Reducing The Risk of Colic
By Scott L. King DVM, Purina Mills LLC
The word colic strikes fear in the hearts of all horse owners. This fear is not unfounded. Colic affects approximately 10% of the horse population. It is diagnosed almost twice as often as any other disease. To watch a healthy animal suddenly be stricken with intense pain is traumatic for the owner as well. The fact that there is no known reason for many types of colic is even more disconcerting. There are however, some interesting factors that can increase the risk of colic.
Risk Factors
A recent study conducted at Texas A&M University identified several dietary and management factors associated with equine colic. This study found that a recent change in hay increased the risk of colic 9.8 times. This is thought to occur because of the wide range of quality in hay type. Protein content, digestibility and mineral content varies tremendously in hay. It is theorized that these variables can affect gut motility. A recent change in diet increases the risk of colic five-fold. Therefore it is recommended to change diets gradually over a period of 10 days. A previous history of colic increases the risk of colic 3.9 times. Changes in weather increase the risk of colic 3.2 times. This could be related to other factors associated with weather changes. Often, inclement weather changes a horse’s exercise schedule. These researchers found that a recent change in stabling increased the risk of colic 2.3 times.
Pellets
According to this study, it appears that pelleted rations are less likely to be associated with colic in the horse than other types of feed. This finding renders the theory that pellets cause colic a myth. Purina Mills LLC, the inventors of the pelleting process, has been making easily digestible pellets for many years.
Causes/Unknown Causes
Most cases of colic are mild. These are usually caused by a spasm or small obstruction of the intestine and are treated without surgery. Veterinarians are quite proficient at differentiating these types of colic from the more complicated cases requiring surgery. The diagnostic capabilities of veterinarians enable them to determine many causes of colic such as gastric ulcers, impactions, twists, enteritis and others. Sometimes surgery is required to reach a diagnosis and facilitate treatment. The reason for intestinal twisting or displacement is unknown. It is a widely accepted fact in the veterinary community that twists are not caused by horses rolling. There is no known cause for this abnormal movement of the intestine.
Prevention
While Purina Mills cannot predict weather changes, we can predict the consistent quality of our new Purina-branded hay product. If your horse is 9.8 times more likely to colic with each load of new hay, then providing a consistent quality hay could be of benefit. It is recommended that 1.2-1.5% of the horse's body weight be fed in the form of roughage in order to reduce the risk of colic. This higher amount of fiber will help maintain a healthy gut with normal motility. This works well for pleasure horses, but it is often difficult to meet the energy needs of the performance horse following these guidelines. The small intestine is like a reverse assembly line. Starches, fats and amino acids are pulled off the ingested feed as it moves by. If too much starch is on that conveyer belt it ends up in the hind gut. Fermentation of this starch in the hind gut lowers the gut pH and can reduce fiber digestion as well as cause other digestive upsets. This reduction in fiber digestion can lead to impaction colic. Because of this, a horse’s increased energy demands can be met by feeding a diet higher in fat. Strategy with 6% fat works well in this situation. Purina’s new Race Ready has 7% fat with beet pulp built in. Equine Senior can be fed to reduce starch and increase fiber and fat levels. Athlete has 14% fat and is balanced with other nutrients. It can be added to any ration to increase the amount of calories coming from fat without diluting the other nutrient levels as do other fat supplements.
Unfortunately, thousands of horses will die of colic this year. In many cases it will be impossible to determine the cause. If you pay close attention to the risk factors associated with colic and follow proper feeding recommendations your horse’s risk of colic can be reduced.
References:
White NA. Epidemiology of Colic. The Horse. Aug. 1999.
Cohen N. Dietary and Other Management Factors Associated with Equine Colic. Proceedings AAEP 1999.
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