“Digestion method and types of feed” is one of the most common causes of the disease..
Dr. Basem Badr
Director of stables and chief veterinarians at the King Abdulaziz Center for Purebred Arabian Horses..
Horses are one of the most common animal species that suffer from “stomach ache”, as its presence in animals is indicated by the appearance of “abdominal pain” symptoms. From the anatomical point of view of the digestive system of horses, the digestion method in horses compared to what the breeder provides of different types of feed is one of the most common causes of the disease, and it is not necessary that the cause of its appearance be colic, a defect in the nutrition system or a defect in the digestive system, as in some cases it is The cause is an infection in another part of the horse’s body, including: infection of the reproductive system or the respiratory system. ”In addition to the pollen mares, pregnancy in mares may be one of the causes of the disease.
The treatment of colic comes as one of the things that annoy horse owners because of their death in addition to the economic loss in terms of the cost of treatment or the loss of the injured horse, so it is necessary to know.
The causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, methods and methods of prevention and reduction of colic incidence.
With regard to the causes of colic: it has many forms and types, as well as it has several reasons such as: Changing the horse feeding system “The number of times per day – the quantity – the change in the quality of the feed provided to the horses, and there are several reasons related to feeding such as:
A sudden change in the horse’s nutrition (whether in type or quantity) or moldy feed that causes fermentation and infection with bloated colic, and reliance on a diet that often depends on concentrates leads to colic if sufficient amounts of bran are not added to the concentrated diet and the horse feeds on fiber such as Rhodes, and horse feeding on fungi or moldy feed that causes intestinal inflammation and large intestine obstruction.
Among the causes are also the poor storage of feed and moisture, which lead to the emergence of fungi and mold, which afflicts horses with colic, and horses with bad eating habits, such as those who swallow directly, and also the lack of drinking water may lead to the emergence of colic with water unsuitable for drinking, in addition to Providing food or water to hot horses “immediately after exercise”, setting up a training regimen inconsistent with the horse’s feeding system, and not filing horse teeth periodically and for very long periods of time, which leads to not grinding the food well, causing colic.
And worms and internal parasites in the intestine “sometimes but not often” When administering anthelmintic drugs, colic appears due to the presence of a large amount of worms. Worms and internal parasites in the intestine are among the most important causes of colic in horses:
Putting horses in paddocks with a sandy floor leads to sandy colic, as the sand accumulates and clogs the intestines, as well as the horse swallows any foreign object such as plastic bags, papers, wood, etc., so the paddocks and accommodation rooms must always be inspected to ensure that they are free of any foreign bodies Such as stones, plastic bags, and wood that the horse may swallow, which leads to colic.
