What if my horse went in Colic?

Question

what would i do if my horse went in colic. i never had a horse that had coliced so just in case i would like to know. :)

thanks...!!

Answer 1

First call a vet.  Walk the horse don't let it lie down to roll this is how guts can get twisted.  Keep it from all food and water sources.  The vet will tube the horse to remove stomach gases and insert mineral along with a shot to boast the horses energy.

Answer 2

as rosamoose already said,keep them up,make them walk,DO NOT let them roll and don't let them lie down (call the vet before all this) but even if you have to practically beat it with a stick you must keep him on his feet.....or he will most likely die. if you let him roll he could twist a gut...also don't let him eat anything...

Answer 3

The best thing to do is call a vet if your horse gets colic. I've been told that if they have colic you're not meant to let them roll coz it can twist their stomach. You're meant to keep them walking and if they do lay down, get them up or just don't let them roll.

I've also heard that beer helps ??? But i'd ask your vet before trying that one! :P

I've also heard another side that says the horse can roll because if they have colic they already have a twisted gut so it's no different... tho I still wouldn't let them roll just in case  

Answer 4

All the suggestions about hand walking, and not letting him roll are correct.  If a horse is colicing they will not want to eat, or should they have food until vet says so.  You should always call a vet, horses can colic from anything and the vet needs to examine them, they may need to be tubed or not.  A horse can colic and not be impacted.  My horse coliced and he was not impacted, just had an upset stomach and he never coliced before and it doesn't mean that he is more prone to it either.  I actually walked him out of it before the vet came. Every horse owner needs to have a tube of banamine on hand!  It is a paste and given the same way worming paste is administrated.  This is administrated when the first signs of colic is present and can save their life!  Call your vet and ask them to give you a tube and they will explain how much and how to administrate it.  You cannot get this without a prescription.  I take banamine whenever I take my horse away from home.

EDIT:  I didn't realize that being an RN requires you to have the knowledge of a vet?  I sure wouldn't take any medical advice concerning my horse from an RN, sorry but its a fact, maybe concerning humans.  Michigan has one of the top equine colleges in the country and therefore we have some of the top equine vets!  Any vet here in Michigan will give horse owners a prescription for paste banamine.  All boarding barns here in Michigan have it on hand.  Yes it can save the life of a horse who is colicing.   Hence I said call your VET!

Edit:  You are not qualified to give advice on horses, like I said maybe for humans.  I have friends who are nurses and who are small animal vets who are horse owners, and they never give advice when it comes to equines, they will always tell you to call your horse vet.  I also stated that to call the Vet first.  If you have an emergency call sometimes a vet cannot show up in 5 mins.  Time is crucial on a colicing horse.  You must never had a horse colic and not be able to get up from the pain.  My friends horse did and the banamine relieved the pain so they could get the horse up!  Then they took him to Michigan State(one of the best horse colleges) and they told them they saved their horses life and no surgery was needed.  Ever been in the middle of nowhere camping with your horse and it colics, how fast do you think a vet can get out in the middle of woods or even if you can a call out on your cell phone, or even trail riding.   Horses can colic from anything and at anytime.  You have your opinion and I have mine.  I have had real life experiences, and like I said before about the vets here in michigan how they feel about banamine.  I will never be without in my first aid kit!

Answer 5

To start off, get your horses temperature, pulse and respiration at rest and keep it on file. I'll tell you why in a sec.

If you think a horse is going down, take all food away (grass, hay, ect..) and hand walk them. Some people will do some light lunging (10 minutes or so) but hand walking is gererally enough. Check for gut sounds (stethoscope of just your ear). It sould be a nice quiet gurgally sound. No noise is bad.

While walking some horses will fight to go down and roll but DO NOT let them. If they get a twisted gut, everything gets much more complicated. Doesnt matter what you have to do just get him on his feet and moving again.

Call the vet and give him your horses symptoms, normal TPR and is TPR at the moment. The vet will probably want to know about any changes in diet or surroundings. Stay calm and answer the questions the best you can. This is where is pays off to know normal and abnormal for your horse.

