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COLIC


What is Colic?


Colic is something that can happen to any horse, at any age of any breed at any time in its life, Colic is a term used by equestrians for a horse having belly ache (abdominal pain) caused by a problem in the stomach and intestines (gastrointestinal system)

With over 70 known reasons why colic happens, from mild to severe and life ending, Colic can be sudden and seem to come on for no reason at all.


Types of Colic



Gas Colic – Lots of gas building up in the intestines, building up causing stomach-ache, lots of Flatulence is likely to be heard. (Much like trapped wind in ourselves)


Spasmodic colic – Cramping or spasms in the intestines

Impaction colic – Partly digestive food becomes trapped, normally forage feed, this becomes built up in the large intestine and causes a blockage or impaction, where nothing will pass including droppings. (This is the most common recorded by vets)


Sand Colic – Horses grazing sand soiled pasture or eating forage of sandy surfaces, picking up sand and building up in the intestines.


Twisted Gut – When a section of the intestine wraps around itself, this is the most severe and life threatening but under 10% of colic result in Twisting.


Displacement or Entrapment Colic – Displacement is where the horses’ intestines move from its normal location, this is not naturally a common type of colic, but they can occur, if the displacement cannot be moved back to its original location it becomes an Entrapment, cutting of blood supply resulting in compressed or squashed intestines.


Strangulation Colic – Uncommon but serious, this happens when the blood to the intestine becomes cut off killing off the intestine wall.


Most types of colic are mild and can be treated at the stables on the day and the horse does not see any ill effects of the colic.


Symptoms


  • Pawing at the Ground repeatedly

  • Looking or biting at the flanks

  • Kicking at their bellies

  • Laying down and getting up, repeatedly

  • Throwing themselves on the ground

  • Rolling

  • Stretching (like a cat)

  • Sweating

  • Curling of upper lip

  • Puffing or quick breathing

  • Not eating

  • Not passing droppings

  • Agitation, not standing still, fidgeting


Not all horses will show all symptoms, often showing one or two, but there are the most common to look out for, these are symptoms most horses will display: Pawing, sweating, no droppings, and rolling being the most common.




What to do if your horse is showing signs of Colic?


Immediately call the vet, tell them your horse’s symptoms, and ask there advise.


  • It’s advised to keep calm and collected, if you get worked up then so will your horse. Ask someone else to take control if you are struggling.

  • Keep your horse from rolling, keep them walking at a natural pace that suits them

  • Let your horse rest quietly if they are happy to, without rolling.

  • REMOVE all feed from the horse and droppings from the area, so you can assess if there has been any passing of droppings.

  • Wait for your vet to arrive

  • Your vet will assess your horse and normally check, heart rate, mucus membranes, hydration, and most importantly gut sounds. They may also rectal exam or do a Naso Gastric Intubation (Put a tube up your horse’s nose)

  • Normally Pain Relief and antispasmodics, laxatives and Electrolytes will be used, in severe cases the only option is surgery, this is normally after everything else has been tried or the horse is thought to have a twist or strangulation.


Prevention


There is no way to truly avoid colic, some are more prone to it than others, but you can reduce the risk by doing some of the following things:


  • Not changing diet rapidly (This includes grazing)

  • Worm control - Worms can cause damage to the intestine

  • Dental health -To make sure food is chewed properly

  • Plenty of Fibre and roughage in diet

  • Small and often feeds (Don’t feed big feeds at once)

  • Exercise and turnout get the gut moving

  • Cribbing can cause air to be pushed into the intestines

  • Keep your horse hydrated while out competing or in demanding work

  • Make changes slowly and try to avoid stressful lifestyles

There is no way to stop a horse ever getting colic, but you can try to reduce it.


Horses normally recover quickly with no ill effects. Your vet will tell you how to look after your horse in the days following a colic episode. ALWAYS TALK TO YOUR VET!


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