Equine Colic – Information and Advice
Confirmation of colic is a situation that worrries any horse lover. So what is equine colic? What signs should you keep an eye out for?
Colic refers to pain which stems from the abdomen. Normally horses will not handle abdominal pain well. So if there is any disturbance of gut functioning they tend to display signs of distress.
Signs of discomfort might be stretching, a stance as if to urinate, and hoofing the floor. If in more pain the horse will get up and down, and try rolling to get more comfortable.
The horse will start to sweat. More serious cases it will stand up and lie down and roll constantly.
What Should You Do?
Should you believe your horse has colic, it’s best to call an experienced equine vet straight away. They will be able to provide emergency pain relief and decide whether further treatment is necessary.
What can you do while you wait for the vet to arrive? Leading your horse for a walk often helps. It may encourage his intestines to work ina normal manner and soothe the discomfort. It may also further prevent him lying down and rolling. If he is lying down quietly then let him stay lying down.
It used to be thought that horses could cause a twisted gut by rolling around. That has been proven to be probably not true. Though it is best to restrict him rolling around if possible. This way you can prevent him harming himself by banging itself on the stable walls. But take care that you don’t cause injury to yourself. It’s likely horses will lose all their manners if in pain.
There are many different reasons for horses to get colic. Often the signs look similar regardless of what caused it.
What will the vet do to look into the issue? They will listen to your horses abdomen using a stethoscope to tell if there is more or less activity in the intestines than there should be.
Examining the heart rate helps give a good indication of the seriousness of the pain and the severity of the colic. A horse with a regular heart beat doen’t have a sever problem. Whereas fast heart rates are not such a promising sign.
A really useful part of the examination will be the examination of the rectum. By feeling the gut, your vet may be able to identify the root of the issue. Without doubt this is a incredibly complicated procedure, that could be dangerous for both the vet and the horse. However for an experienced vet the information it gives is invaluable in concluding the cause of the issue. Revealing an obstruction, or a swollen area of gut as a result of a loop or another problem with the intestines.
It’s likely that in all but the most straightforward scenarios the vet may pass a tube through the nose into the stomach. Though it sounds unpleasant but often may make your horse more comfortable by releasing the built up pressure in the stomach. Doing this can also give the vet useful feedback about whether the stomach is emptying correctly.
In some cases the horse might be so much pain that it isn’t possible for the vet to examine him properly without first applying a quantity of sedative.
Only by considering all of the information revealed by a detailed examination is the vet able to make a tentative diagnosis. Even then it might not be possible to diagnose exactly what is going on.
Sometimes, after the first inspection, your horse requires emergency surgery. Though more usually your vet will choose to treat the horse with a short-acting painkiller and review his condition after a couple of hours. The majority of cases show a rapid improvement. But some will show no response to the treatment, or they might improve at first, then start showing signs of pain again later.
In preference to having to bring the vet out multiple times, it is usually preferred to move these cases to a specialist practice so they can be monitored closely and operations can be performed if appropriate.
In Conclusion
Thankfully the vast majority of examples respond quickly to medical treatment. Although if surgery is needed – it is important to operate early. The chance of a successful outcome is far greater if the surgery is carried out before too much damage has occurred.
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