Investigation and management of recurrent colic in the horse

RECURRENT colic refers to the occurrence of repeated bouts of abdominal discomfort. This definition is vague as it does not specify the duration of the periods of remission, nor the patient's overall condition during these periods. The distinction between recurrent colic and chronic colic, in which pain may wax and wane with variable intensity for more than 48 hours without signs of strangulation, can be difficult and is merely based on the subjective assessment of the attending clinician. However, for the sake of this article, recurrent colic will be defined as two or more episodes of abdominal pain, separated by a period of remission of at least several days.