By Matt Witzel, DVM

As horse owners, one of your top concerns for your majestic companions is colic. The “C” word for the horse community. Some of you have never seen it. Some of you have seen mild colics. And unfortunately, some of you have seen devastating colics. Whichever category you find yourself in, it is easy to feel overwhelmed if you discover your horse is having an episode. After reading this, I’m hoping you will have a better grasp on an appropriate course of action which may be the difference between life and death for your beloved companion.

So first off, what is colic? The definition of “colic” is abdominal pain. Although there are only a handful of symptoms that you observe when your horse is colicking, the number of reasons why your horse may be colicking is enormous. Most colics are related to the gastrointestinal tract but occasionally I’ll see a horse colicking from a problem in its reproductive tract, kidneys, bladder, liver, spleen, etc. Even within the GI (gastrointestinal) tract causes for colic are numerous. The reason that I bring this up is because I want you to understand that the treatment for all colics does not only consist of Banamine, mineral oil, and, if necessary, surgery. Some colics may respond to walking or trotting while in other cases this may be detrimental.

Let’s talk about what you might see if your horse is colicking. The most common signs we see if a horse is uncomfortable are inappetance and lethargy. Most horses get pretty excited about mealtime so if your horse doesn’t show interest in feed or doesn’t eat a whole meal you should be concerned. Other signs of a more progressed/severe colic may include decreased fecal output, pawing, stretching as if to urinate, looking at abdomen, lying down and standing up repeatedly, rolling, thrashing, etc.

What next? If you at any time suspect your horse may be colicking, please call us to discuss your horse’s clinical signs. Depending on the horse’s history, age, diet, and presenting symptoms, we may recommend that you start by giving a dose of anti-inflammatory medication (such as Banamine) and pulling his/her feed OR we may recommend that he/she be seen immediately by one of the veterinarians at Western Montana Equine. Again, I want to stress the fact that you need to call us before giving any medications! For instance, if a horse is given oral Banamine by an owner prior to the horse being seen by a veterinarian and the horse needs to have its stomach rinsed out when the veterinarian arrives, the oral banamine may or may not be rinsed out of the stomach, potentially removing the horse’s pain control. Whereas if the owner had waited until the veterinarian could give Banamine intravenously, the anti-inflammatory acts faster and there is no risk of losing its effect when the horse is tubed.

Lastly, I want to give a brief list of common risk factors in horses for developing colic and how you can avoid a colic from developing from these symptoms (if possible).

  1. Dehydration- This will sometimes be a primary cause of colic (absence of clean water available) but more often will be a complicating factor. Therefore, many of our treatments of colic are focused on rehydration.
  2. Weather Changes- Watch the upcoming weather and anytime you know there will be a dramatic increase or decrease of the ambient temperature watch your horses closely and give them electrolytes or a teaspoon of table salt in their feed to stimulate their drinking habits.
  3. Diet Changes- This one seems obvious but what is often overlooked with the changes in a horse’s diet is the difference between two batches of the same type of hay. When you get a new load of hay in, gradually introduce it over the course of three days or more. If it is a new type of feed, i.e. alfalfa hay to timothy hay, this change should take place over 10-14 days.
  4. Sand- It can be hard to get away from sand but you can minimized a horse’s intake of sand by only feeding the horse from a feeder that is placed over rubber mats or deep bedding. Also keeping up with psyllium (a fiber that helps remove sand from the colon) is important for any horse that is allowed turnout in a sandy paddock.
  5. Stress- Horses can become stressed with changes to their environment, this may include the horse traveling to new locations, the introduction of a new horse to the property, or removal of pasture mate. Stress will cause gastric and/or colonic ulcers which may induce colic. Pay attention to these changes and discuss ulcer treatments/supplements with a veterinarian.
  6. Alfalfa Hay- Mineral content in straight alfalfa hay may, over the course of several years, cause enterolith (stone) formation in the colon. Alfalfa hay will also increase the risk for sand colic. Alfalfa is an energy-dense feed which is not required by most horses depending upon their jobs. Feed non-performance horses grass hay such as orchard or timothy hay.
  7. Bermuda Hay- Although this hay provides good nutrition the physical nature of the hay is associated with a higher risk for impaction colics. Feed another type of hay as listed above.
  8. Parasites- With the common practice of regular deworming for horses this is not as common as years previous but still an important factor that should not be overlooked. I recommend deworming your horse on a rotating schedule (use different deworming medications each time) every 3-4 months and have your horses tested for parasites once or twice each year.
  9. Old Age- While old age is not a disease, lipomas (a type of benign tumor) are most often found in older horses (20+ years). Lipomas can grow on a long stalk that can wrap around parts of the GI tract causing strangulation of the bowel and cutting off its blood supply. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to prevent the formation of lipomas.

There are numerous reasons why your horse may not be feeling well. The sooner we diagnose and begin treatment, the better chance your horse has of making it through the colic episode quickly and safely.