Colic, Medical Treatment

Colic should always be viewed as an emergency as almost every colic case starts with a medical aspect. Over 90% of colics are medical and of these, the majority are associated with spasmodic intestinal colic. It can be difficult for veterianarians to distinguish between medical colic and an early surgical colic because the clinical signs are often very similar. It is often a lack of response to medical therapy that makes the decision. If referral is necessary then it should be done as soon as possible as a slow approach by the veterinarian will result in time delay and incorrect therapy and a poor outcome.