Horse Colic

Horse colic ― or acute stomach pain ― is the number one killer of horses and can be a serious problem. Call your vet immediately when you suspect colic and begin emergency first aid.

Your horse can suffer from a wide variety of injuries and ailments, but colic is the most common winter health hazard for horses. Make sure you know how to prevent it, how to spot it, and what to do about it.

Equine colic ― or horse colic ― is abdominal pain (pain in your horses gut). But there are several causes of colic, some of which can be mild while others can be life threatening. During the early stages of colic, it’s never possible to tell how severe it is and so, all cases should be treated seriously and you should consult your vet as possible. This can’t be emphasized enough!

Colic can be caused by a number of factors such as:

o An abrupt change in feeding practices
o Overfeeding
o Worms or other parasites
o Poor feed quality
o Dehydration
o Eating sand
o A twisted intestine
o Pregnancy

There are some general guidelines to follow to help reduce the risk of colic. One involves feeding. Horses should be kept on a regular feeding schedule and at least half of the diet should be hay or forage. As much access as possible to forage should be provided. Moreover, hay and water should be given before grain and excessive grain intake should be avoided as much as possible. Hay and grain should also be monitored to ensure that no mold is present.

Another important consideration is water, which should be clean and readily available. But when a horse is overheated, it should receive only small amounts of lukewarm water at a time. Horses should be kept on a regular exercise schedule and any changes to either diet or exercise should be made gradually.

Other measures include using medications only when necessary, checking for toxic substances in the bedding, hay or pastures, and controlling intestinal parasites.

Higher risk horses include those in intense training and fit horses that have recently been injured.

Colic can range from mild to severe, and in the early stages it is difficult to tell which cases may become life-threatening. Therefore, it is very important that horse owners take colic seriously and act quickly to seek veterinary help.

Some of the common signs of colic include:

o Rolling
o Kicking at the abdomen
o Lying down more than usual or repeatedly lying down and standing up
o Sweating
o An increased rate of breathing
o Standing with the body stretched out as if the horse was going to urinate

In horses, violent behavior is a sign of great pain. This symptom demands an immediate call to the veterinarian. In less severe cases, the horse can be observed for a short while before the veterinarian is contacted.

Major Types of Horse Colic

Impaction Colic

This is the term used when the intestine becomes blocked by a firm mass of food. Impactions most commonly occur in the large intestine at one of the flexures. This is a fairly common type of colic which usually resolves relatively easily with appropriate treatment. However, an impaction may be just the first obvious sign in a more complicated case.

Spasmodic Colic

Some cases of colic are due to increased intestinal contractions, the abnormal spasms cause the intestines to contract painfully. These cases usually respond fairly well.

Displacement / Volvulus / Torsion (twisted gut)

In a displacement, a portion of the intestine has moved to an abnormal position in the abdomen.

A volvulus or torsion occurs when a piece of the intestine twists. The suspension of the small intestine from the mesentery (the net curtain) and the unfixed nature of much of the large intestine predispose horses to intestinal displacements and torsions.

Except in rare cases, these types of colic cause a total blockage of the intestine and require immediate surgery if the horse is to survive. In the early stages of a displacement / torsion colic, the signs may be similar to those of a horse with one of the more benign causes of colic. This is the reason why it’s important to take all cases of colic seriously and to seek veterinary advice even at the early stage.

Enteritis / Colitis

Some cases of abdominal pain are due to inflammation of the small (enteritis) or large (colitis) intestines. These are serious medical cases and require immediate veterinary attention.

Gastric Distension / Rupture

When a horse gorges itself on grain or, even more seriously, a material that expands when dampened like dried beet pulp, the contents of the stomach can swell.

The horse’s small stomach and its inability to vomit mean that in these circumstances the stomach may burst.

Once this has happened death is inevitable. If you suspect that your horse may have gorged itself on concentrated feeds, seek veterinary advice immediately.