1,406
edits
Changes
→Diagnosis
==Diagnosis==
==Diagnosis==
Suspected if cannot pass NGT, with gastric distension the gastoroesophageal junction can become distorted making it difficult to pass an NGT
Suspected if cannot pass NGT, with gastric distension the gastoroesophageal junction can become distorted making it difficult to pass an NGT. If poorly macerated or digested feed material is recovered from the NGT when the horse has been starved for several hrs.
If poorly macerated or digested feed material is recovered from the NGT when the horse has been starved for several hrs
However, the diagnosis of stomach impaction is usually made at surgery on horses that have had uncontrollable colic or poor response to medicaltherapy. However, endoscopy will reveal gastric impaction, and may provide information on the specific nature of the impaction. Although this would nottypically be performed on an acute colic case, it would be indicated in a horse with chronic colic. (Bliks)
On rectal, spleen may be displaced caudally and medially (not specific)(Mair)
Endoscopy (not diagnostic for impaction and difficult to assess gastric distension) would be indicated in a chronic case(Mair, Blisk)
Rads may help, will show diaphragm displaced cranially(Mair)
However, the diagnosis of stomach impaction is usually made at surgery on horses that have had uncontrollable colic or poor response to medicaltherapy. (Bliks)
Alateral radiograph of the cranial abdomen
Alateral radiograph of the cranial abdomen