Will Olive Oil Work for Horse Colic?

Colic is the number one killer of horses. While colic can mean any kind of abdominal pain, in horses it can be much more serious. A horse is unable to vomit, so anything that goes in, must come out. One treatment used for colic is oiling.

  1. Significance

    • Colic is abdominal pain in horses that can range from mild to severe. In many cases, colic can be resolved with exercise, diet control, and medication. In the more serious cases, surgery may be necessary, and death can result. Since the horse's intestines are so long, looped in on themselves and prone to twisting, a digestive upset can become a very serious illness.

    Types

    • The most common kind of colic is gas colic. The gas bubbles in the intestines can cause severe pain and the horse will react as though he has a life-threatening illness. Once the gas is expelled, though, the horse is fine. Impaction colic is the most serious. Oil is used to try and pass the blockage in the digestive tract.

    Effects

    • A veterinarian typically will oil a colicking horse with mineral oil, which has no nutritional value and simply passes through the system. While many vets will insist on using this protocol, you may be able to talk him into using olive oil. The effects should effectively be the same, lubricating the intestines and helping anything "stuck" to pass through.

    Considerations

    • One thing to consider is that olive oil actually has caloric and nutritional content. It will stimulate the digestive tract and may further irritate it, exacerbating the problem.

    Benefits

    • Compared with mineral oil, which is completely indigestible, olive oil has nutrients and healthy fats the horse can digest. Olive oil provides healthy calories and coat oils.