Equine Colic

What is “colic”

• is a general term for abdominal pain

• clinical sign rather than a disease

• often unpredictable and frequently unpreventable and is a common concern for horse owners

• horses are naturally prone to colic, but over 80% of colic types respond well to treatment on the farm

Causes of colic

• Generally related to anatomy and the microflora of the horse’s gastrointestinal tract

• High-grain-based diets/ low forage diets

• moldy/tainted feed

• abrupt change in feed

• parasite infestation

• lack of water consumption leading to impaction colics

• sand ingestion

• long term use of NSAIDs

• stress

• dental problems

Anatomy - intestinal tract

• approximately 100 feet in length

• different size lumens along the entirety

• large portions can move freely within the abdomen

Horse gut

• horse’s intestinal tract is adapted to digest forages

• food travels down the esophagus, mixes with stomach acid, and starts digestion and absorption in the small intestine

• cecum and colon are large and take up most of the space in the abdomen

• because of the length of the colon, it folds on itself and loops around, like a ribbon, the colon is not well attached to the abdomen, allows it to become displaced

Colic signs

• Frequently looking at their side

  • biting and kicking at their side

• pawing

• pacing

• flehmen response

• lying down

• rolling

• stretched out stance

• very dry fecal balls

  • smaller than usual

• little or no passing of manure

• poor to no eating

• heart rate over 45 BPM

• tacky gums

• off-colored MM

• bloat

• absence of gut sounds

Types of colic

• Acute- intense pain

  • sudden onset

• Chronic - less intense pain

  • longer duration of symptoms

• Stomach distention

  • Small capacity of the horse’s stomach makes it susceptible to distension when large amounts of grain are ingested in single meal

    • there is a potential for the stomach to rupture which is fatal

• Displacement colic

  • The small intestine is suspended by in the abdominal cavity by the mesentery and is free floating in the gut

  • the mobility can predispose the small intestine to become twisted

  • twisted intestine requires immediate surgery to reposition the intestine and remove any portion of the intestine that is damaged due to restricted blood flow

  • Both the small and large intestine can become displaced causing pain and restricted blood flow

  • can cause gas build up in the gut that makes the intestines buoyant and subject to movement within the gut

• Impaction

  • the flexures and diameter shifts of the large intestine can be sights for impactions, where a firm mas of feed or foreign material blocks the intestines

  • can be caused by coarse feed stuff, dehydration or accumulation of foreign material

  • impaction by parasites is seen in young horse, tend to carry ascarid parasites when not dewormed properly

    • mass of dying parasites can cause obstruction

  • impaction by enteroliths

    • these mineral stones can develop in large and small colon and requires surgical removal

• Gas

  • All colic’s are associated with some gas build up

  • gas can accumulate in the stomach as well as the intestines

  • as gas builds up, the gut distends, causing abdominal pains

  • Excessive gas can be produced by bacteria in the gut after ingestion of large amounts of grain and moldy feeds

  • a nasogastric tube inserted by a net is used to relieve the pressure of the gas and fluid accumulation in the stomach

• Spasmodic

  • defined as painful contractions of the smooth muscles in the intestines

  • has been compared to indigestion in people and is easily treated by a veterinarian

    • over excitement can trigger spasmodic colic

• Enteritis and colitis

  • caused by infection and inflammation of the intestine possibly due to bacteria, grain overload, or tainted feed

    • salmonella, clostridium, meorickettsia risticii, and coronavirus

  • horses with enteritis/colitis may also have explosive diarrhea

  • sometimes hard to diagnose and may present itself similar to displacement or impaction colic

Common Factors

• history

  • has the horse colicked in the past

  • ever had abdominal surgery

• Age

  • older

  • neonate

• Sex

  • Gelding

  • Stallion

  • mare

• How is animal housed

• how is animal fed

• any feed changing

• any medication been administered

  • when

  • what

Character of feces

• abnormal changed

  • small, drier

• diarrhea

• volume

  • increased or decreased

Sand test

• obtain 2 to 4 fecal balls

• place in rectal palpation sleeve

• cover with water and mix well

• let hang for about 30 minutes to an hour

• check for sand/grit in fingers of glove

• more than 1 tsp of sand sediment is considered evidence of sand accumulation

CRT

• 1-2 seconds - normal

• 3-4 seconds - mild

• 5-6 seconds - moderately severe

• 6-8 seconds - severe shock

MM

• color

• temperature

• moisture

Signs of bloat

• Nil

• mild

• moderate

• marked

Abdominocentesis peritoneal tap

• the fluid collected in analyzed based on appearance, amount, total protein, and cell counts

• clear pale yellowish or amber fluid with a low protein level and cell count is an indication that the intestines is not severely damaged

• Blood-tinged red/orange fluid or fluid containing feed material with high protein and blood cells is often indicative of damage or inflammation

• fluid-filled with blood, feed, or fecal material, it may indicate that the intestine has been ruptures

  • euthanasia may be considered

Prevention

• feed on regular schedule even on the weekends

• no sudden changes to horses diet

• clean fresh water supply

• keep feed boxes and hay racks and feedstuff clean and free of mold and dust

• check teeth frequently for dental problems

• adequate exercises

• feed the appropriate amount of forage

• keep feed off the ground

• effective parasite control program that fits farm needs