Colic
Geographical Spread
General
Cause
There are three main types of colic:
-tympanitic colic: this refers to the presence of a large quantity of gas, the pressure from which causes the pain. Food material starts to ferment in the stomach or the large gut. It is common in horses being fed large quantities of fermentable food such as grain or coarse mix. Rich green grass grazed in the spring has much the same effect.
-spasmodic colic: is often caused by disturbance of the nervous system to the intestines eg by the horse being frightened. It is probably the most common type of colic, generally mild in character and short in duration. It is seen more often in younger horses.
-obstructive colic can be subdivided into two main types
1)impacted colic: it occurs when the intestinal contents cease to move along the intestine. This is most commonly associated with the contents being poorly digested or fibrous.
2)Obstruction: can occur (i)in the stomach when it is due to overeating, especially dry material such as nuts or worse still, unsoaked sugar beet; (ii) in the small intestine as a mechanical obstruction caused by developing tumours, or by a twist or volvulus; (iii) in the large intestine. The cause is a sudden change in diet, such as from grass to dry hay or straw.
Symptoms
-tympanitic colic: acute, continuous pain with the attendant signs of sweating, a high pulse and a tense abdomen. The horse might make violent attempts to lie down. Frequent attempts to urinate occur and flatulence is common.
-spasmodic colic: bouts of acute pain are interspersed with periods of normality. During the pain periods the pulse is high and the horse looks round repeatedly at its flank. Sweating, restlessness and a tense abdomen are common symptoms. Frequent rolling occurs.
-impacted colic: the horse is quieter than normal, eating less or not at all, and lying down more often than normal, and frequently looking at its flank.
-obstruction: acute pain. The horse rapidly becomes schocked due to the release of toxins into the system. The pulse rises to a high level and stays there in spite of treatment, the mucous membranes become a dirty red colour, and in the early stages, the temperature might rise. The intensity of pain increases until the approach of death.
Treatment
Colic should always be treated as an emergency and is one of the conditions where professional help should be obtained immediately. Most cases are successfully treated medically, but the few serious cases that need surgery must be operated on within a few hours if a succesfull outcome is to be obtained.
-tympanitic colic: use of analgesics to control the intense pain; anti-spasmolytic drugs; oral medication of antibiotics and vegetable oils will reduce the fermentation process; surgery may be required.
-spasmodic colic: treatment consists of anti-spasmodic drugs and also sedatives
-impacted colic: large quantities of liquid paraffin, given by stomach pump, may soften and lubricate the colic, and result in it passing along the intestine. Massage per rectum will help break the mass. Treatment might be necessary for a few days before the impaction is cleared completely. Surgery may be required in refractory cases.
-obstructive colic: it is an emergency and in most cases surgery must be done to relieve the condition.
