We all dread seeing a horse with colic. Despite my 30 years of veterinary experience, I can’t guarantee that your horse will recover uneventfully. But YOU can make a difference.

I looked back at the first 25 horses I treated for colic last year. Of the 25, 6 (24%) experienced complications that required repeated visits or hospitalization and 4 (16%) did not survive. The average cost for a single visit with uncomplicated recovery was $300.

Early, specific veterinary intervention is the key to successful treatment of colic. Your ability to get temperature, pulse, respiration, and evaluate gut sounds and gum color at the onset of a colic episode can provide information critical to your veterinarian’s treatment decision process. All you need is an inexpensive stethoscope and a thermometer. Here is a link to a good article in TheHorse.com https://thehorse.com/14385/the-basic-physical-examination/. Ask me to review your physical exam skills at your fall clinic appointment. I am happy to help!

Signs of Colic (in order of severity):


➢ Poor appetite ➢ Reduced manure production
➢ Lying down more than normal
➢ Stretching out as if trying to urinate
➢ Pawing, looking at flank
➢ Getting up and down, rolling


High Desert Veterinary Service:
Building Healthy Partners
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