Colic is the number one killer of horses. It can be life threatening in a relatively short period of time. Quickly and accurately recognizing the signs, and seeking qualified veterinary help can maximize the chance of a horse recovering from colic.
If your horse is colicky, remove all food and call Equine Medical Service. Time is perhaps the most critical factor. Sometimes people choose to see if symptoms will pass, and try walking the horse. This approach will only work in horses exhibiting only mild signs, and since time is so critical to successful treatment, it is not recommended to wait until symptoms persist.
While your waiting for the veterinarian take the horse's pulse, respiration, and temperature. Check the color of mucous membranes, note behavior signs such as pawing, etc. Make note of bowel movements including color, consistency and frequency. Recall any recent changes in your horse's routine. Let the horse lie down, only if it appears to be resting quietly. If the horse is rolling or behaving violently walk slowly. Do not administer drugs, including bute or banamine, unless a veterinarian advises to do so. Medications will alter the physical exam performed by vet, frequently masking a more critical colic that may require aggressive therapy or surgery, resulting in a time delay and reducing success of treatment.
Impaction colic is a common cause of abdominal pain. Impaction is defined as obstruction of the bowels; this may be either large colon or small colon. Impactions can occur in association with temperature change (which can result in reduction of water consumption and altered exercise regime) poor teeth and change in feeding routine. This leads to the upset of normal intestinal motility patterns. Sand impactions occur more frequently in certain geographic locations, drought years, and inquisitive, bored, mouthy horses, or horses lacking adequate quality pasture or hay. Enteroliths (stones) can also cause obstruction, almost always-requiring surgery. These GI stones are found more often in the southwest and California due to minerals found in the soil. However, they are not unheard of here in Colorado. Foreign non- digestible material is another cause of obstruction. An example of this is horses eating rubberized or nylon fencing when it begins to unravel.
Most horses with impaction colic will respond to medical treatment involving administration of laxatives, fluids, and pain reducers. At times a severe impaction occurs and the signs of distress in the horse worsen with continued abdominal pain, increased heart and respiratory rates, and signs of shock. This escalating condition may mean that the patient's original problem is becoming more severe or that the colic has undergone additional complications, such as a displacement of the colon, and that surgery is the only cure.