transverse colon. This type of colic is particularly common in dry sandy regions of the world and is far less common in the UK and rest of Europe.  

 

===Clinical signs===

===Clinical signs===

Ingestion of sand may lead to two different clinical diseases. The first presentation is that of a horse with signs relating to a physical colitis due to the abrasive nature of sand. The clinical signs may include diarrhoea, Clinical signs are generally dependent on the site of impaction. Horses affected by a pelvic flexure impaction often present with signs of mild abdominal pain and generally respond well to conservative treatment. Impaction of the transverse colon is often associated with more severe abdominal pain due to the build up of gas in the the colon proximal to the obstruction.  

Ingestion of sand without impaction may lead to clinical signs pertaining to a physical colitis due to the abrasive nature of sand. These may include diarrhoea, If sufficient sand has been ingested to cause an impaction, the clinical signs are generally dependent on the anatomical site affected. Horses affected by a pelvic flexure impaction often present with signs of mild abdominal pain and generally respond well to conservative treatment. Impaction of the transverse colon is often associated with more severe abdominal pain due to the build up of gas in the the colon proximal to the obstruction.  

===Diagnosis===

===Diagnosis===