Colic in Horses - Useful Information

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     Equine colic refers to pain originating in the abdomen. Normally horses do not tolerate abdominal pain very well. So in the event of any abnormality in gut function they tend to show signs of distress.

Visible signs of discomfort might be stretching, standing as if to urinate, and hoofing the floor. If in more pain the horse will stand up and lie down, and try rolling to become more settled.

It will likely start to sweat. More serious cases it will stand up and lie down and continuously roll.

What Should You Do?
If you believe your horse has colic, you should call an experienced equine vet straight away. The vet will be able to provide emergency pain relief and decide whether further action is necessary.

What can you do while waiting for the vet to arrive? Leading your horse for a walk can help. It may encourage his intestines to work ina normal manner and surpress any pain. It could also stop your horse lying down and rolling. However if he is lying on the floor peacefully then let him stay lying down.

It used to be thought that a horse could twist its gut by rolling around. That is probably incorrect. Though it is best to prevent him rolling if possible. This way you can stop your horse injuring himself by striking itself on any walls. Of course be careful that you don't hurt yourself. It's likely horses will lose all their manners when they are in pain.

There are many differing reasons as to why horses get colic. Often the signs look similar regardless of what caused it.

How does the vet look into the problem? They will have a listen to your horses abdomen using a stethoscope to tell whether there is any more activity in the gut than there should be.

Monitoring the heart rate provides a good indication of the severity of the pain and the seriousness of the colic. Usually a horse with a regular heart rate doen't have a sever problem. Whereas higher heart rates are not such a good sign.

A very helpful area of the examination is the rectal examination. By feeling the gut, vets could be able to find the cause of the issue. It goes without saying that this is a incredibly complicated procedure, that is potentially hazardous for both the vet and the horse. However for an experienced equine vet the feedback it gives is invaluable in concluding the cause of the issue. It may reveal an obstruction, or a swollen gut loop as a result of a twist or another problem with the intestines.

In all but the most straightforward scenarios the vet may inset a tube through the nose an into the stomach. This may sound unpleasant but often may make the horse comfortable by lowering any pressure from the stomach. It can also give the vet useful information about whether the stomach is functioning correctly.

Sometimes the horse is in so much pain that it isn't possible for the vet to examine him properly without first giving a quantity of pain killer.

Only by considering all of the information provided by a detailed examination is the vet able to make an initial diagnosis. Though it might not be possible to diagnose exactly what the problem is.

Occasionally, after the initial inspection, the horse needs emergency surgery. But more usually the vet will choose to treat the horse with a fast-acting painkiller and monitor his condition after a couple of hours. Most examples display a quick improvement. However some will show no response to the treatment, or they will respond at first, only to start displaying signs of discomfort again later on.

Rather than having to call the vet to your horse multiple times, it is normally preferred to move these cases to a specialist equine practice so they can be monitored closely and surgery can be performed if appropriate.

In Conclusion
Fortunately the vast majority of examples respond to medical treatment. Although if surgery is necessary - it is important to operate early. The chance of a successful outcome is much better if the surgery is carried out before too much damage has occurred.