What is equine colic?

Colic is a much-generalized term and defined as abdominal pain. Horses are more prone to colic due to their unique intestinal morphology. Mostly, equine colic is associated with intestinal abnormalities characterized by gas accumulation, spasms, impaction, or twisting of the intestinal tract. What are the signs of a horse colicking? Let’s take a closer look.

Signs of equine colic

Signs of equine colic may greatly vary with the severity of the condition. Some common signs associated with equine colic are

• Curling of the upper lip
• Repeated front foot pawing
• Grinding of teeth and salivating
• Looking at the flank
• Low or no feed intake
• Distended abdomen
• Flank kicking
• Depression & Sweating
• Rolling from side to side
• Straining for defecation
• Low bowl movement/mucus-covered stools

It is uncertain for a suffering horse to have all these signs, however; a combination of some of these signs is sufficient to flag a problem and take action, accordingly.

Can equine colic be life-threatening for the horse?

Most of the horses suffering from colic recover by making timely interventions. However, there are still 11% chances that colic can be life-threatening for a horse.

An extensive study was designed by monitoring 1028 horse operations from 28 different states of America. According to USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS), the incidence of equine colic was 4.2 events/100 horses. It was found that colic was the second major cause of equine mortality after old age.

The study also revealed the higher prevalence of colic in some breeds like Thoroughbred. The overall fatality rate of horses suffering from colic was 11%.

Types of equine colic

Tympanic Colic:

It is also called Gas colic. Accumulation of excessive gas in the intestine may be due to the over fermentation of feedstuffs or gas may not be channelized through the digestive tract.

Signs of a horse colicking: Spasmodic Colic

Spasmodic colic is characterized by spasms of the intestinal tract. It is the most common type of colic. The condition may develop due to the displacement of the part of the intestine from its normal place.

Sand Colic

Horses living or grazing in sandy areas tend to intake sand during grazing. It leads to sand accumulation in the intestine causing severe abdominal pain and blockage.

Horse signs of colic: Twisting Of Gut

Horses have very long intestines hanging in their abdominal cavity. The length of the small intestine is approximately 70ft. Such a long tract in the compact body of a horse is prone to twisting on itself leading to strangulation. The blood supply of the affected part is compromised due to the strangulation of blood vessels. The only way to save the life of a horse in this condition is early surgical intervention.

Signs of a horse colicking: Impaction Colic

High intake of dry roughages and dehydration cause the impaction of the digestive tract and blocks the movement of digesta. It starts as a mild abdominal pain that aggravates with time.

Things that cause equine colic

Knowing the cause of equine colic is important for the right diagnosis, treatment, and prevention in the future. Some important causes of equine colic are given here. However, it should be kept in mind that colic can be idiopathic or may be initiated by environmental factors like a thunderstorm.

High grain diet

A unique property of the equine gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is the continuously secreting gastric juices in the stomach. A high grain diet causes several digestive problems in horses because grains further lower the pH in the digestive tract. The lower pH in the GIT makes the intestinal wall prone to ulcers causing severe abdominal pain.

Usually, racehorses have a high prevalence of gastric ulcers due to low grazing time and training stress.

 Abrupt change in feeding and management

A sudden change in the diet and exercise of the horse can also cause colic. In the equine GIT, feed is digested with the help of enzymatic action and microbial fermentation. Specific types of microbes are present to digest a certain feed type. When horse feed is being changed, microbial flora is also adjusted accordingly.

When we change the feed or managemental regime of a horse abruptly, it impaired digestion and causes abdominal pain due to gas accumulation or toxins absorption.

Excessive use of Analgesics

Bute (Phenylbutazone) is excessively used as an analgesic during the treatment of lameness and ulcers in horses. Bute works by restricting the secretion of inflammatory mediators during its analgesic action. However; it also prevents some beneficial corticosteroids which help in the normal physiology of GIT. Excessive use of Bute is associated with colic in horses but it is unknown that for how long Bute usage makes a horse susceptible to colic.

Signs of a horse colicking: Parasitism

Parasitic infestation is a major cause of equine colic. Horses that graze on pastures have more tendencies to be infested by parasites. Every case of equine parasitism does not lead to colic, and it depends more on the burden of parasites.

Research studies revealed that some parasitisms are more associated with the occurrence of colic in horses like Strongylus Vulgaris and Parascaris equorum. Horses that are not dewormed regularly can have a greater load of parasites directing to poor nutrient absorption, abdominal pain or completely clogging the tract.

Signs of a horse colicking: Dehydration

Horses need to drink plenty of water for optimum digestion of their feed. A horse needs 5 to 15 gallons of water per day depending on the environmental conditions.

 In summer, hay fed to the horses usually has higher dry matter and a greater amount of salts. Furthermore, horses avoid drinking water from hot water troughs and have greater water loss due to perspiration. All these factors reduce the fluid intake of a horse and cause dehydration colic. Though, dehydration colic can be treated by mild sedation and by providing fluid therapy.

Preventing colic in the horse

• Provide plenty of freshwater to your horse and don’t let him dehydrated. Check for the temperature of drinking water. Horse avoids drinking hot and icy cold water.
• Keenly observe the horse after changing the feeding and working regime. Gradually change the feed, so; the horse can well adapt to the news feed.
• Limit the grain diet to the nutritional requirements of your horse. Provide good quality hay and sufficient grazing time.
• Maintain the dental health of your horse by the regular floating of teeth. Keeping the teeth in shape helps better grinding of feed for better digestion.
• Track your horse’s health daily using an equestrian journal.
• Avoid the excessive use of analgesic drugs.
• Test the feces of your horse for a particular worm infestation. Take the advice of your veterinarian for vermicidal drugs and deworm regularly.