Basic HTML Version
COL I C
Well, all the term colic really describes is the
behavioural signs associated with abdominal
pain (of which there are a large number of
causes). Broadly speaking when first assessing
a horse with colic it is necessary to differentiate
between those that are associated with the
gastrointestinal tract and 'false colic' i.e. those
conditions that present to us as colic but do
not involve the gastrointestinal tract (such as
laminitis, ovarian disease and bladder stones).
For the purposes of this article we shall be
focussing on causes of colic involving the
gastrointestinal tract.
A horse that is colicking can do so for many
reasons and so clinical signs can vary
greatly. Different stages of colic can present
in a number of ways and one horse will not
always look the same way as another
suffering from the same condition. Generally
signs of colic in horses can include one or all
of the following; pawing at the ground, flank
watching, curling their lip or just not settling,
rolling, restlessness and lying down for
prolonged periods and sweating up. Self
trauma is often noted from damage sustained.
Pain in colic is generally a result of either
stretching or distension of the intestines with
gas/fluid/food; uncoordinated contraction or
spasm of the intestines; loss of blood supply
to a length of intestine or stretching of the
mesentery (a fold of tissue that attaches
organs to the body wall).
Types and causes of colic
Defining the type of colic involved enables
the most appropriate treatment and prognosis
to be established.
Causes of colic associated with the small
intestine include pedunculated lipoma (a fatty
lump that wraps itself around a piece of
intestine strangulating it), ileal impaction,
herniation, grass sickness, epiploic foramen
entrapment (a piece of intestine becomes
Veterinary Surgeon
Lee Pritchard
XLVets Equine Practice
Calweton Veterinary
Group
Colic is a term that strikes fear into many
owners but what is colic and what does it
mean if your horse has colic?
The causes and consequences of
Lee Pritchard BVSc MRCVS
Calweton Veterinary Group
colic...
3
EQUINE MATTERS