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When babies get colic, the result is often lots of crying and discomfort for the baby and lots of sleepless nights and pacing for the parent. But with a little patience and ingenuity, the baby soon outgrows its bout with colic and the unpleasantness becomes a distant memory.
In horses, the outcome is not always so predictable or pleasant. In fact, colic is known as the number one cause of equine death. This is a scary statistic, but if you know what to do to prevent the affliction as well as the common symptoms, the danger is less severe. Most horses can survive if they get the proper help soon enough.
Colic can be defined simply as abdominal pain. It is especially common in horses because of the design of their gastrointestinal tracts, which includes numerous bends, or “flexures” for food to pass through.
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. In addition, hay and water should be given before grain, and excessive grain intake should be avoided. Hay and grain should also be monitored to be sure no mold is present.
Another important aspect is water, which should be clean and readily available. However, 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 cautionary measures include using medications only when necessary, checking for toxic substances in 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 rolling, kicking at the abdomen, lying down more than usual or repeatedly lying down and standing up, sweating, an increased rate of breathing, and standing with the body stretched out, as if the horse were 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.
Some information the vet may ask for could include behavioral signs, the horses’ general appetite and bowel activity over the last several days, recent changes in food or exercise, amount of recent water intake and medical history.
One of the more common types of colic is an impaction resulting from a firm mass of food blocking the intestine at one of the flexures. Gas is another common cause, resulting in pain from the intestine being stretched. Another type comes from the displacement of part of the intestine.
“Volvulus” or “torsion” is a type of colic that results from a piece of the intestine twisting. This requires immediate surgery. Another dangerous type comes from enteritis or colitis, an inflammation of the small or large intestines. Gastric distension occurs when a horse gorges itself or eats something that expands its stomach. Horses have small stomachs and cannot vomit, so distension can result in a ruptured stomach.
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