Introduction

Colic in horses is considered a serious medical condition. It must be dealt with immediately because it may indicate serious severe digestive or non-digestive problems that threaten the animal's life ( 1 ). Colic cases in horses are also characterized by the fact that they may develop quickly and require immediate medical intervention. If colic is not treated quickly, it can lead to a deterioration in the horse's health condition and even to death in some cases. Therefore, horse owners and those interested in equestrianism must be aware of the signs of colic and its causes, Nonetheless to have the ability to deal with this condition effectively, whether through early detection and rapid medical intervention or proper prevention and care measures to maintain horses health.

Colic is a painful or uncomfortable sensation in the abdominal area, and it can be caused by several different causes, such as impaction, neoplasm, displacement, functional, and infectious ( 3 ). Colic is characterized by contractions or spasms in the intestines or digestive system. It may be accompanied by a sign of bloating, nausea, constipation, or diarrhea, or it may be from another source within the abdominal cavity, such as the animal's urinary system or reproductive systems. The degree of pain also varies from mild, moderate, severe, and recurrent and may be chronic, depending on its cause and severity.

Electronic stethoscopes offer many advantages over traditional acoustic stethoscopes, including noise reduction, increased amplification, and the ability to store and transmit sounds. However, the sound properties of electronic and medical stethoscopes can differ significantly ( 6 ). Computerized recording and sound analysis have also been shown to be superior to conventional auscultation in clinical settings in many medical conditions ( 7 ). The study aimed to assess pain severity by facial expressions and clinical examination, determine the severity of disease using electronic acoustic analysis, and identify the best locations for electronic auscultation screening.

Materials and Methods

Study animals: The study examined 50 local horse breeds in different areas of Mosul Governorate. They were divided into two groups according to the Case Control Study method: the first group included 40 animals showing signs of different forms of colic, and the second group included 10 clinically healthy animals served as the control group. Animals of both groups are aged more than six months and of both sexes.

Clinical examinations: Clinical examination of both horse groups was applied, including, taken animal history, and examining the vital signs, including body temperature, respiratory, and heart rate. Moreover, ocular mucus membranes, capillary refilling time, and skin fold test were also examined according to (3).

Auscultation of abdomen: Abdominal clinical examination was applied according to ( 8 ) using the FLASH Technique in seven specific topographic locations: (1) the ventral side of the abdomen, (2) the gastric window, (3) the renal-splenic window, (4) the left middle third of the abdomen, (5) the duodenal window, (6) right middle third of the abdomen, (7) thoracic window.

Determine the comfort level of the animal: The animal's comfort level was determined based on ( 9 ), As the scale consists from (0-4) , the higher the number, the greater the stress on the animal, as shown in (Figure).

Figure (1).The animal's comfort level.

Examination by auscultation: Auscultation was examined using a stethoscope on both sides of the animal to detect normal and abnormal sounds in several locations from the upper and lower abdomen and on both the right and left sides of the animal's body.

Electronic auscultation and sound analysis: Sounds were recorded in the abdominal area of ​​healthy horses and horses showing signs of colic using an electronic stethoscope (CloudSteth Company / China) (Figure 2) at the same auscultation sites as the traditional stethoscope. The sounds were then saved in an electronic memory on the hard disk to use them in analyzing the sounds using a digital program (WavePad Master Edition v19.11 Mar. 19, 2024) based on multi-resolution acoustic wave analysis and displaying it in the form of wavelengths according to the method.

Figure (2).The Cloudsteth (electronic stethoscope).

Results

The results of the study showed that there was a significant difference between the control group and the colicky group through expressing their colic by examining their facial expressions at (P≤0.05), as shown in Table (1) and Figure (3). Results also showed a significant (P≤0.01) increase in body temperature, heart and respiratory rate, capillary refilling time, and skin fold test in colicky horses than in the control group. Table (2). The (WavePad Sound Editor) program was used to calculate sound frequencies. The sounds were heard and then recorded using the electronic stethoscope in the left, right, and right regions of the abdomen. There was a significant difference in the sound frequency for auscultation from the left side, as the frequency was higher in horses suffering from colic, where it reached (272.5 Hz) compared to normal horses whose frequency value reached (239 Hz), with a significant difference between the two groups at a significant level (P≤0.01). As for the sound frequency for auscultation from the right side, there was a slight increase in the number of horses that suffered from colic when compared to normal horses, but this increase was not significant. Concerning measuring the rate of sound repetition per minute, it was found that sound repetition increased significantly in horses suffering from colic compared to normal horses at a significant level (P≤0.01), as in Table (3).

