Colicos in horses - Symptoms and treatment

The equine colic is the first cause of mortality in horses and many horse owners have to face it once since it is the most frequent disease of the adult horse.Colic syndrome is defined as a abdominal pain of varied origins .

The horse is a hypersensitive animal and the external manifestations of the colic can be impressive.Some specificities of the horse can complicate the situation: a horse cannot vomit, so that the food that has reached the stomach is forced to follow its path in the digestive tract.In addition, certain parasites such as strongils cause a narrowing of the arteries of the digestive system, which can make the condition worse.

Fortunately less than 10% of horses with colic require surgery.case colic syndrome is a of the most important equine pathologies for their severity and frequency, in this article of Animals and Pets Online we will tell you everything you need to know about the colic in horses .

Symptoms of colic on the horse

Colic or colic syndrome is defined as abdominal pain, usually the origin is intestinal, less frequently the cause can be renal.The ultrasensitive nerve detectors of the intestines react to the slightest discomfort that can be expressed in ways different according to the horse.

The intensity of the symptoms is not necessarily related to the severity of the problem: some horses are very expressive or even a little actors and exaggerate the signs while others try to hide their discomfort.Signs should get your attention and make you suspect a colic:

• Your horse has lack of appetite but the belly may be swollen, may be lethargic or otherwise agitated, not He is attentive to his surroundings.
• He is abnormally restless: he lies down and rises frequently, or he can duck his head looking at the ground as if he wanted to bend down.
• He has anxious looks, can yawn, sometimes the flehmen : lift the upper lip showing the inner part and mucosa of this.
• A horse with colic syndrome can also whinny, have the ears back, perspire without reason.
• In general, a change in behavior on your horse should get your attention.

It is not uncommon for a horse with colic to put itself in the position to urinate but not urinate anything: This is often the owners call the veterinarian telling him that "the horse does not urinate", in general in those cases there is no problem of urination but a colic syndrome.

Scratches the ground in an unusual way with their forelegs, he wallows in an unusual way to try to relieve his pain, and remains lying on his back which tends to especially relieve the foals.He looks at the belly and flanks, he can even hit the belly with one of his backs The feces may be soft or non-existent , in some cases the horse is in shock: it has cold limbs and cyanotic mucous membranes that is bluish and rapid pulse.

Keep in mind that a horse suffering from a colic can be violent due to pain: it can kick or suddenly dropping to the ground, do not let children approach a horse with colic.

When to call my veterinarian?

The colic is always an emergency: notify your veterinarian immediately to examine your horse and determine the cause to intervene as soon as possible.

Although some disorders such as constipation can only be a temporary nuisance, the horse's reaction suggests a serious complication.It is important to relieve your horse's pain so that it does not become damaged and does not roll over: you should call your veterinarian as soon as possible to be given a sedative.

What to do while I wait for the vet?

A horse with colic that is lying down or that rolls over can increase the risk of rupture or intestinal torsion.If the veterinarian's examination is not standing and its intervention will be limited.Important advice is to walk your horse: make him walk if he accepts to walk calmly, this favors the motility of the digestive system and stimulates traffic and can help the expulsion of gases.

Keep in mind that an important part of the deaths of horses due to colic, it is because the horse brutally bends its previous ones due to subacute pain and is violently dropped against the hard ground, which can cause gastric ruptures: that is why if your horse does not want to get up after insisting a little it is better not to force it.

Treatment of colic in horses

First your veterinarian will perform a general examination of your horse to assess parameters such as:

• Heart rate
• Frequency Respiratory
• Rectal temperature
• Temperature of your extremities
• Coloring of the mucous membranes
• Dehydration level
• Sounds Intestinal

You can also proceed with a rectal exam to determine the position, size and mobility of the organs.You can thus determine the presence of a plug, a buildup of gases, a painful area.

