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| THE VET'S NOTEBOOK |
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Colic!
by Dr. Neil Gray, DVM |
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COLIC! The mere mention of the word strikes fear into the hearts of most horse owners, because colic can be as minor as excess gas or as serious as a twisted intestine--and the symptoms can be virtually the same! Colic is not a specific disease, but a generic term (derived from the Greek word for colon) for any form of abdominal pain in horses. The actual cause of the belly-ache can stem from a variety of different conditions, and the symptoms are equally wide-ranging.
Common Signs of Colic
The horse may exhibit all, many or only a few of the signs of colic. Typically, with early or mild pain, the horse has a decrease in appetite, strikes or paws the ground, raises its upper lip, stretches out as if to urinate, and looks at its belly. As the colic progresses, the horse kicks at its belly, is reluctant to stand, or rolls violently, thrashes and sweats. For the most part, the severity of signs parallels the severity of the problem. However, this is not always true, since individual horses (like people) have different pain thresholds, and what one horse perceives as extremely painful may only be a mild nuisance to another. (I always prefer the former, because in the latter case, a horse may allow its condition to deteriorate severely before alerting its owner of a problem.)
Common Types of Colic
A horse is "colicy" when it exhibits any signs of abdominal pain. The next step is to determine the type of colic, so that the source of pain can be treated and, ideally, eliminated. The intestines may be merely irritated and gas-filled, causing a gas colic. This is one of the major reasons to discourage cribbing or wind-sucking. A change of environment or feed may be enough to create a gas colic episode, so feeds should always be changed slowly, over a period of days.
Another minor form colic is called an impaction. At various spots along the horse's intestinal tract, a blockage may be created when ingesta packs together into a mass dry or large enough to stop the normal flow of material through the system. The distension of that area of intestine and the back-up of material behind it cause the pain. Laxatives (chiefly mineral oil) are administered to lubricate and soften the impaction which helps the horse pass it. Enemas are occasionally used, but are often too far from the source of the problem to help, since an impaction can be located anywhere along the 75-foot length of the system. In rare cases, an impaction can be severe enough that surgery is the only way to return the system to normal.
The ingestion of sand (sand colic) also creates many colics. Horses that eat off the ground on sandy soil are particularly at risk. Sand is heavier than the normal feeds and will settle in the intestines. Over time, this has the same effect as sand-paper on the lining of the intestines. Metamucil-type products are administered to help gather the sand and allow it to pass. Occasionally, the amount of sand is great enough to cause a full sand impaction, but more typically, only mild colic signs and loose manure are experienced periodically.
Parasites used to be a major cause of colic, but thanks to better wormers and conscientious deworming by most owners (minimum of every three months), worm colic is rarely seen in this area. Blood worms (strongyles) can damage the arteries that supply the intestines and stop the blood flow, killing the affected areas of the intestinal tract. In foals, a very large worm burden can cause an impaction and may even require surgery to remove the mass of worms.
More severe colics are caused by twists in portions of the intestines, fat cells tumors (lipomas) that wrap around the intestine, stones (called enteroliths) that form inside the intestine (like an oyster forms a pearl) and block the intestine, displacements of a portion of the intestine within the abdomen, and entrapment of a portion of intestine within a hernia. These are all examples of colic that require surgery to correct the problem. Without surgery in these cases, the bowel would begin to die (at a rate dependent on the compromise of the blood supply to it). As the intestine dies, the horse begins to absorb toxins from it, and also loses a tremendous amount of fluid to the intestinal tract. This leads to shock and can rapidly lead to death.
Prevention and Awareness
Horses that have multiple colic episodes should have their feeding program evaluated and may require special care. As always, a little preventative medicine is better than treatment. Most of all, be aware of early signs of colic and don't ignore them. A horse lying down should get up when disturbed, and stay up. Very few horses will turn their nose up at a carrot or at food of any type. Early treatment can often stop the problem before any serious complications result. Your veterinarian is best able to help you decide how serious a colic episode is. If you are unsure whether the symptoms your horse exhibits are colic, call your veterinarian.
© 1999 by Dr. Neil Gray. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. |
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