Equine Sand Colic

The Facts

• Colic is divided into two large categories for diagnosing. The first category is a gas colic, which means that air is trapped inside the intestines and is causing intestinal discomfort. This form of colic is generally mild, and does not usually take extensive treatment. An impaction colic is more serious, as it means that there is a blockage in the intestines, made up of food or manure. The blockage keeps food from making its way through the intestine, causes intense discomfort and can actually cause sections of the intestine to die. Sand colic belongs to the impaction category of colic.

Factors

• The process that leads a horse to colic is still unknown, though experience suggests that certain factors come into play. A horse that travels often is prone to system malfunctions like colic. Rich diet and lack of water increase the chances of colic, and some horses get colic when they become upset. Once a horse experiences a colic episode, it is likely to do so again and again. Colic occurs most often in young and old horses.

Sand Colic

• Sand colic is caused by sand or dirt in the horse's system. This sand causes a blockage in the horse's intestines. Horses devour sand by accident while grazing or through their grain or hay. Some horses have a habit of eating or licking dirt, becoming prone to sand colic due to their own habit.

Symptoms

• A horse that is experiencing sand colic will display a couple of obvious symptoms. These start with a look of discomfort, followed by pacing and eventually by lying down. Lying down progresses to thrashing in serious cases of colic. A horse will likely turn to look or chew at its stomach to try and ease the discomfort of the colic. An easy diagnosis is made by monitoring the horse closely; a horse that has not passed any manure for an extended period of time is probably experiencing colic. A horse who has no gut sound ("growls" coming from the stomach area) is probably impacted.

Treatments

• Since sand colic is an impaction, it can range from fairly mild to relatively serious. Mild impactions don't generally require the attention of a vet; owners hand-walk the horse to encourage the blockage to break up and pass through the intestines on its own. Serious sand colic impactions are treated with mineral oil--which lubricates the area and encourages the impaction to pass through--pain killers and hand-walking. Very serious cases could necessitate surgery and may be fatal.