# why do horses die of colic?



## Bowen4Horses (30 January 2010)

my 4 month old baby had a touch of colic the other day, which i told my OH about... he nearly passed out, as i've spent the last few years drumming it into him that colic in horses is super serious, and a few of our friends have horses that have died from colic...


anyway, why is it that colic is so serious in horses, but not babies...? are they completely different things by the same name?

sorry, mega numpty question...


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## sally87 (30 January 2010)

in babies "colic" just refers to what we assume to be abdominal pain causing them to pull their legs towards their chin &amp; cry a lot. there is no structural abnormality present &amp; most get over it by a couple of months old.

from what i understand about horses "colic" refers from anything from an being slightly uncomfortable to a twisted gut causing obstruction &amp; stopping the blood supply to the gut causing it to die &amp; it is these serious cases that kill.

If a baby gets this it is called "intussuseption" or "volvulus". it is equally as dangerous but no longer called "colic" so they dont die of "colic" (hopefully surgical intervention is in time &amp;  they dont die although some do).

hope this makes sense! (spot the medical student on her paediatrics attachment ;-) )

Sally


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## Bowen4Horses (30 January 2010)

[ QUOTE ]
in babies "colic" just refers to what we assume to be abdominal pain causing them to pull their legs towards their chin &amp; cry a lot. there is no structural abnormality present &amp; most get over it by a couple of months old.

from what i understand about horses "colic" refers from anything from an being slightly uncomfortable to a twisted gut causing obstruction &amp; stopping the blood supply to the gut causing it to die &amp; it is these serious cases that kill.

If a baby gets this it is called "intussuseption" or "volvulus". it is equally as dangerous but no longer called "colic" so they dont die of "colic" (hopefully surgical intervention is in time &amp;  they dont die although some do).

hope this makes sense! (spot the medical student on her paediatrics attachment ;-) )

Sally 

[/ QUOTE ]

thank you! xx


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## kerilli (30 January 2010)

what she said...!

and, in horses there is the pelvic flexure, where the intestine narrows dramatically at the same point as going through a nearly 180 degree bend, just asking for blockages. this is where impactions occur.
i hope that babies' (humans') internal systems don't have this enormous design flaw. a plumbing engineer would get shot for coming up with something like that...


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## Fii (30 January 2010)

Colic does'nt kill horses, it's what is giving them colic that can kill them, if that makes sense, as colic also refers to any pain in the gut whatever is causing it. I don't know if i explained that well, but i knew what i ment.


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## Happy Horse (30 January 2010)

Horses don't show pain well.  A baby with a bit of tummy ache is likely to scream the place down, a horse with a minor tummy ache may just appear a bit grumpy, you may never know what the problem is.  

By the time a horse is displaying what we consider to be the obvious signs, rolling, kicking belly, sweating etc, they are generally in a considerable amount of pain.  Some colics in horses are easily put right through medication or even gentle walking, most are not surgical let alone fatal.  Death from colic occurs usually through rupture of the bowel causing irreversible contamination of the abdomen or death of large sections of the intestines, which are too big to resect.


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## Kallibear (30 January 2010)

Also consider the size of their guts conpared to humans - they make up nearly half their body weight, there's so much of them. There's a hell of a lot to go wrong!


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## Happy Horse (30 January 2010)

[ QUOTE ]
Also consider the size of their guts conpared to humans - they make up nearly half their body weight, there's so much of them. There's a hell of a lot to go wrong! 

[/ QUOTE ]

That is so true!  An impacted large colon is massive and weighs a tonne.


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## FanyDuChamp (30 January 2010)

[ QUOTE ]
Horses don't show pain well.  


[/ QUOTE ]

 I spoke to my vet about colic and he told me that he had participated in a study about horses that have colic and show no symptoms at all. They strapped them to heart and temperature monitors and that way they could tell when they were colicking. So I agree they do not always show pain, Cappy used to get gaseous colic regularly, B.C (before Coligone) and it was only his grumpy mood that told us there was anything wrong.


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## missieh (30 January 2010)

I was always told to never let a horse with colic lie down as they could twist their gut if they roll. I'm not sure if this was just an old wife's tale but must have some basis in fact if it is the serious ruptures that can lead to death.


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## Happy Horse (30 January 2010)

I believe horses with colic roll to try and untwist a twisted gut, it is unlikely if they roll they will twist it, if it is not already twisted.


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## star (30 January 2010)

rolling does not cause twisted guts.  it is not necessary to walk horses to the point of exhaustion just to stop them rolling.  it is fine to let them roll as long as there is somewhere safe for them to do it.


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## gekko (31 January 2010)

Normal rolling is just fine, violent thrashing and rolling in the wrong spot is whats a real issue....if a bit of gentle rolling gives them pain relief or stimulates some gut movement it's a good thing!


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