Colic is a pain in the belly and may be continuous or comes and goes. There are many causes of colic including parasitic worms, bad feed, and drinking water too soon after working.
How to recognise colic
Colic is the name given to abdominal pain and is common in equines. The signs of colic are:
- The animal kicks at its belly.
- It repeatedly lies down and then gets up, rolls about or it sits up on its back legs like a dog.
- The animal sweats.
- The pain can be continuous or it comes and goes.
If an animal is showing the above signs, take its temperature and its pulse. In horses if the temperature is over 39.5°C and the pulse is over 60 per minute the condition is very serious and you will need to find a veterinarian immediately.
The Causes of Colic
There are a number of different causes of colic:
Parasitic worms in the digestive system.
The animal’s teeth are bad and cannot chew food properly.
The animal has been grazing on sandy ground, sand causes colic.
The animal has eaten too much grain.
Drinking water when it is hot and tired after working.
Preventing colic
You can prevent colic by:
Treat the animal regularly to get rid of gut parasites.
Check the animal’s teeth, ask your veterinarian to rasp sharp teeth.
Do not give water to tired, hot and sweating animals.
Do not give too much grain to the animal.