Dr. Brian Eitelman, DVM, CJF, and Aggie Vet and Farrier Services provide veterinarian and farrier services in Parker, CO, Elizabeth, CO, Franktown, CO, Castle Rock, CO, Sedalia, CO, Larkspur, CO. To learn more, please visit us at www.vetandfarrier.com
In this video, Dr. Brian discusses how to recognize colic in your horse and what to do while you are waiting for your veterinarian.
My horse is colicing, what do I do? Is my horse colicing? What are the signs of colic in horses? What are the symptoms of colic in horses? What does colic look like? How to take a horse's vital signs? How to get a horse's vital signs? How to treat colic in horses?
Hi, I’m Dr. Brian, and on this segment of Ask a Farrinarian, I will address one of the most common calls I get about horses - “Doc, I think my horse may be colicing but I’m not sure if you need to come out or if I can just wait…what should I do?” Great question!
First, let me start with the basics - What does a colic LOOK like? Most colics often start with subtle signs - laying down too much, coming in slowly, lack of appetite (a horse that normally eats well but didn’t finish hay this morning). More obvious and concerning signs are rolling, pawing, laying down then getting up multiple times, stomping/swishing tail, abnormal/excessive sweating.
These are an important part of the story to tell your vet to help decide how urgent the issue is - in general, the more dramatic your horse is behaving, the more likely it is an emergency NOW.
Another useful piece of information is to try to get your horse’s vital signs. Heart rate and respiration rates are two important things to know in determining the condition of your horse. So here’s how to take your horse’s pulse - count number of beats 15 seconds, then multiply by four to get heart rate per minute). A normal heart rate of a horse is around 40 beats per minute. A heart rate higher than 60 when a horse is otherwise standing or lying calmly is a big red flag. Also, count respiratory rate in the same way.
The final piece of information is mucous membrane color and capillary refill time. This essentially helps determine the circulatory status and hydration of your horse. Another way to check hydration is called a skin tent. The skin should return to normal position in 1 to 2 seconds
One of the biggest mistakes people can make is waiting too long. Even if you are uncertain if your horse needs to be seen NOW or not, at least make the call to the vet and “get on their radar.” That way you and your vet can start making a plan for if and when your horse needs to be seen. If your vet is not available at all, ask them who to call as a backup!!
So you’ve called your vet and are either waiting to hear back from them or you’ve talked with them and you have a plan in place. Here are the things to do while you wait: Do not feed your horse. Make sure your horse is in a clean, open, well-lit area. If they’re being quiet, they can stay in their stall. If they’re pawing and rolling, it is probably better to keep them in a more open area so that they are less likely to hurt themselves. If they are out in the pasture, try to walk them into the barn - but obviously use common sense and keep yourself safe first!
“Doc, should I try to walk them around or not?” Usually walking your horse is not necessary. If your horse is standing quietly or lying down quietly, then let them rest. The exception to this is if your horse is rolling or extremely agitated and won’t stand still - then it is ok to keep them moving around. A horse that is up and down and rolling can injure itself more by doing this, so keeping them walking around is a good thing in these situations!
Do NOT give medication without first checking with vet coming out.
In regards to medications that you have on hand: do not store meds in trailer or in most barns where they get too hot or too cold - poorly stored and outdated meds are likely worthless. Additionally, medications given orally can take a long time to have any effect - up to 2 hours. So if for some reason your vet instructs you to give a medication, double check that it has been stored properly and is not expired FIRST!!
So, to wrap this all up, colic can present in many different ways. The more information you can give your vet, the easier it will be to navigate the situation and give the best care to your horse. Make sure that you keep yourself safe first, and don’t do anything that you’re not comfortable with. Understand that you know your horse the best - so the more help that you can give me as your vet, the better!