A retrospective study on the effect of treatment with cola in horses with gastric impactions

Abstract

Background: Gastric impaction is one of the causes of colic in horses, however it does not often occur. A topic of discussion is the possibly higher percentage of Friesians diagnosed with gastric impactions. Cola administration via nasogastric tube has been used as a treatment, but it has not been well documented in literature thus far. Objectives: To determine if administration of cola as a treatment for gastric impactions in horses had a positive effect on survival in comparison to other treatments. To determine if Friesians are indeed more often affected than other breeds. Methods: A list of possible cases was provided from the database of the University clinic in Utrecht. From this list 122 horses (2003-2019) were selected that showed signs of gastric impaction. Each patient file was studied and parameters were recorded, after which statistical analysis using the Chi-squared test was performed. The number of Friesians in this study was compared with the general population seen in the department of equine internal medicine. Results: 72/122 horses were discharged (59%). The likelihood of surviving after being treated with cola was significantly higher than for animals who had received a different treatment (50/61= 81.9% vs 22/61= 36.1%, P<0.001). The population of Friesians in this study was significantly higher than in the general population seen in the internal medicine section (40/122= 32.8% vs 75/800= 9.4 %, P<0.001). The survival rate of Friesians treated with cola was also significantly lower than other breeds treated with cola (13/20= 65% vs 37/41= 90.2%, P= 0.04). Conclusions: Treatment including nasogastric administration of cola significantly increases survival rate in horses with gastric impactions. Friesian horses are more likely to develop gastric impactions and, even when treated with cola, survival rates are lower than in horses of other breeds.