In some cases, the veterinarian may perform a naso-gastric intubation with a catheter: pass the catheter through a pot to reach the esophagus and then to the stomach, so it can determine if the stomach is overloaded with water and food and proceed to decompression.In addition, it allows you to introduce medications directly into the stomach.

Once the diagnosis is made, the veterinarian decides if he can treat himself there l horse or if it should be transferred to a clinic in case it is more serious and could then perform blood tests.If the colic is treatable in situ the veterinarian will give your horse analgesic to relieve him.

Once the veterinarian is gone, it is not over: you must watch your horse for several days to control a possible recurrence, especially once the analgesic stops working.The horse will be fasted for a while before gradually feeding it Again, the fasting time and rest time of your horse depends on your veterinarian: you should follow his advice and directions .

Let your horse eat and defecate again It is not enough: all the parameters determined by your veterinarian during the examination of your horse must return to normal values ​​to consider that the colic has been resolved.

Causes and prevention of colic

Colicos are emergencies since 5% of colic are very serious and can cause the death of the horse.90% of colic have a digestive origin and only 10% are extra-digestive, for example , may have a uterine or urinary origin.Understanding the triggers of colic is essential not only for good treatment but also to prevent colic and reduce the risk to the fullest.

When the cause is digestive, colic may be due to an impact that is an accumulation of food that forms a plug, a dilation of organs, a displacement or an intestinal torsion.These digestive pathologies may be due to a change in food, to drinking fountains that freeze in winter, to stress.

• The most frequent cause of colic is parasitism : the migration of the larvae of the estrongilos damages the intestinal wall rich in blood vessels.vessels are clogged and stop properly irrigating the i I do not testify to what causes the pain of the horse.It is suspected that flat worms may also cause colic.You should check your horse regularly 2 to 4 times a year, alternating products to avoid creating resistance.

• Certain horses frequently have colicus while some never have, if your horse tends to suffer colicus you have to re-evaluate its food ration, its exercise and its way of life.For example a horse has colic repeatedly from A few weeks ago, speaking with the owners, the veterinarian realized that the problems began after changes in the feed in the stable: the quality of the hay did not suit this horse.

• The food transition is very important when winter comes and that you pass your prairie horse to the box or when the good weather arrives and that you release it in a meadow.Its digestive system contains a flora composed of good bacteria and enzymes that are different according to the regime of the horse.A too rapid change of food does not allow your horse to adapt and does not manage to properly digest food which causes diarrhea, intestinal cramps and colic.Think to make the change progressively in some days at least.

• The cause may be in the water : it is important to ensure that the horse always has access to fresh, clean water.In winter we must check that the pipe does not freeze.The lack of water causes dehydration that will first affect the organs of the digestive system, in this case the stools will be hard and dry, the digestive transit will slow down.If you realize that this was the cause not l and give too much water to your thirsty horse: it is better that you give warm water in several shots.Indeed a lot of blow water or too cold water can carry a colic.Also keep in mind that a horse accustomed to drinking in a bucket does not Directly understand the operation of the automatic drinking troughs: you will have to teach it and you should check that it drinks by watching the water meter in its box increase.

• Many colicos would not occur if the horse were in a meadow: if your horse is in a box you must provide enough exercise and make sure that it eats enough fibers and that it eats small frequent amounts.Indeed, the horse has a small stomach and it is better that he eat at least twice a day than once or even if you can feed him three times.On the other hand, check the condition of his teeth regularly: teeth in poor condition do not allow good chewing and can be a risk factor. l>

There are many other causes of colic in cases of foals, pregnant mare or a stallion, however they are not as well known.By applying these tips you can reduce the risk of colic on your horse and in case it suffers a colico will know how to recognize it.

This article is merely informative, In Animals and Pets Online we do not have the power to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis.We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian in the event that it presents any type of condition or discomfort.

If you wish read more articles similar to Colicos in horses-Symptoms and treatment , we recommend that you enter our Intestinal Problems section.