Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2011/January 2012 | Page 92

EQUESTRIAN equine veterinary diary Leire Ruiz de Alegria MVDr CertAVP MRCVS of Liphook Equine, IOW Equine emergency without equine disaster As we all know (and easily forget) when dealing with any type of emergency it is very important to remain calm, as panicking has never been known to promote a successful outcome. Try to remain calm, as uncontrolled handling of an emergency situation does increase stress on the horse, risks further injury and can delay vital veterinary assistance. The goal when facing an equine emergency is to prevent further damage/deterioration and to prevent further pain or even decrease it. Colic What is colic? Why is it serious? This is a familiar term in the horse community that triggers fear and requires a prompt reaction. Colic is a very broad term that means abdominal pain (belly ache). In modern days horses are prone to colic due to the transformation of their natural habitat such as grazing in fields with rich grass, eating large quantities of haylage and feeds rich in highly fermentable carbohydrates. Types of colic can range from a) excessive amounts of gas, which although quite painful is mostly not too serious, to b) a twisted gut. They will be accompanied by several signs of pain such as lip curling, lying down, inappetence, rolling and flank watching; although each horse will show pain in a slightly different way. Sometimes the degree of the pain is directly related to the seriousness of the problem, but as each animal has a different pain threshold this is not always the case i.e. donkeys are very stoical vs. thoroughbreds with low pain tolerance. When a horse is suffering with colic it is not possible to determine, judging by the symptoms, whether it is just a bit of gas or a life threatening condition. The best and only possible way to deal with this situation is to call the vet as soon as possible. In the meantime: - It is always best to take any food away. Most horses won’t feel like eating but if they do a short period of starvation will decrease food content in their compromised digestive system, therefore preventing worsening. - Walk the horse or not? When horses are in a lot of pain they may roll in an erratic manner, potentially Liphook Equine Dodnor Farm, Newport PO30 5TE TEL: [phone] (or 01428 727727 out of hours) EMAIL: [email protected] www.TheLEH.co.uk 92 www.visitislandlife.com