How to Get Rid of Colic in Horses

Colic is very dangerous to horses and when left untreated it can cause death. Colic is a sudden attack of abdominal pain. There are many causes of colic in horses; some are mild but some are not. However, in the early stages of colic, it is difficult to know whether the colic is a mild form or life-threatening form. Some signs that your horse may be suffering from colic include unexplained sweating, getting up and down repeatedly, continuous pawing, straining without defecating, lost appetite, lying down, and rolling. Some causes of colic include ingesting excessive sand, overfeeding, especially of high protein feed, worm infestations, sudden changes in feed, eating moldy feed, cribbing, twisted intestines.

Things You'll Need

  • Lead rope Halter Quality grass (Timothy) hay Phenylbutazone, Butraphol, or Morphine Muscle relaxant Laxative Antibiotics Feed storage
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Instructions

    • 1

      Walk your horse for 15 minutes to see if it helps the horse feel better. Make sure your horse does not lay down and begin rolling immediately when you stop walking. When the horse lays down and begins rolling around the intestines can twist. This is because the intestine of a horse is only connected to the body wall at two points, its beginning and at its end.

    • 2

      Call your veterinarian if your horse continues to display symptoms after walking. If you cannot get your horse to stand up or it is behaving violently do not wait, you need a veterinarian immediately. If your veterinarian cannot come within the hour, start calling other veterinarians. Do not wait or your horse may die.

    • 3

      Ask your veterinarian if you should go ahead and administer pain medication immediately. If you have pain medication for horses on hand and you are familiar with how to administer it, your vet may advise you to give it to your horse.

    • 4

      Throw out moldy or old dusty hay. Only feed your horse clean fresh Timothy hay. A small percentage (less than 25-percent) of Alfalfa in the hay is acceptable or higher concentration fed in small amounts. Alfalfa hay is high in protein and can cause a horse to colic when it is fed too much.

    • 5

      Do a rectal examination. Listen to gut sounds and do an abdominal tap to ascertain the cause of the colic. The cause will determine the treatment.

    • 6

      Insert a stomach tube to administer up to a gallon of mineral oil to clear colic caused by an impaction, it may also be necessary to add antibiotics through the tube. A veterinarian should perform this procedure and it only works for colic caused by impaction.

    • 7

      Surgery is necessary to correct twisted intestines or severe blockage and will need to be performed right away to save the horse.