Incarceration of the large colon in the gastrosplenic ligament of a horse.

Incarceration of the large colon through a rent in the gastrosplenic ligament of a horse was surgically corrected via ventral midline celiotomy. Clinical signs were similar to those in other horses with nonstrangulating large colon disorders. Diagnosis of large colon incarceration in the gastrosplenic ligament was determined by surgical abdominal exploration. The findings of medial deviation of the spleen, location of the large colon lateral to the stomach and caudolateral to the spleen, and caudocraniad passage of the large colon through the gastrosplenic ligament are similar to findings in horses with small intestinal incarcerations in the gastrosplenic ligament. Correction was facilitated by performing a pelvic flexure colotomy and evacuating colonic contents prior to returning the large colon through the rent to its normal anatomic position.