Owner-Reported Clinical Signs and Management-Related Factors in Horses Radiographed for Intestinal Sand Accumulation.
Authors: Niinistö Kati E, Määttä Meri A, Ruohoniemi Mirja O, Paulaniemi Maria, Raekallio Marja R
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Sand accumulation within the equine intestinal tract remains a clinically significant problem in certain regions, yet the relationship between radiographically confirmed deposits and observable clinical presentation has been poorly characterised until now. Niinistö and colleagues analysed 447 owner-completed questionnaires alongside radiographic findings to establish associations between sand burden, clinical signs, management practices, and behavioural traits. Colic and poor performance emerged as the strongest predictors of larger sand accumulations, with horses presenting both conditions showing the highest risk; notably, combinations of colic with either diarrhoea/loose faeces or abdominal wall hyperesthesia also correlated with more substantial deposits. Interestingly, radiographic sand volume showed no significant relationship with age, body condition score, sex, or work intensity, although greedy feeding behaviour and lower social hierarchy position were protective factors. For practitioners, these findings suggest that sand accumulation warrants consideration in the differential diagnosis of horses presenting with concurrent colic, poor performance, diarrhoea, or abdominal sensitivity—particularly when multiple signs coexist—regardless of obvious risk factors such as age or body score.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Consider abdominal sand accumulation as a differential diagnosis in horses presenting with multiple signs including colic, poor performance, diarrhea, and abdominal sensitivity—radiography can confirm diagnosis
- •Management and feeding behavior significantly influence sand accumulation risk; greedy eaters and subordinate horses in groups warrant closer monitoring in sand-prone geographic areas
- •The nonspecific nature of clinical signs means sand accumulation should be on the differential list for performance problems and gastrointestinal complaints, not just overt colic cases
Key Findings
- •Horses with colic had significantly larger sand accumulations than those without clinical signs
- •The combination of colic and poor performance had the highest odds ratio for sand accumulation
- •Greedy horses eating all their roughage had larger sand accumulations, while dominant horses in group hierarchy had less sand
- •Sand accumulation size was not significantly associated with age, body condition score, sex, or use of horses