Colic has been recognized in horses for a long time, but only recently have veterinarians been able to accurately diagnosis, and effectively treat, colic cases. For example, Chinese observers of a few centuries back recognized the signs of colic, and saw that affected horses couldn’t defecate, and even wrote about the problem in an early 17th century text. However, since the Chinese didn’t understand the horse’s anatomy, they didn’t really know what was going on. So, they concluded to effectively treat colic, a person should insert his arm into the horse’s rectum and attempt to remove feces from one of several “points” at which a blockage might occur.
CURIOUS NOTE: These observations seem like a perfectly reasonable suggestion to me, given the state of knowledge. I mean, if you feel around inside a horse’s abdomen, you do encounter different things in different places. However, the idea that you could remove feces from “points” inside the horse’s abdomen to help cure colic gave rise to the myth that these points were “acupuncture points” to be used in the treatment of colic. Actually reading the text that came with the pictures in the book might have helped dispel that myth. Heck, even looking at the picture that came after the original “point” illustration would have helped, at least you’d think.
Medical myths often get started with reasonable observations, which they have a remarkable ability to stick around, even after there’s good proof that they are myths. Many myths about colic persist today – so let’s see if we can take on some of the more common ones. You never know – it might give someone some peace of mind.
1. Horses do not colic because the weather changes. It’s hot one day – it’s cool the next. Or the rain moves in. Your horse colics. What could be a more reasonable association? But the weather changes all of the time, and horses colic all of the time (colic is the most common medical condition of the horse). One seems not to have anything to do with the other, but since they both occur often, it’s easy to make an association. A couple of studies have even shown this (although, I’m also aware of a good friend in Australia who has evaluated colic incidence in horses in her area, and HAS made an association).
Even so, I’m not sure what you would do with this information, if it were true. It kind of reminds me of the old joke about the silly person who, when finding out that most automobile accidents occur within 25 miles of your home, moved. The association between weather and colic isn’t confirmed, but it’s not something that you could do anything about, even if it were true. I don’t really worry much about things like that.
Diver, in mid-air, not about to twist her intestines.
2. Horses don’t twist their intestines when they roll. Have you ever seen a horse lie down and roll, happily scratching his back and rubbing his sides in the dirt? Have you ever seen a horse develop a twisted intestine afterwards? Didn’t think so.
Horses that are uncomfortable from the pain of colic will often lie down and roll. They are trying to find a way to get comfortable, just like when you lie down on the couch after, say, a bad meal. Horses with colic pain will often change positions and roll around. They’re just trying to get comfortable: trying to get away from the pain.
So here’s another curious observational fallacy. The pain that occurs from a twisted intestine is extreme. One of the ways that horses with intestinal twists (volvulus, strangulation, entrapment, and such) show that extreme pain is by rolling around. But it’s the twist that comes first, not the other way around.
If a horse is beating himself up from rolling around frantically in pain, there’s certainly ample reason to keep him from doing so. However, if your horse rolls, the gut isn’t in danger of twisting.
“You want me to what?”
3. Walk your horse, no matter what. I think that the idea that horses need to be walked when they have a colic probably comes from the concern over twisting a gut. “If they can’t lie down, they can’t twist their gut,” is how the thinking must go, I guess.
Walking is not directly therapeutic for a colic. If a horse is relatively comfortable lying down, there’s no real reason to get him up just so that he can walk. Imagine you, on the couch, feeling bad after that restaurant food; how would you feel if someone came up to you and said, “OK, let’s go, we’re going for a walk.” Justifiable homicide, in my book.
That said, there may be some slight benefit to walking a horse with colic. It may help distract the horse with a mild case colic, and help him forget about his pain. It also gives the owner something to do until the veterinarian arrives!
4. Banamine® (flunixin meglumine) is a potent pain reliever for your horse with colic. When it was first released, a few decades ago, flunixin was heavily advertised as the”drug to treat colic (with some beautiful illustrations). Based on those advertisements, it seems that horse owners have learned that the drug is a “must” for treating horses with colic. In fact, some people even say that it is so potent that it works within minutes of its administration, (which, given what we know about how the drug works, isn’t possible).
The scientific evidence doesn’t back up the idea that flunixin is a very potent drug, and it certainly doesn’t seem to be a “must” for treating a horse with colic. In fact, experimental studies on the drug have shown that it’s not very effective at all at treating the pain of colic. Flunixin is a useful drug in certain circumstances, but it’s not a miracle drug for anything.
NOTE: There’s no reason at all to give any drug for any condition, without a proper diagnosis. If you have flunixin in a medicine chest or tack box, I personally don’t think you should give it to your horse with colic without consulting with your veterinarian first.
5. Add “alternative” treatments to help your horse with colic. Some people may add things such as acupuncture or massage to their efforts to help a horse with colic. Others may add any number of supplements that are said to help prevent colic, or do such things as “aiding” in digestion. Keeping horses is expensive enough – save your money.
In general, there’s no evidence at all to indicate that any “alternative” things are helpful, either in the prevention or treatment of colic.* In the case of acupuncture, there’s good evidence that it doesn’t help at all – of course, I wouldn’t bother with acupuncture for anything (CLICK HERE to read why). If your horse has a colic, focus on getting quick and proper diagnosis and treatment. Don’t look for any “alternatives” to that!
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* One could argue about the usefulness of giving horses psyllium to treat or prevent colic caused by sand accumulation. I don’t really think of that as an “alternative” treatment, but I thought I should mention it. I personally don’t think it does much – the best way to prevent sand accumulation is to try to keep your horse from eating sand.
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