Skip to main content

Colicos in horses - Symptoms and treatment

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.

Colicos in horses - Symptoms and treatment

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.

Colicos in horses - Symptoms and treatment

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.

Colicos in horses - Symptoms and treatment

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.

Colicos in horses - Symptoms and treatment

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.

Etiquetas:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My lovebird has diarrhea - Causes and treatment

Lovebird has become one of the most frequently birds they find in our homes.Their color, their beauty, and that nickname of "inseparable" that we like so much, makes them as appreciated as the canaries were once. But the arrival of any bird, exotic or not , puts us in front of new situations that sometimes we are not accustomed to face.Animals and Pets Online will try to help distinguish pathological situations from those that are not, and to handle us in the event that our lovebird has diarrhea , In the following article we explain the possible causes that cause it . It is not always diarrhea, even if it seems We may notice that there are more liquid stools than usual in our lovebird on the floor of the cage and identify it as diarrhea, even if it is not. Evacuations Sewers in birds are made up of a greenish part (they can vary in color if they take feed, they are real feces), a white part (urates, mineral salts), and a liquid part (urine).Everything goes out...
Post a Comment
Read more

Frugivoros Animals - Characteristics and +20 Examples

Frugivorous animals are those that base their diet on the consumption of fruits , or much of what they consume is made up of this type of food.In the animal kingdom, many species are frugivorous, from insects to large mammals. The plants that produce fruits are the angiosperms .In this group, the flowers of the female plants or the female parts of a hermaphrodite plant have an ovary with several ovules that, when fertilized by a sperm, thickens and changes color, acquiring very attractive nutritional qualities for animals. 20% of the known species of Mammals are frugivorous animals, so this type of diet is very significant and important among animals. At first glance, frugivorous animals do not seem to possess distinctive features of animals not frugivoros, even less if they are omnivorous animals that, although they can be feed on many products, its main food is fruit. The main qualities appear along the digestive tract , starting with the mouth or beak.In mammals or o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Malt for cats - Different uses and how often to offer it

Cats are especially clean animals that spend hours grooming.lick ingest a lot of hair.If you live with a cat, you've sure seen it seen coughing and even vomiting hairballs. That's when some people turn to cat malt , a very useful product of natural origin that improves digestion and intestinal transit of our cat. Discover in Animals and Pets Online everything related to malt for cats, including the necessary doses, at what age It should be offered or information about vomiting.All the benefits of this product below: What is malt? Cat malt is a paste of color similar to honey and denser texture .It consists of vegetable oils and fats, malt extract, fiber, dairy products and yeast mainly.It also often contains dyes, preservatives and vitamins. There are numerous brands in the market with different formats.The most frequent is in the form of a tube of toothpaste.The composition varies slightly according to the brand but the basis is malt extract.Some cats show a prefe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Types of canaries and their names

How many races of canaries are there? At present, more than 30 types of canaries are known , this being the most abundant species of domestic bird in the world with parakeets, although there are many classifications possible, the canary breeds are usually divided into three large groups: Singing canaries : here, we find the most coveted breeds in canariculture, thanks to their incredible ability to learn and play melodies complex and a great variety of sounds.In the next sections we will see the main races of singing canaries. Canaries by color : this, perhaps, is the most basic classification of canaries, based on the color of their feathers.It is divided into subgroups according to the predominant pigments in its plumage, the lipochromic canaries (shades of dominant and recessive white, yellow and red) and the melancholic canaries (colors black, agate, green, bromine, isabela, brown and tona corrugated qualities). The position or position canaries : also called a design or...
Post a Comment
Read more

What do my dog's barks mean

As we know, dogs communicate in many different ways both with each other and with the rest of living beings and some do it so clearly that humans often say that "if you do not need to speak, you already know what you want to tell me and how to do it." It is important to know that Dogs communicate in many ways for example with their smell, their body, with vocalizations and looks, etc.In the case of voice communication, barking is perhaps the most recognizable form of communication in dogs, but they are not the only form since they also shout, snort or snort, grunt and groan. In this new article of Animals and Pets Online we are going to focus on a single aspect of the communication of the canids, the barking.Certainly there are very varied barks but all they have their reason for being.If you want to know what your dog's barking means read on and then you will see the different types and meanings of their barking. Continuous, fast and medium tone barks Dogs use...
Post a Comment
Read more

