Horse colic

Colic in horses is defined as abdominal pain, but is a clinical sign or a symptom rather than a diagnosis. The term colic can encompass all forms of gastrointestinal conditions which cause pain as well as other causes of abdominal pain not involving the gastrointestinal tract. There are a variety of different causes of colic, some of which require surgical intervention and can prove fatal. Colic surgery is usually an expensive procedure as it is major abdominal surgery. Among domesticated horses, colic is a major cause of premature death. It is important that any person who owns or works with horses is able to recognize the symptoms of colic and is able to determine whether or not a veterinarian must be called.

Types of Colic

Obstruction colic
Spasmodic colic
Colic caused by parasites
Displacement colic
Abdominal pain with other causes

Obstruction colic

An obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract of a horse can cause colic.

There are three main causes of obstruction colic.

Pelvic flexure impaction

The obstruction is usually an impaction of food material. The most common site for food impaction is a part of the large bowel known as the pelvic flexure where the intestine takes a 180 degree turn and narrows. Impaction generally responds well to medical treatment, but more severe cases may not recover without surgery. If left untreated, severe impaction colic can be fatal. The most common cause is when the horse is on box rest and/or consumes a large volume of straw.

Enterolith

Enteroliths in horses often form around a piece of ingested foreign material. When they move from their original site they can obstruct the intestine. This usually requires surgery.

Large Roundworms

Very occasionally there can be an obstruction by large numbers of roundworms. This is most commonly seen in young horses as a result of Parascarus equorum infection. It can occur after the horse is wormed but may occur with live roundworms. This may well require colic surgery.

Spasmodic colic

Spasmodic colic, also referred to as gas colic, is the result of increased peristaltic contractions in the horse's gastrointestinal tract. It is also the result of gas buildup within the horse's digestive tract. With spasmodic colic horses may exhibit loose bowel movements and increased flatulence.

Colic caused by parasites

Parasites have also been known to cause colic in horses. (See obstruction colic above.) Tapeworms at the juction of the cecum have been implicated as well as small roundworms such as cyathostomes which would also be likely to cause diarrhoea.

Displacement colic

Displacement colic occurs in horses whenever portion of the intestinal tract displaces over itself or telescopes. This is a very serious condition and requires the immediate attention of a veterinarian. Portions of the intestinal tract may die as a result of constricted or cut off circulation. A horse can be saved if a veterinarian is contacted in time, although some horse owners are unable to afford colic surgery.

Abdominal pain with other causes

Colic can sometimes be caused by other abdominal problems such as a painful ovary or splenic haemangioma.

Recognizing the symptoms of Colic

A horse may exhibit any of the following symptoms. It is important to recognize the difference between a symptom of colic, and natural horse behavior. For example, horses enjoy rolling around - it is a natural behavior for them. It is imperative that you can tell the difference between when a horse is rolling because they are in pain, or when they are rolling to simply scratch their back.

A list of symptoms generally associated with colic

The horse is reluctant or refuses to eat;
The horse may look at their sides, or turn and nip at their sides;
The horse may kick at their abdomen with their back legs, paw with their forelegs, or stomp their feet;
The horse appears to be stretching out abnormally when defecating or is straining to pass a bowel movement;
The horse lies down and begins rolling and thrashing violently;
Along with these other symptoms the horse's pulse and respiratory rate may increase (NOTE: the horse's temperature usually shouldn't increase with colic. If a horse is experiencing abdominal pain and also has a fever, seek a veterinarian's help immediately, as this is often an indication of an infection and may also be an indication of peritonitis).

Simple management steps that can help prevent colic

Be sure that all feed is stored behind closed doors. If for some reason a horse manages to escape from their stall and gets into a feed bin or storage container, they can overload on carbohydrates resulting in colic.
Do NOT allow horses access to any spoiled or moldy feed, stagnant water, or otherwise contaminated sustainance.
Do NOT feed horses on the ground. This can result in the horse unintentionally eating dirt or sand resulting in sand colic.
DO feed horses at the same time every day. Horses have very sensitive digestive systems, and if their feeding routine is disrupted, even if only by an hour or two, it's enough for some horses to colic.
DO deworm horses regularly. A good parasite control program can help prevent colic caused by parasites.
Feed the minimum amount of grain and other high carbohydrate-rich foods as necessary to maintain healthy weight and energy. Feeding excess grain can cause colic.

What to do if a horse colics

In the event that a horse colics, and is rolling violently, be very cautious for your own safety. A violently colicky horse will have no regard for anyone. If the horse is rolling it is often best to walk the horse as this is a good distraction from the pain and because walking often serves to help resolve gassy, spasmodic or impacted colic. If you cannot stop the horse rolling then put the horse in a place where it is least likely to injure itself. It is now recognised as a myth that rolling may cause a displacement in the horse's gut, it is the displacement that causes the horse to roll. If the horse absolutely refuses to get up, is colicking violently, is sweating profusely, shows no signs of improvement within twenty to thirty minutes, or you have reason to believe the colic is serious, call the veterinarian immediately. Banamine may be given to a horse intramuscularly (NOTE: Do NOT attempt to give a horse an injection unless you are familiar with the proper procedure) or orally. This may or may not help a horse, and is most helpful for spasmodic colic.

Sometimes a mare may colic after delivering a foal. This is normal, and can usually be treated with banamine. Do not be alarmed unless the colic is prolonged or appears to be severe.

In Conclusion

If you suspect a horse is colicking, then you now possess the essential information to determine if it's severe enough to warrant a call to the vet. In any case, it's better to be safe than sorry. If you don't have much experience with horses that colic, it's always better to call the vet to be safe, than to not call the vet and potentially lose your companion.

External links

Melbourne University Equine Centre