Incidence of post-anesthetic colic in non-fasted adult equine patients.

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of post-anesthetic colic in non-fasted adult horses undergoing isoflurane inhalant anesthesia for an elective, non-abdominal procedure at a single referral center. Medical records were searched from May 1, 2012 to May 31, 2014. Inclusion criteria included non-fasted patients ≥ 2 years of age that were anesthetized for an elective, non-abdominal procedure. The incidence of post-anesthetic colic for this study population was 2.5%. None of the risk factors examined (season, age, gender, breed, surgeon, procedure, recumbency, butorphanol administration, additional surgical complications, and the length of anesthesia) were associated with an increased risk of post-anesthetic colic. Providing food may maintain normal gastrointestinal motility and may decrease the risk of post-anesthetic colic.