Co-Lix

Colic symptoms appear suddenly, not gradually and can include: • Pawing • Rolling • Bloating • Sweating • Distress • Uneasiness • Loss of interest in food and water • Peculiar postures, such as sitting or stretching • Absence of gut sounds • Decreased faeces production and/or dryness of manure Determine the cause. The first step to treatment and recovery is to make a diagnosis. Some common causes of colic include: • High grain-based diets/low-forage diets without enough roughage. • Mouldy or tainted feed • An abrupt change in feed • Parasite infestation, especially from worms. • Lack of water consumption, which can in turn cause an impaction to occur. • Sand ingestion and accumulation in the bowel over time. • Long-term use of NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) • Stress • Dental problems Get your horse up and walking. Whether he is rolling or standing, it’s important to get your horse up and walking as soon as you discover something is amiss. Walking helps to relieve anxiety as well as prevent rolling, which can cause intestinal twisting. This also helps restore normal intestinal activity and get things moving again, potentially allowing the release of built-up pressure or defecation. If the pain is too severe and your horse’s legs are buckling or won’t stay standing, make sure he is in a small round yard or safe area until help arrives. Call your veterinary doctor. It’s important to get your vet out as soon as possible to take a look at your horse and help make a quick diagnosis. Note: Obstructions or twisted intestines can be potentially life threatening and require surgery. Remove all sources of food and water. Because colic is often linked to your horse’s food or water source, it’s important to keep him away from any potential dangers until a cause is found Prevent a re-occurrence. There are several ways to help ensure colic will not happen again. • Don’t overgraze pastures and paddocks and keep feed off of the ground. • Refill your horse’s trough with fresh, clean water daily and make sure he has enough. • Keep to a daily feeding schedule. • Check for mould or signs of spoiling in your grain or hay and do not feed your horse anything mouldy or spoiled. • Keep feed boxes, hay racks, and other tools used in feeding your horse clean. • Provide enough long-stem roughage in his diet. • Ensure foreign objects don’t make their way into stalls and paddock areas to prevent horses from eating them. • Check for dental problems to help prevent chewing issues. • Deworm regularly. • Exercise your horse. Understand the difference between each type of colic. This can help you be better prepared to treat your horse when colic symptoms present. Stomach distention occurs when large amounts of grain are ingested at a time and makes it possible for the stomach to fatally rupture. Displacement colic happens when the small intestine twists after becoming suspended in the abdominal cavity and free-floating in the gut. Can be caused by gas buildup in the