Equine Colic Severity Score
Equine Colic Severity ScoreEquine
Assess equine colic severity to guide medical versus surgical management decisions. Evaluates seven clinical parameters: heart rate, mucous membrane color, capillary refill time (CRT), borborygmi (gut sounds), pain level, nasogastric reflux, and packed cell volume (PCV / hematocrit). Higher scores indicate more severe disease and greater likelihood of requiring surgical intervention. Based on published colic prognostic scoring systems. Used for emergency colic triage, referral decisions, monitoring response to medical therapy, and communicating severity to owners. Common queries: horse colic severity, should I refer this colic, surgical colic indicators, equine acute abdomen assessment, colic prognosis score.
Resting heart rate (normal 28-44 bpm)
Oral mucous membrane assessment
Seconds for color return after blanching gums
Auscultate all four abdominal quadrants
Behavioral assessment of abdominal pain
Volume and character of gastric reflux
Hematocrit reflecting hydration status
Mild — medical management likely sufficient; monitor closely and reassess in 2-4 hours