How to identify and prevent colic in horses

fluid requirements for horses often increase in winter despite the cooler temperatures.
Keep horses hydrated
As I discussed above the drier the gut contents the increased risk of impaction. So as well as ensuring any changes in forage are made gradually the horses digestive system ideally needs about 14 days to adapt to changes in diet ensure theres plenty of fresh water available particularly if your horse is moving onto forage with a lower moisture content.
Its easy to feel the inclination to increase concentrate and grain rations to meet the increasing energy demands of keeping warm. However excess concentrates are more likely to upset the delicate balance of bacteria in the hindgut potentially resulting in hindgut acidosis or diarrhoea.
In very bleak conditions I suggest that additional forage is a better way to provide your horse with extra calories for heat production as fermentation in the hindgut generates heat to help maintain body temperature.
4 Dental disease
Chewing is the first phase of the digestive process and is vital for ensuring proper digestion of fibrous feeds. Older equines often have poor dentition as diastemata gaps between teeth develop and teeth are lost. Improperly chewed food coupled with reduced gastrointestinal motility means an increased risk of choke and impaction.
Ensure your horses teeth are in good condition by having regular dental checks at least annually carried out by your vet or a qualified equine dental technician.
In some cases dietary alterations may be necessary to minimise the risk of impactions. Forage replacers such as hay cubes or pellets can be fed in the same quantity as your normal forage source if your horse is struggling to chew properly. Look to offer around 2 bodyweight total feed per day for maintaining current condition so 10kg of total food for a 500kg horse.
Access to forage is still important however as the chewing action is beneficial to reducing the risk of gastric ulceration further dental issues and boredom.
Gassy colic in horses
Gassy colic otherwise known as spasmodic colic is a condition where the horses bowel becomes hyperactive and spasms. This overactivity of the gastrointestinal tract differs to other more dangerous types of colic which may be caused by impaction of food material or by areas of the gut becoming twisted.
Clinical signs for gassy colic include
Audibly increased gut sounds heard by a bystander
Food aversion
Reduced faecal output
Possible sweating
Rolling
Flehmen response lip curl
When to call a vet for colic in horses
A veterinary examination should be carried out
when any signs of colic arise as soon as possible. When I assess a horse with potential colic I check the following
Colour of their gums and capillary refill time ie how quickly the colour returns when I press a finger against the gums
Respiratory rate
Heart rate
Auscultation of gut sounds.
In an uncomplicated spasmodic colic these findings are likely to be normal apart from an increase in gut sounds. I may then carry out a rectal examination to assess if there are any areas of the gastrointestinal tract that are of concern although this is not a definitive diagnostic test as one can only palpate the caudal third of the abdominal contents.
Most horses with spasmodic colic respond to injections of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and antispasmodics that relax the intestinal muscles. Nonresponse to this treatment may be an indicator that further treatment or surgery may be required.