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Summary Reasons for performing study Medical management of sand enteropathy is common in equine practice, but the clinical features and outcomes associated with medically managed sand enteropathy are not well described. Objectives To review clinical features, therapeutic approaches and outcomes associated with primary medical management of sand enteropathy in the mature horse. Methods Medical record databases at 3 equine referral hospitals from January 2000 to April 2010 were reviewed for cases of sand enteropathy diagnosed via abdominal radiographs in mature horses that were initially managed medically. Data were collected and descriptive analyses compiled. Uni- and multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate factors potentially associated with treatment failure. Results The medical records of 62 horses were analysed; 90% of horses survived to discharge and 50% of horses that had repeat abdominal radiographs taken demonstrated improvement in the degree of sand accumulation after treatment. Nine horses underwent exploratory laparotomy during hospitalisation, and colonic sand impaction was found in all 9, with a concurrent gastrointestinal lesion identified in 7. Four horses were subjected to euthanasia during or after surgery because of disease severity or complications. Need for exploratory laparotomy was the factor most strongly associated with nonsurvival. Conclusions These data suggest that medical management can result in clinical and radiographic resolution of uncomplicated sand enteropathy in mature horses, and is associated with a good prognosis. Horses with sand enteropathy that exhibit persistent colic signs despite medical management are likely to have a concurrent gastrointestinal lesion, so prompt exploratory laparotomy should be considered in such cases. Potential relevance Uncomplicated sand enteropathy can be managed medically in mature horses, and serial abdominal radiography can be used to monitor sand clearance. Surgery to evaluate for and correct concurrent gastrointestinal lesions should be recommended without delay in horses showing persistent colic signs.

Objective A retrospective review of the medical records of 41 horses requiring abdominal surgery for sand colic. Results The diagnosis of sand colic was made when sand was found to be the cause of impaction of the gastrointestinal tract during surgical exploration. The most common clinical signs at presentation were abdominal pain, abdominal distension and diarrhoea. A statistically significant association was found between the respiratory rate on arrival and short-term survival. Sand impaction at multiple locations was detected in one-third of the horses. Concurrent pathology was detected in half of the horses. Four horses were euthanased during surgery; of those that recovered from surgery, 35/37 (95%) were discharged from hospital. Short- and long-term complications were similar to those previously reported. Long-term (1 year) survival of the horses discharged was 100%. Conclusion The good prognosis for horses undergoing surgery for the treatment of sand impaction supports early surgical intervention in cases where large amounts of sand are suspected.

Three horses with colic, clinical evidence of endotoxaemia and high serum activities of creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase were examined postmortem. The horses were diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis, pyloric ulceration and stenosis with colonic sand impaction, and colonic obstruction due to faecaliths. There was no gross or histological evidence of muscle trauma. Their semimembranosus muscles had scattered acute to subacute segmental necrosis of the myofibres, suggestive of endotoxin-induced muscle injury.

A post-mortem examination was carried out on a 4-month-old giraffe which was reported dead early hours of the morning in the zoological garden, University of Ilorin. The carcass of the animal appeared slightly emaciated and on opening of the carcass the abomasum was distended with a hard mass felt inside the organ. On opening of the organ, it was filled with sand and weighing 3.8kg. Geophagia due to various factors were queried in the cause of the condition including seasonal prevalence, nutrient deficiencies, feeding regimen and also housing inadequacies. Although poor milk intake, absence of maternal nurturing and inadequate captive conditions are the most likely causes of geophagia which eventually led to the death of the animal. Keywords: Abomasum, Sand impaction, Geophagia, Giraffe, Nigeria

Aim To identify climatic trends associated with the frequency of sand enteritis. Methods Horses were included if they: (1) had radio-dense intestinal contents or sand impaction confirmed at exploratory laparotomy; (2) originated from East Anglia; (3) presented between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2012. Historical weather data for East Anglia were obtained from the Met Office website. Associations between prevalence and climatic variables were examined separately for March–April and October–November. Results Ninety-two horses were included. Peaks in admissions of sand enteritis cases were seen in March–April (n = 21, 23%) and October–November (n = 25, 27%). The frequency of March–April cases was positively correlated with mean temperature in those months (r2 = 0.37); negatively correlated with frost (r2 = 0.58) and rainfall (r2 = 0.54) in the 2 previous months; and negatively correlated with sunshine in the preceding 3 months (r2 = 0.44). The frequency of October–November cases was positively correlated with higher average temperatures (r2 = 0.14) and fewer frost days (r2 = 0.16) in the preceding 3 months. Twenty-nine (32%) horses presented in a temporal cluster from September 2010 to April 2011 (P

A retrospective study of 40 horses that underwent surgical treatment for sand colic was performed. Three horses were euthanatized and one died during surgery. Of the 36 horses that recovered from anesthesia, five died before discharge from the hospital and seven died after discharge. Twenty-four horses survived at least 12 months. Sand impaction of the right dorsal colon was present in 26 horses. In addition to sand impaction, 10 horses also had colonic displacement or volvulus.