How to Deal With Colic in Horses

1. How to Deal With Colic in Horses Colic is a painful problem in your horse’s abdomen as it’s unpredictable and often unpreventable. The common cause of colic includes gas, impaction, grain overload, sand ingestion, and parasite infection. If colic is not treated quickly, it can result in death. So, it’s very important for horse owners to know the signs of colic, how to handle the situation, actions to take for horse recovery, and also how to minimize the risk of colic. Signs of Colic          Frequently looking at their side/flank Biting flank or belly Lying down or rolling Small amounts or passing of manure Fecal balls get smaller Passing mucus Poor eating behavior Change in drinking behavior 45 to 50 per minute heart rate Types of colic Impaction colic Impaction colic occurs when feeding material builds up in the gut- mainly in the colon, and the horse cannot remove it. Horse pain starts when the gut wall stretches. The large intestine folds itself and has several changes of direction.

2. Cause of Impaction Colic:  Poorly chewed feed  Dehydration  Poor water intake  Poor mobility  Horses suffering from impaction colic experience mild pain and are unable to eat. Gas colic This colic occurs when microbes in the colon produce excessive gas because of dietary changes or highly fermented feed. This gas stretches the gut wall in the horse’s stomach causing mild to moderate pain. Most gas colic can be treated with minimal treatment, but this may cause the colon to move out of its normal place. Spasmodic colic Spasmodic colic is a painful contraction of the smooth muscle in the intestines. Over-excitement is the main reason for this type of colic. Enteritis Inflammation of the intestine is possibly due to bacteria, grain overload, or tainted feed. Horses suffering from enteritis also suffer from diarrhea. How to Reduce colic risk in horses  Maintain a consistent feeding protocol  Feed frequently  Encourage drinking  Provide regular exercise  Maintain an approved parasite control routine  Take steps to reduce the ingestion of sand  Consider gastric ulcer prevention methods  Avoid feeding hay on the ground in sandy areas

3.   Float your horse’s teeth every six months Do not make sudden changes to diet Treatment of colic in horses Before giving the proper treatment, the first step is to determine the cause. Many cases of colic can be treated with proper medication that includes equine Sucralfate and AbPrazole (omeprazole) while some might need immediate surgery. Sucralfate ulcer medication for horses is used to relieve pain caused by gastric ulcers and right dorsal colon ulcers in horses. It provides significant pain relief in horses suffering from abdominal pain due to ulcers. It is a sucrose and aluminum hydroxide complex that works by binding to the site of ulceration and forming a ‘protective coating’ over the lesion. Omeprazole ulcer treatment helps decrease and neutralize stomach acid, and thus assists in healing existing ulcer damage in the horse. AbPrazole is the most popular product for treating equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS).