Signs of Colic in Horses

Symptoms

 loss of interest in food and water

little or no sounds in the gut

kicking at belly

groaning, sighing, rolling eyes

lying down and getting up over and over

looking at and biting at belly

sitting like a dog

stretching as if to urinate

rolling and thrashing

pawing and sweating

When to call the Vet

Take the horses vital signs. Check the heart rate by feeling under the jaw or behind the elbow. A rate above 40 in an adult horse at rest is not good. A heart beat of 60 or more is definitely abnormal. After strenuous exercise, the heart rate will go up, but should return to at least 70 after a few minutes of rest.

Respiration

Count the number of breaths your horse exhales or inhales, not both or you will get a double rate. Normal adult resting horses breath between 8 and 16 breaths a minute

Call the vet and report what you have observed.

Do not ever let a colicking horse roll. They may twist their intestines and make the colic much worse.

Walk the horse for 15 minutes then turn him loose and observe his behavior. DO NOT CONTINUE TO WALK THE HORSE. Many people make the serious mistake of walking a colicking horse for hours, even through the night. This only serves to tire the horse and reduces his chance of recovery.

If after 15 minutes of walking, the horse is still in pain, it is time to get the vet on the premises. While you are waiting, do not attempt to administer any drug that will stop the intestinal cramping. These drugs can stop intestinal action altogether making the blockage or twist worse. Do not try to give a horse an enema, the intestinal wall can be torn. Do not give the horse mineral oil, he may inhale it. The vet will use a tube through the horse’s nose to do that when he arrives.

When the vet has done what he can, if he is unable to stop the colic, your horse will need emergency colic surgery. Make the decision very quickly to have the surgery. If you wait for hours then decide to go ahead, the horse’s chances for recovery from the surgery are greatly reduced. The sooner the surgery is done, the fresher the horse is and will have the remaining strength to pull out of it. Colics due to intestinal twists are almost 100% fatal unless treated with surgery.

The best way to treat colic is to prevent it. Make sure your horse gets the following care

regular worming

easy changes in feed

regular feeding schedule

clean water

Colic surgery can cost thousands of dollars. Up to $3000 worth of emergency colic surgery in included in the premium price of mortality insurance. For $275 more, another $7500 layer of surgery payments

can be covered with Major Medical Insurance. Colic is the leading cause of natural death in horses. Every year 5 million horses die from colic. For only a few cents a day, you can save your horse from a painful death and save your bank account from a serious depletion!