The vet usually gives something that start with a B to the horse. I cant remember for the life of me what it is called. Bedemine maybe? Anyway, follow the vets instructions and keep the horse moving.

Some people feel the need to give bute (not sure at all why but whatever). Dont do it. It wont help and will probably make the situation worse by upsetting their stomachs on top of the colic.

Also remember that colic is not a disease or something specific. It is the generic name for a shomach ach of sorts for a horse but there are lost of different kinds of colic. Gas, Impaction, Sand ect...

Answer 6

Colic is serious. The first thing to do is DO NOT LET IT LAY DOWN. Keep your horse on its feet and moving. Horses have a one way digestive system, they can not throw up. What goes in one end must go out the other. And a horses gut works best when moving, so no matter how tired you may be keep your horse on its feet and moving.

As soon as you notice the first signs, call a vet. A vet will come out and tube the horse. It would be a very smart idea to be there and have the vet explain the process.  

Answer 7

First of all, I suggest you call your vet, because he/she will give you the best answer of all of these. Colic is the number one killer of horses in the US. Basically, colic is severe abdominal pain, cause by many reasons. Colic can be caused by impaction, or blockage, change of feed, over eating, ulcers, sand impaction, rupture, gas, twisted intestines, poisoning, and worms or parasites. Horses' digestive systems are very sensitive, so you must be very careful to prevent colic. Symptoms include a horse lying down more than usual, kicking or biting its belly, rolling, and showing discomfort. Be sure if you notice an of those signs, call a vet!!

Answer 8

never heard of "went in colic" b4 haha but ne way i suggest u get a vet book(equine) and u can buy them at like ne good book store such as barns & noble and they will give u very specific acurate information! good luck! =]]

Answer 9

Know the signs, so if it happens you catch it early.  Knowing how to take the horse's temperature, pulse and respirations is good so you can give this information to the vet when you call. Any time a horse colics, the vet is called immediately.  You never know the cause, and early treatment can prevent a mild colic from turning into something worse.  So, first call the vet, and it is an emergency so say so.  Then, try to keep the horse from lying down and rolling.  Walking the horse is good, but don't overdue it.  You can exhaust the horse that way.

If the horse is hot, use wet towels or cold hosing of the legs to keep him cool while you wait for the vet to arrive.

Prevention is, of course, best. Become knowledgable on proper diet and exercise for your horse, keep the pasture free of toxic weeds and don't feed moldy hay, deworm regularly, and go light on the treats....things like that go far to prevent it.  Some horses are prone to colic, and others never go through it...but it is good to be prepared.

ADD....banamine does not save the life of a colicking horse.  It is given as a pain reliever, and should not be given unless the vet okays it.....it will mask symptoms, and it doesn't treat the cause of the colic.If the horse is dehydrated or has a fever, banamine should not be given, and the vet should make that call.  I'm an RN and this is fact.  It may help clear toxins in severe cases, but may do more harm than good and only a vet should say when to give it.

Edit...to arabianhorses...I would have emailed you privately, but you don't allow email contact.  So I will answer you here.  As an RN, I have spent years of my life studying and experiencing the subject of pharmacology.  I have studied multiple levels of chemistry, several levels of physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacobiology.  I have owned horses for 56 of the (more than that) years of my life.

I know how to look up a drug, it's indications, it's contraindications, side effects and precautions.  I also know how to read and interpret the chemical symbols that show what it is composed of.  So, that is how an RN can know something that you don't.  And having Banamine on hand doesn't mean giving it at your own discretion is wise.  It is there to be used with vet advice.  Don't ever give it in the presence of dehydration or fever...you may kill the horse.  Did you know that?  Of course, you would just assume the colic killed the horse...not the banamine.And whoever told you to give Banamine immediately to save the horse's life is wrong.  what is really puzzling is the fact that you won't take advice from an RN, but you trust your own judgement to give a drug that you know very little about.

I'm curious.  What is it about giving Banamine immediately  that you believe will save the life of a colicking horse?