Colic Auscultation

Auscultation of the abdomen of the horse can be a useful tool in the diagnosis of colic. It is performed in a four quadrant approach over 4 to 5 minutes. The abdomen can be divided into left and right, dorsal and ventral sections. The examination begins in the paralumbar fossa and moves to the middle and ventral abdomen. Normal intestinal sounds (borborygmi) are that of "splashing," "rumbling" and "bubbling." The caecum can be auscultated in the right paralumbar fossa. They occur one to three times in a minute in the normal horse. Cecal sounds are like water flushing down a drainpipe. When assessing these sounds, the veterinarian should assess the tone, duration and intensity. Large intestinal sounds are deeper than small intestinal sounds. If the horse has been fasted or is anorexic, these sounds will be reduced. Repeat auscultation is vital when monitoring a horse with colic. There is a worse prognosis associated with cases where there is a progressive decrease in intensity and frequency of intestinal sounds.