8 gray cat breeds

Gray cat breeds with blue eyes Next, we talk about some of the gray cat breeds that have impressive blue eyes: Gray Persian cat There is a great variety in the world of Persian cats, of all colors and sizes, which makes this breed one of the most famous and desired.The gray Persian cat is descended from the Angora cat , a Turkish species that exists since Antiquity: Its appearance makes it look like an obese cat, however, this is because the breed is robust and muscular, also, the head is rounded by nature. The eyes are large and colorful Intense, which can range from blue to yellowish and greenish hues.Gray Persian cats are usually very affectionate and silent , they love being in company, so they always attract the attention of their human companions and look for caresses. Turkish Angora Although it is common to observe it with white fur, there are examples of Turkish angora whose fur is gray.As the name implies, this animal is originally from Turkey , it is a very h...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to know what size a mongrel dog will be?

When we talk about a mixed breed dog or mixed breed dog , generally we refer to a dog whose ancestry is unknown and that has typical characteristics of two or more breeds.This is usually the result of a non-selective breeding, but generally fortunate, since a mongrel dog can be exactly as good companion as a dog of a certain breed. Due to numerous factors, although here it is worth highlighting the great genetic variability, there are many advantages of having a mongrel dog and it is important to emphasize this point since unfortunately it is usually grant a lower value to a dog of these characteristics.If you are thinking of adopting a mixed breed dog, you are surely gathering all the necessary information, if you are wondering how to know what size a mongrel dog will be I didn't leave It is to read this article of Animals and Pets Online. Is it possible to know the size of a mongrel dog? Of course, estimating the exact size of a mongrel dog is not an easy task, although ...
30 comments
Read more

Should parrots' wings be cut?

Having parrots at home is very common.They are small pets , colorful and very funny to see in their day to day.However, with the popularity they gain as companions of human homes, the number of people who choose to cut their wings to prevent them from escaping also increases. This practice that may seem common, has its detractors when it comes to thinking about the most beneficial for the bird.Do you want to know if the wings of the parrots should be cut ? Keep reading This article from Animal Expert! How are parrot wings cut? Before telling you whether or not it is advisable to cut the wings of your parrot, it is necessary to explain a little about how the process is carried out and the modifications that it implies in these limbs of the birds. When we talk about cutting the wings, there are two main procedures and some levels in each.The first of these processes is the alectomy , which consists in removing the distal phalanges of the wing and removing the primary feathers ,...
Post a Comment
Read more

10 breeds of water dogs

The breeds of water dogs form a large and diversified family of medium sized dogs that stand out for having a woolly and/or curly mantle, active behavior and remarkable vocation for aquatic activities.Historically, these dogs were associated with the fishing and small game , serving mainly as bird collectors and small aquatic mammals. Subsequently, due to their energy temperament, versatility and predisposition to training, water dogs managed to adapt easily to other activities and canine sports, but also they became very appreciated company dogs, despite their slightly independent character. If you are thinking of adopting a water dog or you like to know more about the history of the different dog breeds known today, you have arrived at the pagi na ideal.In this article of Animals and Pets Online, we invite you to learn more about the 10 breeds of water dogs most famous around the world.Do not miss them! 1. Caniche or poodle Standing out as one of the most intelligent do...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to care for an epileptic cat

Epilepsy is not an exclusive disease of the human being, dogs and cats also suffer , being in these small felines much more common than we might initially think, which is due to numerous causes ranging from genetic inheritance to various physical problems. Symptoms of epilepsy in cats are very similar to which a human could experience, and although the most characteristic is the seizure, in the feline we can also observe other signals that prepare us to provide the necessary assistance. While it is true that a feline that presents This disease will necessarily require various veterinary care, there are also certain recommendations that we must adopt at home.In this article of Animal Expert we show you how to care for an epileptic cat in order to offer you the best quality of possible life. Recognizing the symptoms of epilepsy in cats Epilepsy in cats is a disease that becomes evident when our pet suffers a spontaneous seizure , however, to be prepared to provide all the necess...
Post a Comment
Read more