Chris White, DVM, shares how horse owners can prepare for a colic episode, considerations to make, and things to keep in mind after surgery. In some horses and situations colic can be impossible to prevent. So, having a toolkit that includes an active VCPR will help owners best handle colic when it happens. White reminds horse owners to avoid handling colic episodes alone. … [Read more...]
Search Results for: equine colic
33 dos and don’ts for equine colic
“Any horse has the ability to experience colic,” states Dr. Michael N. Fugaro. “The disorder is indiscriminate of age, sex, breed, occupation, or environment.” The term “colic” refers to abdominal pain rather than a specific disorder. Conditions that commonly cause colic include gas, impaction, grain overload, sand ingestion, and parasite infection. Marcia King offers dos and … [Read more...]
Equine grass sickness: a global concern?
Equine grass sickness is a devastating disease with an 80 percent mortality rate and is almost exclusively seen in horses eating fresh, green grass ,in pasture. EGS is more widespread than initially thought, writes Tanith Harte, PhD who is working to expand knowledge and record the prevalence. Keep EGS in the back of your mind the next time you’re faced with an unresponsive … [Read more...]
A calculator to determine colic risk in horses
EQUUS' 7-question survey can help determine a horse's chances of developing colic and provides ideas for what can be done to protect its health. The survey score will provide a rough estimate of colic risk and the content shares some management changes that may help reduce colic risks. Source: EQUUS, April 10, 2024. Link. INSIGHTS: Tools like this survey can improve the … [Read more...]
Causes of surgical site infection unclear in post-colic surgeries
Commentary Surgical site infections are a major concern regardless of the species. There are myriad articles and studies of specific surgery types and conditions. Surgery suite sanitation and infection control papers add more content to libraries. Estimates suggest that four percent to 10 percent of horses will experience colic at least once in their lifetimes. Although … [Read more...]
Spring is gas colic season
Lush green grass is showing up in pastures across the country. Cattle, goats, sheep and horses seek out the juiciest clumps of grass which are high in sugar. For horses, that can cause colic as excessive fermentation occurs in the gut creating a buildup of gas which doesn’t always find a way out of the horse. The result? Gas colic. Consider sharing this article with horse … [Read more...]
Straight talk about colic and post-colic care
Our June 28 AHD Bulletin presented resources available for equine practitioners and their clients from ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance <Link>. In the first of two articles linked here, Anthony Blikslager, DVM, PhD, shares experiences from his 20 or more years of specializing in colic. His main motivation remains to find ways to “shorten horses’ hospital visits, reduce … [Read more...]
Colic. What a pain in the gut!
Sponsored Content Colic is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in horses whose specialized digestive tract is easily thrown out of balance. Experts say 4 percent to 10 percent of all horses will experience at least one episode of colic in their lifetime. While most cases are resolved on the farm with medical treatment, approximately 10 percent to 15 percent of cases … [Read more...]
Is it or isn’t it colic?
Colic can be resolved easily about 90 percent of the time, but it can also be the end of a horse’s life, writes Marsha King. She provides 33 tips to use as guidelines when dealing with horses. Any horse can experience colic. The disorder is indiscriminate of age, sex, breed, occupation, or environment.” - Michael Fugaro, VMD, Dipl. ACVS Source: The Horse, August 22, … [Read more...]
Dealing with the equine gut
There’s a lot to consider when dealing with the equine gut. The staff at The Horse compiled 10 articles about gut functions and issues from nose to tail. An unhealthy gut can cause poor performance, behavioral issues, malabsorption of nutrients and even colic.” Source: The Horse, July 27, 2021. Link. INSIGHTS: Confidently share this resource to help orientate equine … [Read more...]
Colic comes in many forms
Depending on a colic’s cause, treatment steps and prognoses can vary widely, writes Alexandra Beckstett. She breaks down colic cases by type—non-strangulating, strangulating and inflammatory. Source: The Horse, January 2020. Link. (article excerpt). Flank-watching or -biting, pawing, trying to roll, an elevated heart rate, a lack of gut sounds or bowel movements. While … [Read more...]
Acronym helps educate horse owners about colic
R.E.A.C.T. is the hallmark of a marketing effort to reduce the instance of critical colic cases in horses. Sarah Freeman, BVetMed, PhD, DECVS, FHEA, FRCVS, collaborated with the British Horse Society. She presented her work, the campaign and various educational materials at the West Indies Veterinary Conference. The acronym represents these indicators: R estless or … [Read more...]
Myths and truths of equine cribbing
Several factors that seem to contribute to acquiring a cribbing habit, says Tina Steward, DVM. Such as: Dietary lack of roughage Diet of sweetened feeds Long periods without feed Emotional and physical stress Genetic, heritable traits Lots of forage and friends are the best management tools for cribbers and cribbing prevention. Source: Dressage Today, … [Read more...]
Equine fact, equine myth
Not all information is created equal. Crowdsourced internet answers are now available with a simple spoken question, “Alexa, will my horse get enough water by eating snow?” The most frequent horse care myth topics include nutrition, cold weather and colic, writes Natalie Voss. She turned to the University of Kentucky Extension service for this fact vs. myth article. Source: … [Read more...]
