07/18/2023
Starting today I will be trying to do an Educational Tuesdays! So to start off our first one we shall be doing colic! It’s a dreaded word for every horse owner but can be helped!
Colic is when horses experience abdominal pain from either impaction in the digestive tract or gas build-up. Causes of colic can be from changing feed, poor water intake, or having course feed. Also, I’ve witnessed just about any change can make a horse colic.
What to look for:
Looking at, scratching or kicking the abdomen
Pacing
Pawing
Sweating
Lying down and rolling, at times violently
Posturing to urinate without normal urine output
Decreased interest in hay and grain
Heart rate more than 45 beats per minute
Discolored mucous membranes
What to do:
Firstly, inform your veterinarian you have a potential colic case! This gives your vet plenty of time to prepare to head your way, they may advise on what they would prefer you to do for your particular horse. If know how to take vitals, please take them and share them with your veterinarian. Having the vitals will help expedite overall care for when/ if your veterinarian can make it. Also please confine your horse to ensure they are monitored more closely. Walking your horse can improve the abdominal pain but if you notice symptoms are getting worse STOP, phone the veterinarian immediately. Some veterinarians will advise on whether to give approved drugs.
PEMF can help symptoms of colic. It will promote the digestive tract to perform normally and get the gut moving!
I had my own emergency case this morning- with my own horse. His routine hasn’t changed in over a year. He’s been on the same feed for over well over a month, has a giant water trough to provide enough water. Immediately phoned the veterinarian, she advised to give banamine and wait 30 minutes to see how he felt. I added PEMF an hour after banamine was given to see if I got better results with him. I have high expectations that he will recover! Still waiting for our p**ps🤞🏻