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Understanding Colic in Horses

Unit 5, Lesson 8 Animal Science

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Facts About Equine Colic

• Equine means horse

• One of the most dangerous medical problem

• One out of every ten horses colic each year

• Number one killer of horses

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What Is Colic?

• Not a disease

• General term indicating abdominal pain

• In the digestive system

• Every case should be taken seriously

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Organs Involved in Colic

A. The horse’s small, one compartment stomach

B. Small intestine

C. Cecum

D. Colon

E. Small colon

F. Rectum

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Causes

• Horses with a history of colic are 6 times more likely to have colic again

• Previous abdominal surgery are 5 times as likely

• Environmental or feeding change

• Stress of horse

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Symptoms

• Mild pain• Pawing the ground

• Sweating

• Looking at the belly

• Restlessness

• Lack of appetite

• Stamping the hind feet

• Lying down

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More Symptoms

• Severe pain• Violently pawing

ground

• Appear bloated

• Muscle straining

• Kick violently

• Sweat a lot

• Lie down and get up frequently

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Symptoms Cont.

• Sit on haunches like a dog

• Roll or lie on their backs

• Have below normal temperature-because of stock setting in

• Increase respiration rate

• Elevated heart rate

• Few or no gut sounds

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Prevention

• Have a daily routine including feeding and exercise schedules and stick to it

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Equine Colic

Student Note Outline

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Facts About Equine Colic

• 1.

• 2.

• 3.

• 4.

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What Is Colic?

• Not a____________

• General term indicating __________ pain

• In the digestive system

• Every case should be taken_____________

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Organs Involved in Colic

A. The horse’s small, one compartment stomach

B. Small intestine

C. Cecum

D. Colon

E. Small colon

F. Rectum

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Causes

• Horses with a history of colic are ____times more likely to have colic again

• Previous abdominal surgery are __times as likely

• ___________or _____________ change

• _________of horse

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Symptoms

• Mild pain• _______the ground

• ________

• Looking at the belly

• _______________

• Lack of___________

• Stamping the ________ feet

• _________________

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More Symptoms

• Severe pain• Violently pawing

ground

• Appear___________

• Muscle straining

• Kick____________

• Sweat a lot

• ________and get up_______________

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Symptoms Cont.

• _________on haunches like a dog

• Roll or _________on their backs

• Have below normal temperature-because of stock setting in

• Increase _______________rate

• Elevated ______________rate

• ______________or no gut sounds

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Prevention

• Have a ________________including feeding and exercise schedules and stick to it

• Have a regular vaccination/warming schedule