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Risk Factors Associated with Colic.
by David W. Ramey, D.V.M. |
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Colic refers to pain that comes from the horse's abdomen (it's used in the same manner to refer to the nonspecific condition that sometimes makes human infants cry). Colic is rarely a problem that has serious consequences for the horse, although, without question, it is a disease that can have fatal consequences. An estimated 50 percent of all medical problems of the horse are related to his digestive system! No wonder so many horse owners are preoccupied with the prevention and treatment of this condition.
To some extent, colic is just one of those things that happens to a horse from time to time (the "stuff happens" theory of medicine is particularly applicable to horses). However, according to some recent studies, there do appear to be a few things that are associated with colic that you can monitor in the hopes of decreasing the risk of your horse getting colic:
- Recent vaccination.
- Mares two to five months post-foaling (their time of greatest nutritional need).
- Recent transport.
- Recent feeding or housing changes.
- High concentrate (grain) rations.
- Previous episodes of colic.
What these things have in common is hard to say. Horses aren't telling. Still, you could guess that they may: 1) cause some sort of stress of physiologic response that changes the normal function of the intestines or 2) interrupts the horse's normal routine of feeding and watering.
Frequently, it's not possible to avoid some of these risk factors (do you really want to stop transporting your horse to horse shows or not breed your mare?). Thus, more closely monitoring horses who are at risk for any of the above conditions in hopes of catching a colic early may be the wisest course. It may also be wise to try to maximize the amount of good quality forage in your horse's diet and feed less concentrated rations.
Curiously, many of the things people think are important in colic prevention don't seem to be very important at all. Colic has not been strongly associated with things like a poor history of parasite control, poor dental care or stall vices such as cribbing or wood chewing. Finally, several studies have shown that horses DON'T appear to colic because of changes in the weather.
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Vet Talk with Dr. David Ramey
is a monthly column for tips on horse care. Dr. Ramey, author of numerous books and articles, is Dominion Saddlery's resident online vet. Dr. David Ramey is a 1983 graduate of Colorado State University. After completing an internship in equine medicine and surgery at Iowa State University in 1984, he moved to Southern California and began general equine practice, specializing in the care and treatment of performance horses from a variety of disciplines. Dr. Ramey is the author of numerous articles in the lay and professional press, as well as several books, including Horsefeathers: Facts vs. Myths about Your Horse's Health and the Concise Guide Series on equine health care. Look for them at Dominion Saddlery. |
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