Colic: What Should I Do Until the Vet Gets Here?

An equine critical care specialist shares advice for dealing with a colic while waiting for your vet.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

What should I do if my horse colics?
If your horse seems more comfortable walking, then continue to walk him until the vet arrives. Walking will promote gastrointestinal motility more than standing in a stall. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse
Q.If my horse is colicking, what should I do until the vet gets here? I’ve heard I should walk my horse or put him in the trailer to encourage him to poop. Are these good ideas?

—Ryan, via e-mail

A.It is always a scary time to discover your own horse showing signs of colic. Fortunately, the majority of colic episodes are mild and will resolve with treatment by your veterinarian at home.

My recommendation for what to do before the vet arrives depends somewhat on the severity of the colic signs, but generally speaking, keeping your horse up and preventing him from rolling is a good idea

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Diana Hassel, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, ACVECC, is an associate professor of equine emergency surgery and critical care medicine at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She’s a graduate of the University of California, Davis, and has specialized in equine colic both in clinical practice and in research for the past 17 years.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

How much time do you usually spend grooming your horse?
435 votes · 435 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!