Happy first day of Spring, Colorado style. Being that we are on the precipice of new spring grass in the roaring fork valley, a brief conversation on colic awareness and prevention could not be more timely. The impending diet change we see in April and May precipitates many colics we examine. A large retrospective university study in Virginia showed that almost 70% colic histories taken identified diet change in recent days and weeks leading up to colic. Slowly acclimating your horse to the seasonal pasture changes is an important step in reducing your horse’s chances of showing colic symptoms. Abdominal pain (colic) is a very common problem in horses. Affected horses can show many different clinical signs, with evidence of pain being dependent on the type and duration of the disorder as well as the temperament of the horse. The most consistent and noticeable clinical signs of colic are excessive pawing, looking at flanks, lying down, getting up and down frequently, and rolling. Additional subtle signs are unusual unexplainable sweating, loss of appetite, dullness or depression. Colic does not refer to a specific cause but rather refers simply to abdominal or visceral pain. There are a wide variety of causes of colic which can be divided into medical and surgical disorders. There are a wide variety of causes of colic which can be divided into medically-managed and surgically-managed disorders. The majority of horses that develop colic respond to medical treatment and do not require surgery; roughly 15-20% of affected horses require surgical correction varying slightly with respect to age and breed and discipline. The primary vet’s role in managing a colicky horse is to provide relief from pain and to determine if the disorder requires surgical correction in a timely manner as those requiring surgery have optimal outcomes with earlier referral A valuable diagnostic aide is rectal examination which allows one to assess abdominal structures in the hind 1/3rd of the abdominal cavity. Other aides include nasogastric intubation, stall side blood lactate and CBC and serum chemistry bloodwork. In most cases, a thorough exam, intubation and rectal palpation combined with lactate and ultrasound (at right) can quickly determine whether surgical or medical referral is necessary. When clinical parameters are vague, an abdominal tap and cytology can add additional information to make a timely decision regarding your horse’s care. Treatment of colic varies with each disorder; the majority of horses with medically-responsive colic (ie. Gastric ulcers, gas or spasmotic colic or simple colon impaction with dehydration) require anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents, antispasmotic motility medications, cathartic laxitives and/or oral or IV isotonic electrolytes. Feeding and nutrition strategies are often discussed in cases where gastric ulcers are suspected. In chronic cases and those that are suspected due to gastric ulcers, gastroscopy is recommended to quantify the presence and severity of ulcers and prescribe appropriate therapy. Light periodic walking is usually instituted to encourage gut motility along with a period of withholding feed. Medical colics often don’t go without a conversation with ulcers. Gastric ulcers occur commonly in horse populations and are a common particularly in our equine atheletes. Awareness of gastric ulcer syndrome in horses has been greatly enhanced in over the last 25 years by the availability of adequate length endoscopes to thoroughly examine the adult equine stomach. (see https://alpineequine.net/blog). Prevalence studies of gastric ulceration in horses have been conducted in Thoroughbred racehorses and western performance horses. Approximately 20% of BLM horses in one study in Nevada even showed ulcers on examination. A comprehensive study of a variety of show horses identified that 58% had gastric ulceration. High level English performance horses had a gastric ulcer rate of 63% while 70 to 90% of race horses had gastric ulcers. The presence of gastric ulcers has been associated with a high percentage (92%) of non-specific clinical signs such as poor appetite, poor performance and mild signs of abdominal pain and periodic colic. Stay tuned to our web site and social media platforms for more information regarding seasonally important health issues that can affect your horse. As always, we’re here to discuss your horse’s health if you have questions. Happy Spring!! Chuck and Justine Chuck Maker DVM Justine Stalnaker DVM Alpine Equine Hospital-PC 17776 Hwy 82-Carbondale-CO 81623 Office appointment desk: 970-379-7100 Office Fax: 970-510-7332 Office emergency cell: 970-366-1320 |
