Introduction
Read the whole article to decide your best action. Maybe your horse
just looks a little off and doesn't attack his feed like normal. Perhaps
he occasionally looks at his sides or paws the ground, as the pain
worsens he lays down and rolls. If the pain is very severe, he will roll
violently. These are all signs of colic. Colic means the horse has
abdominal pain. There are many different causes but the horse will act
the same.
Surgical vs Medical Colic
Veterinarians divide colic into two main types: surgical and medical
colics. Surgical colics are displaced segments (twists) of bowel and
hard impactions, they require surgery to fix them. Medical colics are
usually caused by migrating worm larvae, gas, softer impactions, and
occasionally inflammatory bowel diseases. Medical colics will
respond to lubricants and pain relievers. Occasionally medical colics
will require oral or IV fluids.
Most surgical diseases will mimic medical colic initially and
temporarily improve with medical treatment, only to return within the
next few hours. If surgery is an option for your horse it is important to
get early diagnosis since the horse's ability to survive surgery lessens
as he becomes sicker. The prognosis for surgery is much improved by
early referral. Currently, 60% of surgeries are alive after 1 year at most
of our educational veterinary hospitals. Early referral will improve
these odds.
What To Do Until the Vet Arrives
If you come in to find your horse displaying signs of colic what to do
depends on how severe the signs: If the signs are mild:
1. Take away all his feed, small amounts of water are OK.
2. The next step is to take his temperature; if he has a fever (above
101) call the vet.
3. Put a lead rope on him and walk or lunge him at a
trot for about 10 to 20 minutes or go for a trailer ride for 30 min.
Many mild colics will improve with either of these treatments.
4. Then put him back in the stall and watch him. If you are unsure
about his condition, offer a small handful of feed and see if he will
eat it. A colicky horse will as a rule not chew and swallow feed,
though he may play with it.
5. If he is over his bout of colic, continue to check him frequently for
4 to 5 hrs. to make sure the pain does not return. He should not be fed
for 12 hours after his appetite returns completely. He should be
allowed water.
6. If he remains painful or you are unsure about his condition call the
vet. Even if Old Faithful gets over his pain talk with your vet about
possible causes and prevention.
If your horse is very painful you are going to need help.
1. The first priority is to call the vet.
2. You would like to prevent the horse from hurting himself and one
of the best ways of doing that is to walk him. If the horse is so
violent that he is dangerous: stay away; otherwise halter him and walk
him until the vet arrives.
3. If the horse insists on laying down, that is ok so long as he does not
roll. Lately many colic specialists have questioned whether rolling
causes bowel twists, but until the jury is in, try to prevent it.
Facebook
Twitter
HOME SITES 
