05/11/2025
🚨COLIC🚨- unfortunately we are currently seeing a lot of cases...
Colic commonly occurs after a change in diet or management, so Spring and Autumn are peak times for cases to occur.
What is colic?
The term colic means abdominal pain; it covers many conditions ranging from mild and self-limiting to severe and potentially life-threatening. There is a tendency for owners to panic when they hear the word colic, but, it is important to remember that approximately 90% of cases will resolve either unaided or with simple medical treatment, such as pain relief, anti-spasmodic drugs and oral fluids.
What are the signs of colic?
Most will be familiar with the classic getting down and rolling that some horses may do in severe pain, there are subtler signs that can also indicate a problem. These include: lying down more, stretching frequently, looking round at their sides / flanks, pawing the ground, kicking their belly, box walking or circling, reduced interest in feed, passing fewer or no droppings, change in consistency of droppings, sweating and faster breathing. If you are concerned that your horse may be showing signs of colic, please call the practice.
What happens when the vet attends a horse with colic?
Firstly, the vet will do a thorough clinical exam to assess the horse’s mucous membranes, hydration, heart and respiratory rate, gut sounds and temperature. If the horse is violently painful and examination would be dangerous, the vet may need to give sedation first. Depending on the degree of pain and findings of the clinical exam, further tests may be necessary. The most common next steps are a re**al examination, passing a stomach tube and/or taking a sample of the fluid surrounding the intestines using a needle (“peritoneal/ belly tap”).
A re**al exam gives the vet information about whether there is any distension or displacement of the gut. If an impaction is present and whether faeces are passing through normally.
Passing a stomach tube up one nostril and down into the stomach allows the vet to check for fluid build up. (known as reflux) and to administer fluids and electrolytes. A peritoneal tap gives useful information about the health of the intestines. The fluid should be a pale yellow colour, if it is cloudy or blood tinged this may suggest that the blood supply to the gut has been compromised.
What if my horse requires colic surgery?
Depending on the results of these tests and the response to drugs, referral may be recommended to an equine hospital for surgery. Colic surgery is a major undertaking and is never a decision to take lightly, but you will be expected to decide quickly, any delay referring can worsen the prognosis significantly. The average cost is £6500 plus; the surgery accounts for most of this but most horses will also require around a week in intensive care following the operation and the cost of monitoring, medication and fluids can quickly build up.
Insurance can be very helpful, but be aware that the cost may exceed your policy limit and colic is commonly excluded. Remember that exclusions are based on whether the horse has had colic before, not whether it has been claimed for previously!
Approximately 50% of horses admitted for colic surgery will survive to be discharged with approx. 30% of these being back in work in 12 months. If you decide that colic surgery is not a viable option for your horse, often the only other humane choice is euthanasia. Although it isn’t a pleasant subject, thinking about what you would do if your horse suffered a serious episode of colic could make the decision process easier in an emergency.
What can owners do to help prevent colic?
• Avoiding any sudden changes in feeding or management is key to reducing the risk of colic.
• Introduce new feeds slowly over 10-14 days.
• Ensure your horses diet is predominantly forage (grass, hay or haylage).
• Ensure constant access to fresh, clean water.
• Introduce horses to summer turn out gradually over 1-2 weeks.
• Avoid turnout on bare, sandy pasture to reduce the risk of sand ingestion.
• Avoid sudden changes in exercise intensity or duration.
• Maintain a good worm control program.
• Have your horses teeth checked regularly to ensure that they are chewing efficiently.
Please call us on 0808 168 5580 if you have any concerns.
