COLIC

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Colic Is the Number One Killer of Horses!

TELESIS EQUIDERMA’S COLIC WATCH CHART IS PACKED FULL OF USEFUL INFORMATION TO HELP ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME SHOULD COLIC STRIKE.

A GREAT TOOL EVERY HORSE OWNER AND BARN SHOULD HAVE. PROPER FEEDING AND WORMING GO A LONG WAY TO PREVENTING COLIC IN YOUR HORSE.  STILL THE NUMBER ONE KILLER OF HORSES IS COLIC .  BEWARE AND BE AWARE.  ARM YOURSELF WITH ALL THE KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TO ENSURE A GOOD OUTCOME SHOULD THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPEN.

TELESIS EQUIDERMA’S COLIC WATCH CHART IS A COMPREHENSIVE TOOL TO HELP YOU  DETERMINE THE SEVERITY OF THE COLIC AND THE STEPS YOU WILL NEED TO TAKE TO HELP YOUR HORSE SURVIVE. WITH THIS CHART YOU WILL BE ARMED WITH:

1. THE ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE THE TYPE OF COLIC YOUR HORSE IS EXPERIENCING.
2. THE IMMEDIATE ACTION YOU SHOULD TAKE.
3. NORMAL PULSE, RESPIRATION, RECTAL TEMPERATURE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO TELL YOUR VET WHEN YOU CALL.
4. WHAT TO DO UNTIL YOUR VET ARRIVES.

Here are some important and alarming facts about colic:

1. Studies show that an average of 10-11% of all horses will colic each year.
2. Mares have been shown to have an overall higher rate of colic.
3. Geldings have been found to have a higher incidence of chronic intermittent colic.
4. Horses over the age of fifteen are more likely to require surgery for colic than younger horses.
5. Older horses, especially geldings, have an increased risk of abdominal pain (colic) due to benign tumors known as lipoma's.
6. Horses over eight years of age were found to have recurrent colics more often than younger horses.
7. Horses maintained in dry lot situations are as much as 7 times more likely to suffer from colic.
8. Horses in training and used for strenuous and stressful activities such as breeding, dressage, jumping, showing, eventing, and racing are as much as 12 times more likely to colic than are adult horses used in a routine lesson program.
9. The incidence of colic is found to be higher in nervous horses, horses that crib, and horses at the bottom of the "pecking order" when in a herd management environment.
10. One study has shown that 16% of horses that colic this year will colic again within one year.
11. Research has shown that horses with a history of colic are approximately 400% more likely to colic again.
12. Studies have shown a 500% increased likelihood of colic in horses that have had prior abdominal surgery.
13. Younger horses, those under 2 years of age, generally have a lowest incidence of colic.

YOU CAN HELP CONTROL COLIC IN YOUR HORSE!

As horse owners, some of these situations are out of your control. Most are not.
Consider These Facts related to diet, drugs and illness!

• Diet:

1. The incidence of colic tends to be lower in horses fed only roughage (pasture and hay). More turn out and good hay is a better nutrition source than increased grain.
2. Incidence of colic increases as the amount of grain, concentrates, or pellets increases. When feeding grain maintain a higher hay to feed ratio. Use natural non-pelleted forms of feed concentrates.
3. Horses fed 2.75-5.5 pounds of concentrated feeds per feeding are 5 times more likely to colic. If you are feeding grain in large amounts break it up during the day and feed smaller amounts more often.
4. Increasing the more concentrated forms of feed such as pellets increases the risk of colic even further. Feeding pelleted forms of concentrates has shown a 6 fold increase in colic. Stay away from pellets.  Nature is perfect in her packaging.  Why take a grain apart only to put it back together?  If you can’t look at it and tell what it is don’t feed it.
5. Large amounts of readily digestible carbohydrates (concentrate feeds) are quickly fermented by the resident microbes in the cecum and large colon, causing rapid production of acidity and gas within the colon. These changes have been shown to negatively affect the population of beneficial microbes in the cecum and large colon. Beneficial bacteria in the digestive track is necessary for proper digestion and prevention of gas colic. Supplementing with probiotics is recommended to keep the beneficial bacteria populations high.
6. Although roughage diets are tolerated "best" by horses, a recent change to lush pasture or change in hay quality can significantly increase the risk of colic. Any sudden change in diet can induce colic.  Introduce your horse to new pasture and hay slowly.
7. One study has shown that a sudden change in hay may increase the risk of colic 10 times. If a hay change is made do so gradually.
8. Changing the amount and or type of concentrates fed has been shown to increase the risk of colic 4 fold. Multiple changes of the concentrate fed may increase the colic risk 8-12 times that of average.
9. Alfalfa hay has been associated with colic due to enterolith formation (stones in the colon formed mostly of magnesium, ammonium, and phosphorus). Alfalfa hay is high in magnesium, protein, and calcium. Enteroliths tend to form when the colonic acidity is lower than normal. Diets high in alfalfa hay reduce colonic acidity as do concentrated feeds.  
10. Mycotoxins (fungal toxins) in either your hay or grain can cause colic. Many feeds contain small amounts of mycotoxins, that when present in sufficient quantities can cause sudden colic. zearalenone and don (deoxynivalend) are assumed to be 2 of the most culpable of the mycotoxins.  Be picky about the hay you feed.  Make sure it is fresh and clean and without mildew or fungus.

