Page 78 - Libro_MariaA_26agosto

María Alejandra Ramelli

There are three common types of colic (Malone, 2018):

Impaction colic: Occurs when food gets stuck somewhere in the gut and the
horse can’t remove it.

Gas colic: Happens when microbes in the colon start to produce a lot of gas be-
cause a change in the horse’s diet was made very quickly. These gas stretches the
gut walls, causing moderate pain, and may cause the colon to move out of its place.

Colon shift: This type of colic occurs when the long colon moves out of its origi-
nal pace, and causes severe pain. A colon twist can damage or even kill the colon
by stopping blood flow, and the only way to cure it is by surgery.

An early diagnosis and treatment is the key to give your horse the best chance to
survive this painful disease (Malalana, No year of publication).

Common causes of colic:
(Worth, 2010) (Malone, 2018)

Dehydration (it can be for both
insufficient water consumption or
water lost through sweat).

• Parasite infestation.

• Sand ingestion.

• Poorly chewed food.

• Overfeeding grain.

• Fast changes in the horse’s diet.

• Stress.
Symptoms: (ACVS, 2018)
(Malone, 2018)

• Lying down and rolling
more than usual.

• Kicking up at the belly with
his hind legs.

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