Emergency colic surgery is a scary thing for any horse owner. Owners of performance horses, in particular, often fear their athletes won’t be able to return to the show ring at a high level. Like Mad (aka “Mojo”) proved that colic surgery does not preclude a horse from being an athlete. The 7-year-old warmblood won Brownland Farm’s Music Country Grand Prix, in Franklin, Tennessee, just eight months after undergoing emergency surgery to correct severe impaction colic.
Monty McInturff, DVM, has known Mojo since rider and co-owner Michael Tokaruk imported him in spring 2024. The promising young show jumper had competed successfully that summer under the veterinary care of Tennessee Equine Hospital West outside of Memphis. In September, a couple of days after returning from a show, they got the call that he was colicking significantly. Mojo did not respond to on-farm care or medical management at the clinic, so he was referred to Tennessee Equine’s main hospital facility. That’s when McInturff and colleague Allison Stewart, DVM, DACVS, took over his care.
“We absolutely wanted to manage him medically, if at all possible,” said Stewart. “He had a gas-distended large colon, and he was initially responsive to pain management. Over the course of 24 hours, he became less and less responsive and deteriorated with time. So at that point, after a lot of discussion, we elected to do an abdominal exploratory.”
Upon opening Mojo up, Stewart and her team found a concrete-like impaction in the pelvic flexure that they suspected might have been developing for months. “So we did end up having to do a pelvic flexure enterotomy and empty the large colon,” she explained. “And then just reposition his large colon back into normal position. He recovered very, very nicely from surgery. He was a very young, fit horse, and his owner was there every step of the way in the recovery phase.”
Stewart and McInturff went on to describe Mojo’s full rehabilitation process. Listen to this episode of Daily Vet Life to learn more about the horse’s road back to the winner’s circle and how the team at Tennessee Equine Hospital manages emergency colic cases.
About Dr. Monty McInturff
Monty McInturff, DVM, is the president and co-owner of Tennessee Equine Hospital. He has served on the American Association of Equine Practitioners board of directors, AAEP Foundation Advisory Council, and Equine Welfare and Nominating committees. His veterinary specialties include Sports Medicine, Lameness, and Wellness.
About Dr. Allison Stewart
Allison Stewart, DVM, DACVS, is a boarded large animal surgeon at Tennessee Equine Hospital, where she enjoys helping owners with critical equine cases. She has published extensive research on stem cell therapy, synovial structures, arthroscopy, tendon injuries, and much more and has spoken at veterinary conferences around the world. During her extracurricular time she enjoys country music, trail running, and triathlon training.
Related Reading
- A Celiac Plexus Block Can Increase Equine Intestinal Motility
- Disease Du Jour: Improving Postoperative Outcomes for Colic Patients
- Postoperative Reflux in Horses With Large Colon Volvulus
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