colic

[Genny]

What is colic? I've read it a lot lately in this new book I got about horses. I've read of lots of horses having it but it doesn't explain what it actually is.

[critter crazy]

Equine Colic

Colic is one of the most dangerous and costly equine medical problems, estimated to occur in 1 of every 10 horses each year (Tinker et al., 1997), it is the number one killer of horses. It is not a disease but a combination of signs that alert us to abdominal pain in the horse. Colic is a general term indicating abdominal pain. (n.) Spasmodic pain in the horse, usually caused by spasm of the intestine; (v.) The reaction of a horse to abdominal pain, kicking, rolling, sweating. The digestive system of a horse is a complicated series of interactions among many different organs. The small intestine alone is 60 feet long in your average size horse. Equine Colic can originate from the stomach, the small intestine or the large intestine. The entire digestive network is suspended and nourished by a thin membrane called the mesentery. Any malfunction, displacement, twisting, swelling, infection, or lesion of any part of this complex body system is what we recognize as colic. There seem to be countless situations which can precipitate colic. Many conditions causing colic become life-threatening in a relatively short period of time.

Because of the organs involved in colic, there are many types of causes of colic

http://www.gaitedhorses.net/Articles/Colic.html

[Genny]

Thankyou for the info. critter crazy. I didn't know it was that common. 1 out of 10 horses each year! That's a lot!

The book I was reading is 'Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul.' Even though I don't have a horse I still like to read about them :) A lot of the horses in the stories died from colic so I knew it must be something really serious.

[critter crazy]

Yeah it is rough! two friends of mine just lost their horses to colic. Most times It isnt caught in time to correct, and usually needs surgery to fix.
It is Like bloat in a dog. If ithelps you understand any better.