Companion Animals

Equine Gastric Impaction: Welfare and Emergency Management

Gastric impaction is a serious and potentially fatal form of colic in horses requiring prompt veterinary intervention, with welfare implications for management and prevention.

Key Facts

Gastric impaction occurs when dry ingesta accumulates and blocks the stomach pylorus
Risk factors include dehydration, access to dry fibrous feeds, and poor dental care preventing proper mastication
Clinical signs include progressive abdominal pain, repeated rolling and decreased gut sounds
Gastric impaction may require nasogastric tubing or in severe cases surgical intervention

Welfare Considerations

Gastric impaction causes severe abdominal pain that causes horses to roll repeatedly, risking secondary gastric rupture. Gastric rupture is rapidly fatal. Welfare priorities include providing constant access to fresh water, maintaining dental health to ensure proper forage mastication, ensuring adequate water intake before providing dry feedstuffs, and seeking urgent veterinary attention for any horse showing colic signs.

What You Can Do

Ensure horses have constant access to clean, fresh water especially when feeding dry hay
Maintain routine dental checks every 6-12 months to ensure proper mastication
Seek urgent veterinary attention for any horse showing signs of abdominal pain
Soak hay for horses with history of impaction colic or poor dental health