Colic surgery decisions involve complex welfare assessment of surgical risks, prognosis, and recovery management for horses with severe abdominal conditions.
Colic surgery welfare decisions require honest assessment of surgical prognosis, recovery welfare costs, and treatment alternatives. Horses with strangulating lesions face death within hours without surgery. Surgery provides genuine welfare improvement when prognosis is good. Horses with poor prognosis conditions require honest welfare assessment: prolonged treatment and recovery for a poor outcome does not serve the horse's welfare. Post-surgical recovery involves pain management, restricted exercise, and regular veterinary attention for months. Owner preparation for this commitment is essential for welfare outcomes to match surgical success.