Equine Colic Facts and Information

     Here are some scary and enlightening facts about colic surgery from the esteemed Royal Veterinary College, Britain. This will have you motivated to learn all about colic causes, early treatment and prevention. . .

They report colic surgery ‘success’ rates as follows:
Of all colic cases admitted to the hospital, 50% survive the initial surgery, while 50% either die on the table or are euthanized in hospital.  Of the 50% surviving the initial procedure, 25% have complications afterward either in hospital or after discharge.  ‘Some’ (percentage not given) of these complications are fatal.  The College estimates a 25-50% survival rate for the first year after colic surgery.  (Reference, website of Royal Veterinary College, equinehospital.net/colic)

Colic Causes:
(These things are known to cause colic or are associated with increased colic occurrences.)

*Food changes, especially sudden changes
*Heavy parasite load, either currently or in the horse’s past (intestinal damage)
*Dehydration, poor water quality, water frozen or too cold in winter
* Weather changes, which may cause colic by affecting sugars or other factors in pasture
   grasses. Springtime and a shift to cold nights and warm days are both reported to
   increase colic incidences.
*Hormonal Shifts (such as heat cycles) (Mares have higher colic incidence rates, but geldings have higher risk of intermittent (on and off repetitive) chronic colic.
*Ageing increases risk and sensitivity to other factors.
*History of previous colic, and past history of intestinal surgery for any reason, increases risk by 400-500%, and is associated with a 16% recurrence rate within the next year.
*Sand, soil or dirt ingestion, bezoars (Feeding directly on ground or overgrazing pasture)
*High percentage of grain or concentrates in the diet
*‘Bolting’ feed (Eating too fast, usually caused by infrequent feedings or grain feeding.)
*Feed contaminants, such as blister beetles in hay, herbicides, pesticides, mold, aflatoxins
*Intestinal microflora imbalances and stomach ulcers (Can be caused by medications, including ‘Bute,’ aspirin and ‘Banamine’, as well as stress, parasites, etc.)
*Cecal acidosis- Caused by ‘high glycemic diet’(grains, particularly corn & wheat)

*Stress inducing factors, such as:
*Confinement care (high percentage of hours stalled and/or isolated from other horses.  Studies show colic incidence is directly correlated with the number of hours the horse is kept in a stall.)
*Infrequent feedings, such as feeding all the daily ration at one time (This is especially damaging when feeding grains, processed feeds or concentrates.)
*Lack of roughage in diet (Roughage includes pasture grass and hay.)
*Poor quality nutrition, such as lack of free choice salt or contaminated feed.
*Travel/Trailering
*Dental problems, lack of dental care
*Historically, it was believed that drinking large amounts of cold water after
   heavy exercise caused colic.  Many people doubt this now.
*Recent illness is associated with 11 times higher risk.
*Studies show that nervous horses and horses low in the herd ‘pecking order’
  colic more often.  This could be due to rushing or bolting food due to herd
   pressure or herd stress.
*Horses in competition or intensive training show 12 times higher colic incidence compared to lesson horses.  Colic is described as the #1 reason for training delays.

Information on this page from University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Royal Veterinary College, Texas A&M University, and other sources. 

Colic Prevention:
            Basically, you can read the page on causes of colic and then correct them in your horse care routine if needed. Obviously, some things, like gender and age, cannot be ‘corrected’ but extra care can be taken with other factors as compensation.  Even with the best of care, some horses colic for reasons unknown, but in general low incidence of colic are associated with:

Reduced stress/ natural lifestyle management.  This includes:
*High percentage of turnout or pasture time, especially with other horses or equines (dry
lot paddocks work well for this purpose if the horse is fed off the ground and sand, dirt  etc are not being eaten.)
*Consistent diet high in roughage (hay, grass, beet pulp) and low in grains, with changes to the diet introduced gradually.  Whole grains, such as oats with the husk/shell still on, are better than rolled, sweetened or pelleted grains due to increased vitamins and fiber and reduced tendency for mold and contamination.  Horses with dental issues do better with soaked grains and hay.  Horses that need concentrates or ‘Senior’ feed have fewer colic incidences with small, frequent feedings. Also try soaked hay pellets rather than processed, grain based concentrates in these cases.
*Feed of consistent high quality that is free of contaminants, especially mold.
*Clear, clean drinking water and salt available at all times.
*Consistent exercise levels, and ‘lower stress’ careers, gradual changes in exercise levels.
* ‘Bolters’ (Horses that eat too rapidly and don’t chew thoroughly) benefit from large, round rocks in their feed tubs to slow down rate of eating, especially of pelleted feeds.  Soaking feed can also help.  Some of these horses are pressured into rapid eating by infrequent feedings or by dominant pasturemates, and do better fed more frequently in a stall or isolated space.
* Reduce medications known to damage the intestinal lining.  Try alternative pain relief methods such as topical medicated rubs, linaments, herbs, rest, and, of course, ColicSTOP instead of drugs for colic!
* Free choice, high roughage, grass hay is practically always a ‘winner’ in colic prevention.  Horses are designed to spend most of their time nibbling at the ‘salad bar’. Stalled horses benefit from free choice grass hay, as well as sea salt licks and flavored stall ‘pacifiers’ to reduce boredom and anxiety.
*Regular ‘floating’ and good dental care allows feed to be chewed and digested well.
* Trailering tips include full, soaked haynets and consistent water taste and quality (Some horses refuse to drink water that tastes different from their water at home. Offer the horse fresh water every hour.  Bring water or use a water flavoring before and during the trip, such as apple juice concentrate.)  Travel with an equine buddy is always less stressful.  Some folks think frequent rest stops are helpful.
* Horses have been shown to drink up to 40% less water when the water temperature is under 40 degrees F, increasing the risk of impaction colic dramatically.  Heating water to over 40 degrees in winter can help an at-risk horse stay hydrated.
*If you feed grains, spread them out to 2 or more feedings during the day, and feed a forage feed with and after the grains, such as hay or beet pulp.  Studies show that horses fed over 2.75 pounds of grains per feeding had a 5-fold increase in colic incidence over forage fed horses.  It is thought that pure oats are generally safer than other grains and grain mixes or concentrates, especially whole oats with the fibrous husk still intact.

Information on this page from University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Royal Veterinary College, Texas A&M University, and other sources.