Colic

5 Pages 1183 Words

Colic affects a number of horses every year. Risk factors associated with the horse’s lifestyle may be connected to the causes for the problem. The causes of colic are extremely numerous and still not fully understood. Symptoms associated with colic are more clear-cut and horse owners should always keep an eye open for any sign of colic. Prevention of colic by the horse owner or barn manager is crucial and specific ways to avoid colic are important to know. Treatment of colic usually will involve some help from a veterinarian and surgery might be necessary in order to help the horse fully recover. Colic is the number one cause of death in the horse so great attention must be paid to learning the causes, symptoms, prevention, and treatment for the problem.
Colic refers to “any abdominal pain in the horse” and it is an aliment with a variety of risk factors that can be linked to its causes (Fuess, 1997). Similarly, the symptoms associated with colic and are extremely broad and linked to other illnesses or diseases in the horse. Having an understanding of the prevention methods and treatments for colic may help save a horse. Since horses have a “one in ten chance of having colic” understanding the three issues above concerning colic: causes, symptoms, and prevention/treatment, is essential for all people involved with horses (Herbert, 1999).
Colic can be a possibly life-threatening problem of the gastrointestinal system in the horse, whose causes are difficult to pinpoint. The majority of cases do not have any known cause (White, 1999). A variety of diseases in the gut of the horse are linked to colic, but they may not be the direct cause (White, 1999). For these reasons, understanding colic completely and in turn treating it can be a daunting task for veterinarians. A number of possible causes for colic, or at least the precursors to the illnesses’ symptoms, have been identified.
First, identifying the risk fac...