Colic in horses refers generally to gastrointestinal pains. If that's all it is, then I get colic all the time! Simple relief for me includes some rather unpleasant noises and odors. For a horse, it's not quite so simple. I'm learning that Equine Colic can be a life-threatening situation. In fact, colic is the leading cause of death for horses.
Unlike you and me, horses cannot belch to relieve gas pains. Moreover, because of their deep chests, when a horse rolls in an attempt to relieve the pain, it could cause the intestines or colon to twist (torsion) - a similar thing can happen to large chested dogs too. This is a life and death situation that is usually solved through emergency surgery.
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| From http://equinegutflush.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/colicrxhorse.jpg |
What is the cause of equine colic - it's largely unknown but the prevailing school of thought suggests it's generally a result of diet. Horses have evolved as grazers that require almost constant eating and food in their stomach. They were not built to digest the high protein, high carb diets many horses today receive (Note: view my previous post on equine dentistry and floating teeth, another consequence of the present-day equine diet).
Some horses are more prone to it than others. It is also more likely to happen when there is a change in food which is why most people change their horse's diet slowly. And it seems to happen more frequently during the change in seasons with large temperature swings.
To relieve less serious bouts of colic, horses are walked frequently day and night. When the vet came out to see my daughter's horse, he stuffed a tube down his nasal cavity to pour electrolytes and mineral oil into the stomach. And he did a rectal exam to clear out any fecal compaction (nice, eh!). They fed him only minimally for the next day or so and put some apple juice in the water bucket to entice the horse to drink more. They also put some apple sauce in the beet pulp and bran to get him to eat it.
While I haven't received the vet bill yet, I'm not looking forward to it. But it could have been a lot worse if the people at the barn didn't catch it as early as they did. My daughter had to sleep at the barn that night and walk him every two hours. Just think of how this prepares daughters for the real world.
Cheers,
DDD
Follow-up (April 15, 2015) - I received the vet bill for the main visit and a follow-up visit. While I have learned over the past to cringe when I receive mail from the vet, this one wasn't as bad as I thought. It was just under $350 for the two visits. Considering the vet had his arm up the horse's butt past his elbow, that seems like a small price to pay!
Second Follow-Up (April 27 2015) - This weekend the vet had to come out again - Yikes! The horse was dehydrated again. He was outside all day before my daughter had her lesson and the weather had gotten cold again that day. The large variations in the temperature at this time of year (and it seems especially drastic this year) affect eating and drinking behaviors. They suspect he didn't drink while he was outside because it had gotten cold and the water was frigid. So I'm certain there will be another $350 bill coming my way in a week or so. And while I may have indicated earlier that these bills are smaller than I expected (considering what the vet has to do), they are beginning to add up!!
Some horses are more prone to it than others. It is also more likely to happen when there is a change in food which is why most people change their horse's diet slowly. And it seems to happen more frequently during the change in seasons with large temperature swings.
To relieve less serious bouts of colic, horses are walked frequently day and night. When the vet came out to see my daughter's horse, he stuffed a tube down his nasal cavity to pour electrolytes and mineral oil into the stomach. And he did a rectal exam to clear out any fecal compaction (nice, eh!). They fed him only minimally for the next day or so and put some apple juice in the water bucket to entice the horse to drink more. They also put some apple sauce in the beet pulp and bran to get him to eat it.
While I haven't received the vet bill yet, I'm not looking forward to it. But it could have been a lot worse if the people at the barn didn't catch it as early as they did. My daughter had to sleep at the barn that night and walk him every two hours. Just think of how this prepares daughters for the real world.
Cheers,
DDD
Follow-up (April 15, 2015) - I received the vet bill for the main visit and a follow-up visit. While I have learned over the past to cringe when I receive mail from the vet, this one wasn't as bad as I thought. It was just under $350 for the two visits. Considering the vet had his arm up the horse's butt past his elbow, that seems like a small price to pay!
Second Follow-Up (April 27 2015) - This weekend the vet had to come out again - Yikes! The horse was dehydrated again. He was outside all day before my daughter had her lesson and the weather had gotten cold again that day. The large variations in the temperature at this time of year (and it seems especially drastic this year) affect eating and drinking behaviors. They suspect he didn't drink while he was outside because it had gotten cold and the water was frigid. So I'm certain there will be another $350 bill coming my way in a week or so. And while I may have indicated earlier that these bills are smaller than I expected (considering what the vet has to do), they are beginning to add up!!
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