Equine Tympany Colic Treatment

Colic covers a number of digestive problems in horses. Colic can occur at any time, to any horse, and for many reasons. Tympany/tympanic colic, or bloating, is just one type of colic. Although tympany colic is the less serious type of colic, it still requires rapid and specific treatment.

  1. Impaction Colic Facts

    • Colic can be one of two types: impaction or gas. Impaction colic consists of blockage in the gut, caused by manure or food plugs. Impaction colic is extremely serious, and can require surgery. It can also be fatal.

    Tympany Colic Facts

    • Tympany colic is caused by gas. According to Equic-Therapy.net, this type of colic occurs when gas is created more quickly than it can be eliminated. This "trapped" gas distends the gut and causes extreme pain and cramping.

    Colic Causes

    • The specific causes for colic are unknown, though there are some common contributors. A dry diet and lack of water seem to encourage colic, along with stress. Many horses colic whenever they get upset. Horses who travel seem to be more inclined to colic, as are very young or very old horses. Once a horse colics, it becomes inclined to colic again and again.

    Tympany Colic Causes

    • Tympany colic has some additional causes, which include rich grains and coarse food, rich green grass and rich feeds. Horses that receive more rich food than standard hay and low-acid food are more inclined to tympany colic.

    Symptoms

    • When a horse colics, it displays some specific behaviors. Horses pace in an attempt to outrun the stomach ache, and then progress to laying down, rolling and thrashing. These are all attempts to ease the painful cramping of the gas or impaction. A horse refuses to eat or drink during a colic episode, and is unable to pass any manure.

    Treatments

    • The quickest and easiest way to treat tympany colic is walking. As soon as a horse begins to display symptoms of colic, hand walk it to ease the cramping the stimulate the gut to pass the trapped gas. Vets supplement this walking with pain killers and muscle relaxants, which help to ease trapped air through the digestive system. Vets also pump mineral oil directly into a horse's stomach to help lubricate the system.