Impaction colic is common and treatable
Equine gastrointestinal distress, colic, has several causes. Impaction colic is one of the more common types and is treatable when caught early. An impaction occurs when a large amount of firm, dry fecal material has built up within the intestine. This mass is then unable to change size as it passes through the varying widths of the digestive system. Impactions occur most often … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Fall equine wellness (includes video)
Zoetis has provided the American Quarter Horse Association with material about preparing horses for the risks of fall season. Annual spring vaccinations help offer disease protection and can activate an immune response. Now that it’s almost fall, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) vaccination guidelines recommend at-risk horses be vaccinated for equine … [Read more...]
Exploring the equine biome
Researchers are working to better understand the role of various species of microorganisms throughout the equine intestinal system. The collective groups of microbes, their genomes and how they interact is referred to as the microbiome. Source: The Horse, August 2016, page 26. Studying the equine intestinal microbiome is important because horses are hindgut fermenters," … [Read more...]
Equine coronavirus: an emerging enteric virus of adult horses
Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is an emerging virus associated clinically and epidemiologically with fever, depression, anorexia and less frequently colic and diarrhea in adult horses. Sporadic cases and outbreaks have been reported with increased frequency since 2010 from Japan, the United States and more recently from Europe. Source: Equine Veterinary Education, April 2016. … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Equine gastroscopy 101
Merial provides a primer on what to expect if an equine veterinarian suggests a gastroscopic examination. This was sent to AQHA Daily subscribers. Source: AQHA Daily, April 28, 2016. Two out of three non-racing competitive horses have stomach ulcers. Signs such as poor performance, decreased appetite, recurrent colic or poor body condition may point to stomach ulcers. … [Read more...]
Natural Options: Herbs may help soothe equine stomachs
Battling colic can be tricky and scary for a horse owner, mostly because of its variability in causes, symptoms and severity. The five most beneficial herbal supplements are presented in this article. Source: Horse Talk, March 31, 2016. Herbs may be of help in relieving your horse’s discomfort and helping to prevent future bouts with colic and other common equine health … [Read more...]
Prevent winter colic
Colic tops the list of winter equine health challenges. Water, diet and movement are critical. Equine veterinary teams and dealers will appreciate this resource when working with horse owners. The content is also appropriate for websites, newsletters and blogs. Source: EQUUS, February 8, 2016. Cold weather may conspire against your efforts to keep water flowing to your … [Read more...]
Have a horse? Prepare for the inevitable.
Sponsored Content Olympic equestrians faced tough challenges, including having to fly horses into Tokyo from pre-export quarantine in Europe. But the biggest challenges arose when the horses spooked or refused during performances because of sumo statues. Also, daruma dolls startled them and a horse got punched. These challenges underscore the health and behavior … [Read more...]
10 gallons a day to keep a horse hydrated
Regardless of the season, the average adult horse should drink about one gallon of water for every 100 pounds of body weight; a 1,000-pound horse would need 10 gallons of water each day. Horses prefer to drink water that is between 45° F and 65° F will drink the most water within three hours of consuming a meal. Horses may struggle to get enough water during colder … [Read more...]
How to safely travel with horses
Whether horses travels by road or by air, owners must be aware of the complications that may occur due to transportation, including traumatic injuries, diarrhea, muscular problems, respiratory problems, overheating, colic and even laminitis. The AAEP encourages equine veterinarians and horse owners read Practical Guidelines to Assess Fitness for Transport of Equidae to … [Read more...]
Saying goodbye, a horse owner’s difficult decision
It is relatively uncommon these days for a horse to die of natural causes, writes Natalie Voss. At some point a horse owner, along with their veterinarian, will need to decide when it’s appropriate to euthanize. . . . it is best to think about end-of-life plans for horses regardless of age” Source: Acreage Life, March 2020. Link. Predetermine what is an acceptable quality of … [Read more...]
Optimizing digestive health in horses
Sponsored Content from ADM Animal Nutrition The new issue of EQUUS Extra is dedicated to nutritional aspects of equine digestions, colic and ulcers. In our post Colic comes in many forms, January 14, 2020 < link >, we shared an overview of three types of colic. Dr. Annette McCoy broke down colic cases by type; non-strangulating, strangulating and inflammatory. She also … [Read more...]
New thinking about cribbing
Most owners want to stop their horses from cribbing. This is easier said than done. Cribbing has been a challenge for centuries with no known reason for this behavior. The horse places his upper teeth firmly on a hard object---be it a fence, stall door, water trough, or anything he can reach---pulls back, arches his neck, and gulps air into the upper part of his esophagus with … [Read more...]
JAVMA, May 15th Issue
Questions about prolonging an animal’s life, economics of a veterinary degree awareness about a veterinary career, summary of the Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Study and features of horses treated for recurrent colic are some great items in this issue. Source: JAVMA, May 15, 2018. Link. INSIGHTS: Equine animal health pros will want to review the recurrent colic … [Read more...]
Know the risks of transporting horses
All horses are subject to tendon and ligament injuries, regardless of breed or whether they are performance horses or ridden for occasional trail rides. Transporting them adds to the risk of injury and disease. Ligament injuries can occur in the forelimbs or hindlimbs and can be serious enough to end an athletic career or impact lifestyle. Colic aside, injuries to the … [Read more...]
Call groups help after-hours conundrum
Employees today don't want to work as many hours as they used to, points out Kyle Palmer, CVT. He thoughtfully discusses a call-group solution to after-hours service requests in equine practices. Source: DVM 360, October 11, 2016. Equine practitioners are stuck with whatever comes their way: colic, dystocia, traumatic injury and more. They’re often knee-deep in disaster … [Read more...]