• Drugs, Illness and Stress:

1. As many as 90% of horses in training have gastric ulcers. Studies of 3 day event and race horses have shown 75 and 90 % respectively exhibit some degree of gastric ulceration.
2. Horses with gastric ulcers tend to have decreased appetite, poor coat, body condition, and ability to perform, as well as higher incidence of colic.
3. The factors believed to contribute to gastric ulcers have also been linked to chronic colic, these include high grain diets, high intensity exercise and stress (such as confinement, excitement in anticipation of fast work or competition, being transported, and changes in surroundings).
4. The vast majority of colic is attributable to large colon (hind gut) disturbances.
5. Horses suffering from a recent illness are 11 times more likely to colic.
6. Mild colics are noted in horses recently vaccinated and during the 2 weeks following vaccination.
7. Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAID's) such as Phenylbutazone ("Bute"), Flunixin Megalamine ("Banamine"), Ketoprofen, Naproxen, Carprofen, and Aspirin have been shown to increase the incidence of ulcers, diarrhea, and colic.
8. Antibiotic therapy has a negative effect on the population of beneficial bacteria in the gastro intestinal tract. Horses undergoing antibiotic therapy are subject to G.I. upset including diarrhea and colic. If you have given your horse antibiotics consider feeding a good probiotic supplement to replenish the beneficial bacteria in the intestine.

• Sand Colic:

1. Sand Colic, or colic due to the ingestion and accumulation of sand in the colon is most common in Florida, California and other coastal states as well as the semi arid and arid states such as Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado. But sand colic is seen in every state in the union.
2. Some equine veterinarians estimate that ingestion of sand and /or dirt (which naturally contains sand) increases the risk of colic by 700-800%.
3. Overgrazed or drought compromised pastures can increase the risk of colic due to sand accumulation.
4. Ingestion of sand can lead to decreased Gastro-Intestinal motility, due to the weight of the sand and its irritating effect, this reduction in motility then contributes to further sand accumulation in the colon.
5. Many horses suffering from sand accumulation develop a colitis (inflamed colon) leading to variable degrees of diarrhea.
6. Large sand accumulations in the cecum have been shown to require intense medical treatment to move the sand out of the colon. Many of these cases are impossible to clear without surgery.

• Parasites:

1. Left unchecked internal parasites (worms) would be the number 1 cause of death in domesticated horses.
   
2. Internal parasites decrease Gastro-Intestinal motility.
   
3. Young horses between 3 months and 2 years of age were found to have a higher incidence of colic due to internal parasites, especially ascrid (roundworm) infections.
   
4. Research indicates that dewormers (anthelmentics) may be less effective in foals and yearlings.
5. Young adult horses (3-5 years of age) are more commonly affected by tapeworm infestations which cause obstructions and/or intussusceptions (one section of bowel folding over another) which result in colic.
6. Until the arrival of our modern deworming products, parasite (worms) infestation was the #1 cause of equine colic as well as the #1 cause of colics leading to surgery.
7. Studies have shown that drastically reducing and minimizing the frequency of colic within a population can require frequent deworming over a period of years. The duration required to attain this goal can be shortened considerably with the selection of the correct dewormer at the proper time of the year.
8. Tapeworm infestation increased the risk of spasmodic colic by as much as 8 times normal and the risk of colic due to ileal impaction by as much as 44 times.