New Ruling for Horse PassportsColic
Colic is a common emergency in equine practice. It can causes owners considerable anxiety and apprehension, but few owners have an accurate understanding of the condition.
Colic is not a specific disease or diagnosis but just refers to abdominal pain or discomfort. Often the pain is due to a disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, but this is not always the case.
Symptoms of colic can vary greatly. Some horses can appear very violent whilst others may stand quietly with little movement. The severity of the symptoms does not always reflect the severity of the underlying condition.
Symptoms include
- Refusing to eat or drink
- Dull and lethargic
- Pawing the ground
- Turning head towards its flanks
- Stretching or lying down
- Kicking at the abdomen
- Going down and attempting to roll
- Sweating
- Dropping to the ground and violent rolling or thrashing
As previously mentioned symptoms of colic are not always due to problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Other possible causes that may be mistaken for a true gastrointestinal colic include a twisted uterus in pregnant mares, bladder distension, severe cases of tying up, impairment of blood supply to the hind limbs, a fractured pelvis, and even laminitis.
Gastrointestinal colic can be broadly classified into two categories – medical colics and surgical colics. As the name suggests the former can be managed successfully with medical treatment, but the later requires surgical correction. Fortunately the majority of colics we see are medical colics.
Medical Colics
- Spasmodic colic – This is by far the most common colic we see. Horses can often be very painful. This often occurs when a horse has gorged itself on fresh grass or when the horse has been moved onto a new pasture. The pain often subsides but returns in a periodic nature. Horses respond very well to medical therapy.
- Obstruction or impaction – This is another common complaint when horses effectively become constipated! It often occurs in horses that are box rested for a long period of time or in horses that eat their straw bedding. Typically horses present a little off colour with a poor appetite. They may appear bloated and there may be a decrease in production of droppings. Treatment may take a number of days and often involves stomach tubing fluids and liquid paraffin, and the administration of intravenous fluid therapy.
Surgical Colics
These types of colic are very serious and require urgent veterinary attention. Often horses present initially with mild colicy symptoms but these can soon progress to more serious and violent symptoms.
There are a number of different reasons that horses may require colic surgery:
- Twist or torsion of a portion of the intestine
- Displacement of the intestine
- Strangulation of the intestine by an abdominal mass or another structure within the abdomen
- Disruption of the blood supply to a portion of the intestine
Once a diagnosis of a surgical colic has been made it is important that surgery takes place as soon possible. If surgery does not take place the horse will certainly die, therefore if the owner decides not to have surgery the horse should be euthansed to prevent further suffering.
The decision for surgery can be a difficult one to make. An uncomplicated surgery may cost as much as £3000, and a complicated case can easily reach £5000. The age of the horse must be taken into account as surgery in horses over the age of 20 is not as successful as in younger horses. The aftercare must also be considered as a horse returning from surgery must be rested for up to six months. Complications following surgery can occur weeks or even months after the event.
Other Types of Colic
- Sand colic – symptoms can be similar to that of an impaction, but sometimes surgery can be required to correct cases that do not respond to conventional medical therapy.
- Anterior enteritis – horses often present with severe colic. Attempts may be made to treat the case medically but it is often necessary to perform surgery to correct the problem.
- Grass sickness – horses may present with varying degrees of colic. It is reported that horses with true grass sickness cannot be cured, however there are suggestions that mild cases can be managed successfully. Often surgery is required to make a diagnosis, and euthanasia often follows.