The Do's and Don’ts of Dealing with Colic in Horses

 What Is Colic?

Colic is an encompassing word for abdominal pain rather than a specific illness. Gas in the digestive tract, blockages and feed impactions, bowel twists, strangulating tumors, ruptures, and even neurological, cardiac, or musculoskeletal difficulties elsewhere in the body are all possible causes of such pain.


Colic is a sign that something is seriously wrong with your horse's stomach. Colic is a major concern among horse owners since it is often unforeseen and unpreventable. Colic is a natural occurrence in horses. Fortunately, more than 80% of colic varieties respond well to treatment. Often colic is treated with horse medicine.


Signs of colic in your horse

  • Manure passes very slowly or not at all. 

  • Small feces balls.

  • Passing dry or mucus-covered (slime) excrement.

  • Lack of appetite - grain and hay - poor eating habits.

  • A shift in drinking habits.

  • The horse is colicky and chews on its side.

  • A colicky horse would frequently bite and roll at its side.

  • Look to their side regularly.

  • Unexplained kicking their flanks or stomach.

  • Lie down and/or roll around.


Colic can strike any horse at any time. Other causes being gas, too much grain, impaction, sand ingestion, parasites, and other factors that can cause gastrointestinal pain. You must understand what to look for and how to respond!

To figure out what to do, if your horse suffers from  colic  - simply follow these mentioned do’s and don’ts



Do’s 

  • Keep an eye out for excrement. You may have a problem if you don't notice any or just see a small amount in your horse's stall.

  • To encourage gastrointestinal movement, walk your horse. Aim for a 45- to 60-minute brisk walk.

  • If you detect symptoms like restlessness, sweating, groaning, staring at the tummy, pawing or stamping the ground, or lying down and attempting to roll, call your veterinarian asap.

  • Maintain a safe environment for your horse. A huge stall or pen could be used here.

  • Always keep a tight eye on your horse. They require your complete focus, or at the very least, a check-in every 15-20 minutes.

  • Check your horse's temperature and heart rate. Heat in the hooves and muscle tension in the hindquarters are additional indicators of a problem.

  • Withhold water until the horse has been examined by a veterinarian and a stomach tube has been inserted. Allowing the horse to drink if his stomach is distended may result in a stomach rupture.

  • Consider ulcer treatments for highly stressed and performance horses 

  • Scope for ulcers



Don’ts 


  • Exercising vigorously reduces gastrointestinal motility and can lead to weariness when the horse needs to maintain fluid and energy.

  • Allow no hay, grass, or grain to reach your horse. This illness can be exacerbated by certain foods.

  • Pain medication (NSAIDs) may disguise clinical indications, making it more difficult to achieve a prompt, accurate diagnosis.

  • Keep the horse as calm as possible and keep the area  free of any obstacles which may harm the horse if he bolts or when rolling due to pain..

  • Intense walking - keep it gentle or light walk for 10 minutes at a time may be a good way to take his mind off the pain.



Never underestimate the effects of colic!  When left unchecked, it can be quite dangerous. Try to notice the early signs and provide the best treatment for your horse such as sucralfate for horses. Sucralfate is commonly used in horses to treat mild cases of colic 




Ulcer treatments for horses


  • Sucralfate medication  is most effective when given every 8 hours

  • Administer away from other horse health products (give with a handful of chaff)

  • Glandular ulcer treatment use in conjunction with omeprazole

  • Hindgut use only sucralfate


Where do you buy the horse medicine sucralfate?

Shop with Abler for the most affordable ulcer supplements for horses.

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