Figure (3).Clinical Signs of a horse suffering from colic. (A): The Figure expresses depression of degree (4) facial expressions in colic horse. (B): Lateral recumbence, which means severe abdominal pain.

Discussion

This study's results were identical to those related to facial expressions, as reported in other studies, which had significant differences when comparing a group of control horses with a group of colicky horses. This finding agrees with ( 12 ), who stated that facial expressions in horses vary from one animal to another depending on the severity of the disease, pain, and type. This is also affected by the pain threshold, and understanding these expressions is an important part of horse care, as good observation of these signs can help diagnose and treat potential health problems, including pain and injuries. The presence of these signs may be due to spasms and tension in the muscles around the face, the facial muscles themselves, and the jaw muscles ( 15 ). Heart rate in colicky horses can be affected by several factors, including the severity of the pain, the condition of the horse, and the surrounding conditions. However, a horse's normal resting heart rate is around 28-44 beats per minute. However, when a horse faces a health problem such as colic, the heart rate may rise, perhaps significantly, as was shown in the results of this study, where a significant difference was recorded between the control group and the group of horses that suffered from colic, as this study agreed with. This increase is caused by pain and anxiety in the animal.

A significant difference was also recorded in the increase in the respiratory rate in horses that suffered from colic compared to normal horses in the control group, and this result agreed withdue to muscle tension and increased pain, which leads to short and rapid breathing rates.

The results of the current study are consistent with what was reported by, where an increase in the filling time of the capillaries was recorded in horses that suffered from colic compared to control horses, and that colic can cause an increase in the filling time of the capillaries. Capillary blood vessels become full due to muscle spasms and intestinal contractions, which leads to a lack of blood and oxygen supply to the blood vessels, thus increasing the chances of permanent tissue damage.

This study was similar to what was stated in previous studies, where significant differences were recorded in the tests conducted on the skin fold between the control group and the group of horses that suffered from colic, as bothdescribed that the skin fold test in horses suffering from colic is of great importance, especially in cases of dehydration, for the horses, especially in comparison with other animals, as the time for the skin folds to return was measured as moderate dehydration if the skin fold returned within a period of 2-4 seconds, while horses are considered to have moderate dehydration if the skin fold retraction rate is within 4-8 seconds and severe when the skin fold retraction rate is within 8-12 seconds. The skin may be described as lacking in softness; in some cases, it is wrinkled, and the hair is rough, devoid of shine, and broken. In this study, signs of dehydration were found in varying degrees, depending on the severity of the colic suffered by the colic animal. The greater the severity of the pain, the greater the severity of the dehydration. This is explained by the severity of the pain, which increases muscle stress and tension in the affected animal, as well as the animal's abstention from eating and drinking for long periods. ( 24 ).

The examination results showed an increase in sound frequency when auscultating the abdominal wall from the left side of horses suffering from colic compared to normal horses, and the difference was significant. This result is consistent with ( 25 ). The increase frequency of sounds also indicates the severity of the medical condition. The more the medical condition increases in some cases of colic due to gas, drinking large amounts of cold water, or irritation of the digestive system, leads an increase in the sound frequencies, and the reason is that most parts of the small intestine, which is located in the left part of the abdomen, close to the abdominal wall. While there was no significant difference when auscultating from the right side, the reason is that most parts of the small intestine are located on the left side of the abdomen, which moves faster and more than the large intestine ( 28 ). It was also noted that there was a significant increase in the rate of sound repetition per minute in horses that suffered from colic compared to normal horses, and the reason for this is due to the overlapping neural, muscular, and hormonal effects. Disruption of this complex of neural, muscular, and hormonal interaction leads to stagnation of the movement of nutrients, and this condition is also called ileus.

Conclusion

We conclude from this study that the frequency of sound increases on the left side in cases of colic more than on the right side. Initial clinical examinations and facial expressions give an initial estimate of the severity of the colic and the possibility of using auscultation and electronic sound analysis to diagnose colic cases in horses.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical Clearance

This work is approved by The Research Ethical Committee.

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