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COL I C
SUMMER 2013 ISSUE
trapped in a narrow opening within the
abdomen) and enteritis (inflammation of
the intestine).
Causes of colic associated with the large
intestine include pelvic flexure impaction,
displacement, tympany (over-production of
gas), volvulus (360 o rotation of the large
intestine) and sand impaction.
Spasmodic colic is the most common colic
encountered, is often mild and typically lasts
a couple of hours. Loud gut sounds are often
heard over large areas of the gastrointestinal
tract and will respond well to gut relaxants
and pain killers. High parasite burdens
and sudden changes in diet are most
frequently implicated.
Prevention of colic
Prevention is always better than cure
and certainly some cases of colic are
preventable. Regular dental examination
allows identification of problems affecting
chewing thus reducing the risk of certain
types of colic. This is routinely performed
every 6-12 months by a vet or qualified
equine dental technician.
Regular monitoring and appropriate
treatment of intestinal parasites will
reduce the risk of colic (generally
spasmodic colic, some impactions and
damage caused by migration). Blanket
treatment of all horses every 4-6 weeks
is no longer an appropriate method of
parasite control.
Worm egg counts from faecal samples
provide us with information on worm
burden and species of worms responsible.
Tapeworms are not reliably measured
from worm egg counts and so a separate
blood sample is required for evaluation.
Horses are creatures of routine and as
trickle feeders it is important that a regular
feeding regime is maintained. Changes in
both routine and diet can cause colic with
any change in diet increasing the risk for
up to 14 days after. With this in mind,
keep to a strict routine (this involves not
only the same timings everyday but it has
been shown that the same person feeding
everyday reduces risk) and any changes in
feed must be introduced or removed slowly.
Some vices predispose a horse to colic,
especially those that crib bite and windsuck.
Horses that have had colic in the past are
more likely to have colic in the future.
It is always advisable to investigate mild
episodes of colic (a worm egg count,
tapeworm blood test and a dental
examination are good places to start)
as these are often an indication of an
underlying problem and by investigating
early, later suffering can often be avoided.
Treatment of colic
When assessing a horse or pony with colic
a decision needs to be made whether or
not to treat medically or surgically. In some
cases there is overwhelming evidence to
support a diagnosis of a surgical condition,
however there are numerous cases that
require surgical intervention but do not
always present to us as a severe colic.
Therefore any horse with colic potentially
has a life threatening condition and should
be seen by a veterinary surgeon.
Approximately 90% of colic cases will
respond to medical therapy including the
use of gut relaxants, pain killers, lubricants,
fluids and exercise. Gut relaxants are used
in those horses that have evidence of gut
spasm as the cause of pain and often
provide good clinical results to treatment.
Pain killers are an important part of colic
treatment; there are a number available
to us that all vary in their duration and
effectiveness. Lubricants and fluids are used
to relieve impactions, most commonly
passed via a tube into the stomach.
Gentle exercise is used as a treatment for
some conditions to relieve gas distension or
to help to move parts of the large intestine
to their proper position.
Surgical colic's make up approximately
10% of cases and it is not often that a
definitive diagnosis is made until surgery is
underway. The procedure performed
depends on the cause of colic but surgery
can involve removal of sections of dead
intestine, returning sections of intestines
to their normal anatomical position after
displacement, relieving obstructions,
relieving impactions or intestinal biopsies.
What do I do if my horse has colic?
Call the vet!
Colic is potentially life threatening
and so any horse showing colic signs should be
seen by a veterinary surgeon.
Whilst you wait for the vet, walk
your horse around to prevent any
secondary injuries from rolling etc.
Think of your own safety first so do
not enter the stable if your horse is
violently colicking, wait for the vet.
Diagnosis of colic
A thorough history and clinical examination
are the most useful diagnostic tests available
to us. However to build up a full picture
and likely prognosis we often use a number
of adjunctive tools such as ultrasonography
of the abdomen, passage of a stomach
tube, removal and assessment of free fluid
within the abdomen (abdominocentesis),
blood sampling and in some cases
exploratory surgery.
Assessing gut sounds
A horse pawing the ground. A common sign
of colic.
EQUINE MATTERS
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