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Posts Tagged ‘colic’

A horse with colic is a situation that worrries any horse lover. So what exactly is colic? What symptoms should you look for?

Equine colic refers to pain originating in the abdomen. Normally horses will not tolerate abdominal pain very well. So if there is any disturbance of gut functioning they tend to show signs of discomfort.

Signs of irritation could be stretching, standing as if to urinate, and pawing the ground. If in more pain the horse will stand up and lie down, and try rolling to get more comfortable.

It will start sweating. In more severe cases it will stand up and down and continuously roll.

What Should You Do?
If you believe your horse has colic, you should call an experienced equine vet straight away. The vet will be able to provide rapid pain relief and decide whether further action is necessary.

What should you do while waiting for the vet to arrive? Leading your horse for a walk often helps. It may encourage his guts to start working normally and surpress any pain. It could also prevent him lying down and rolling. However if he is lying down peacefully then you should let him stay there.

It was previously thought that a horse could twist its gut by rolling. That has been proven to be probably incorrect. But it is best to stop him rolling around if you can. This way you will stop your horse causing injury himself by striking itself on the stable walls. But be careful that you don’t cause injury to yourself. Horses often forget all their normal manners when they are in pain.

There are several differing reasons as to why horses get colic. Frequently the signs look similar regardless of the cause.

What will the vet do to look into the problem? He or she will have a listen to the abdomen with a stethoscope which will tell whether there is more or less activity in the gut than normal.

Examining the heart rate gives a good idea of the severity of the discomfort and the seriousness of the colic. Normally a horse with a normal heart beat does not have a sever problem. However fast heart rates are not such a good sign.

A very useful part of the examination will be the rectal examination. By physically feeling the intestines, your vet could be able to find the root of the problem. Without doubt this is a very skilled procedure, that is potentially dangerous for both parties. But for an experienced vet the feedback it gives is incredibly useful in deciding the cause of the problem. It may reveal a blockage, or a swollen loop of intestines as a result of a loop or another intestinal issue.

In all but the simple scenarios the vet may inset a tube through the nose into the stomach. Though it sounds unpleasant but helps make the horse comfortable by releasing any pressure in the stomach. This process can also give the vet detailed information about whether the stomach is functioning properly.

Sometimes a horse is in so much pain that it isn’t possible for the vet to diagnose fully without first applying a dose of sedative.

Only by collecting all of the signs provided by a careful examination is the vet able to make an initial diagnosis. Even then it may not be possible to tell exactly what the problem is.

It might be the case that, after the first inspection, your horse requires emergency surgery. Though more usually the vet will decide to treat the horse with a fast-acting painkiller and review his condition after a few hours. The majority of examples display a quick improvement. However some will either not respond to the treatment, or they will improve at first, then start showing signs of pain again later on.

In preference to having to bring the vet out several times, it is normally preferred to move these cases to a specialist practice where they can be monitored closely and operations can be performed if appropriate.

In Conclusion
Fortunately the majority of cases respond well to medical intervention. However if surgery is needed – it is important to operate early. The likelyhood of a successful outcome is much better if the surgery is carried out before too much damage has taken place.

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Colic is the single most important horse disease. It causes more horse fatalities than any other illness and even when horses fully recover it is the single biggest cause of major veterinary expenses. It can also cause other illnesses such as lminitis or founder.

There are many different types of colic and many different causes. Fortunately, the main causes have been identified by research, including studies which have covered thousands of colic cases. Following is a list of actions to avoid the main causes of colic and thereby greatly reduce the risk of colic and protect your horse’s health.

1) Feeding Frequency. Horses naturally eat small amounts throughout the day. A small number of feedings (e.g. 1 or 2 times per day) is inadequate for digestive system health. Provide lots of pasture time or feed frequently.

2) High-Volume Foods. Horses have evolved on high-volume and high-fiber foods such as grass. Although one can feed energy-dense foods such as grain or musli, they should not be the main component of the horse’s diet. When feeding both hay and grain, the hay should be first and then the grain, as this results in better digestion and reduced bolting of food.

3) Soak Pelleted Food. Unsoaked pellets (e.g. hay pellets) are more likely to be bolted and more likely to cause choke than soaked pellets. More relevantly, unsoaked pellets expand when they come into contact with stomach liquids and can thereby result in bloat and subsequently colic.

4) Protect Feed. Horses sometimes get into a feedroom and eat excessive quantities of food. Especially in the case of grain and related feeds, this can result in colic. It can also result in laminitis. Keeping the feedroom locked or using a horse-proof latch is wise.

5) Prevent Bolting. A horse may bolt (swallow without chewing) its food, potentially resulting in colic. This may be simply greed or a bad habit, but can also be due to medical issues such as dental problems. If your horse bolts, discuss with your vet how to correct this problem.

6) Sand and Dirt. Make sure that your horse does not ingest sand or dirt, as this can result in impaction colic. Do not feed them on top of sandy or dirt surfaces. Avoid over-grazed pastures.

7) Water. A horse which does not drink enough is prone to colic. Likewise, a horse that has not had access to water and then suddenly drinks a very large quantity. Ensure that your horse has access to water throughout the day. During winter, water should be warmed, as most horses will greatly reduce their water intake if it is too cold. After exercising a horse, allow it to drink but limit the quantity until it has cooled down.

De-worming. Horses should be de-wormed regularly (every 3-4 months). All the horses which share a pasture should be de-wormed at the same time to prevent cross-infection. If a horse has not been de-wormed for a long time, use a laxative a few days before to clear out the worst of the worm population before administrating a de-wormer medication.

9) Regular Exercise. Horses with insufficient exercise are more prone to colic. When starting an exercise regime, start gradually as rapid changes in the amount of exercise can result in colic.

10) Eating Bedding. Many horses eat bedding, particularly straw bedding. If your horse ingests a large amount of bedding, especially inedible beddings (such as wood shavings), change to a bedding type which they don’t eat.

11) Cold. Most horses can tolerate cold well, especially if they are young and healthy. However, if a horse becomes chilled (drop in body temperature) there is a good chance they will have colic. This is most likely when a period of mild weather is followed by sudden cold weather. It is also likely to occur when cold weather is combined with wet and windy weather. Allowing your horse to grow a long winter coat and protecting it with a rug during the coldest weather is adviseable. Special care needs to be taken with old, sick or weak horses which are less able to maintain body temperature.