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Clinic Hours:
Mon-Fri 8 to 5:30
Sat 8 to 12:00
Location:
31310 Woodhaven Trail
Cannon Falls, MN 55009
Directions/Map
Click here for map
Phone Numbers:
651-258-4050 office
651-258-4051 fax
651-222-0885 Twin Cities
After Hours Pager:
612-740-5673
Email:
info@cannonvet.com
Website Map
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Equine Colic
Colic is one of the most
dangerous medical problems associated with horses. Each year
an estimated 1 out of 10 horses will experience colic or
abdominal pain.
Colic
signs are:
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Pawing at the ground |
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Looking at the belly |
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Restlessness &
stamping the hind feet |
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Lying down and
getting back up |
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Lack of appetite |
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Sweating |
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Diarrhea may indicate
sand colic |
Severe colic signs are:
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Sweating profusely |
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Pawing and kicking at
belly |
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Rolling violently
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Have few or no gut
sounds |
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Elevated heart and
respiration rate |
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Increased or
decreased body temperature |
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Shocky (pale or
purple gums) |
Horses exhibiting signs of
colic should be examined by Dr. Winter immediately!
Colic can become life threatening in a matter of minutes.
Colic is caused by:
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Twisted intestine |
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Internal parasites,
due to migrating larvae |
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Sand
ingestion/impaction |
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Poor quality hay
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Overeating |
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Stress |
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Drinking cold water
after exercise |
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Irregular feeding
schedule |
Colic Prevention:
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Provide fresh, clean
water |
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Feed good quality hay
which is free of mold and weeds |
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Provide pasture
turnout with rotation |
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Test fecals for sand
and worm eggs |
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Maintain appropriate
de-worming program /control parasites |
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Have teeth floated on
a routine basis |
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Properly condition
your horse |
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Monthly use of
psyllium to prevent sand impactions |
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Change feed gradually |
Colic Exam
 Colic can be a scary
moment and the severity of it can be difficult to determine
without a proper exam. Colic can be caused by many different
things and it is important to know more about how the
horse’s body is reacting in order to treat it properly. Dr.
Winter often administers various injections depending on the
horse’s gut sounds, physical exam and appearance. Drugs can
be administered to calm the horse, slow spasmic gut
movements, and reduce pain. He also passes a nasal gastric
tube, smells the stomach contents and releases gas if
possible. Once the tube is in place, he pumps oil and other
medications with warm water into the stomach to help loosen
and move everything that’s causing the pain and discomfort
through the intestinal tract. Some horses are more
susceptible to colic and some may experience a single random
event but it is important to take it seriously and have Dr.
Winter examine your horse if you suspect colic.
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Type |
Cause |
Type of Pain |
Signs |
Treatment |
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Gas |
Rapid fermentation of rich starchy food cause gas to
build in the cecum or large intestine |
Sharp, intermittent |
Horse looks agitated, glances at sides, stomps feet,
lies down and gets up often, produces audible gassy
rumbles from belly |
Pain-relieving medication, such as Banamine, to
relax the horse so the gas can be expelled; walking
the horse or briefly trailering him may facilitate
movement |
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Impaction |
Food, Parasites, or scars block or partial obstruct
part of the intestinal tract |
Dull, slow to build, may subside periodically |
Horse is markedly less attentive to stimuli in his
surroundings, looks depressed, and/or spends
prolonged periods lying down. |
Medication to stimulate gut motility or mineral oil
to lubricate the tract and blockage; large volumes
of IV fluids to moisten and soften the hardened
ingesta and relieve dehydration. Surgery may be
required |
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Displacement |
A
portion of intestine becomes displaced or twists on
itself, cutting off blood supply in some cases |
Increasingly intense |
Horse is restless, sweats, shows elevated pulse and
respiratory rates, may be in shock with pale or
purple gums |
Surgery to correct the displacement and/or remove
portions of the intestine irreparably damaged by
lack of blood supply |
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Sand |
Ingested sand accumulates in the lowest portion of
the large intestine irritating and eventually
stretching it |
Little to none until stretching occurs, then
increasingly intense |
Over many weeks, horse experiences weight loss,
develops diarrhea; when intestine stretches, he is
restless, sweats, shows elevated pulse and
respiratory rates, appears to be in shock with pale
or discolored gums |
Repeated doses of laxative to stimulate the gut to
move the sand out in the manure; tests for sand in
manure or x-rays of the gut to tract progress;
surgery may be required to remove a persistent large
concrete like mass. |
Click here
to print the TYPES OF COLIC CHART.
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