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Horse DiseasesSUPPLIES
- Vet
- Clean towel
- Sanitary area for vet
- Lead line and halter
- Nose tube (only if you know how to use one)
- Mineral oil or colic drench
- IV line for fluids (in severe cases)
Overview
One of the biggest killers of horses is colic. Because horses cannot vomit, what they swallow stays in the gut until it either is excreted out or surgically removed. Colic refers to any kind of abdominal pain. This can be from eating too much, or from swallowing something that is now causing the intestines to be blocked up. All colicky horses must get vet help immediately.
Step 1
Remove all food. Take hay or grain out of the horse's stall or tie the horse so that he cannot eat the food. If he eats more food, the situation will worsen. Some horse's pains will go away in about twenty minutes. But if the horse is still in pain, it's safer to assume the worst.
Step 2
Gather together things the vet will need: a clean towel, a place to check your horse out in good light and a place to thoroughly wash his or her hands.
Step 3
Halter the horse you suspect has colic. Quietly and quickly clip a lead line to the halter and walk the horse. This can often help shift whatever is bothering the horse's guts.
Step 4
Administer a laxative of mineral oil or commercial colic drench if the vet recommends one. Tie the horse securely. Then insert a nose tube down the horse's nostril so it reaches the throat. The laxative is poured into a funnel at the other end of the tube.
Step 5
Tie or hold the horse securely when the vet arrives. Use a twitch if the horse is panicky, because the vet will need to administer injections of analgesics to kill the pain.
Step 6
Get the horse to surgery if the vet recommends. Surgery is only done as a last resort. This removes whatever is blocking the horse's guts and also removes any dead portions of intestine.
Step 7
Arrange transport for your horse to come home after he or she has recovered. Recovery time can take anywhere from two weeks to six months.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- WARNING : Do not let the horse roll. This can cause the intestines to twist, cutting off blood flow. When the blood stops flowing, that part of the intestine can die.
Don't make the horse walk on and on if he is tired. He can stand, as long as he doesn't roll.
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