Signs of Colic The signs of colic in horses range from almost imperceptible in mild cases to extremely violent in severe cases. The following list includes the most common signs: lying down more than usual getting up and lying down repeatedly standing stretched out standing frequently as if to urinate turning the head towards the flank repeatedly curling the upper lip pawing the ground kicking at the abdomen rolling What to do The severity of the case will dictate what you do when you find your horse showing signs of colic. If he is behaving violently call your veterinarian immediately. Violent behaviour usually equates with great pain which usually equates with a serious case of colic. Time is of the essence here. Not all horses show the same severity of signs with the same type of colic, though, and some horses may become quite violent with a relatively "mild" case. If the signs of pain are less extreme, you can take a few minutes to observe the horse's appearance and behaviour before calling the veterinarian. If possible, take his temperature, pulse and respiration rates. Note what his appetite has been like in the past day or so, and the consistency and frequency of defecation. Has his water intake been normal? Are his gums a normal colour? Think about whether he has had access to any unusual feedstuffs in the past day or so, whether any medications have been administered, and whether there have been any changes in management. Now call your veterinarian. It is important to take all food away from the horse until the veterinarian arrives. If he is nibbling at his bedding, find a way to prevent this. Walking the horse can be a useful way of distracting him from the pain, but he should not be walked to exhaustion. If the horse insists on rolling, there will be little you can do to prevent it. If possible, try to get the horse to an area where he will do himself the least damage when he rolls. But do not get hurt yourself. Do not administer any drugs until your veterinarian has seen the horse, or unless he/she tells you to do so. Prevention of colic If you happen to be a horse, colic is probably an unfortunate fact of life. Annual colic incidences of approximately 10% are quite common. Listed below are some of the management factors which are thought to reduce colic incidence. Horses which fall into high-risk categories, such as stabled horses in intense training and fit horses recently injured, should be monitored particularly closely. allow as much turnout as possible maintain a regular feeding schedule ensure constant access to clean water provide at least 60% of digestible energy from forage do not feed excessive digestible energy do not feed moldy hay or grain feed hay and water before grain provide access to forage for as much of the day as possible do not over graze pastures do not feed or water horses before they have cooled out maintain a consistent exercise regime make all changes in diet, exercise level and management slowly control intestinal parasites and assess efficiency periodically. |
 |
|||||||
 
|
|
 |
|||||
    |
|||||||
