Equine Colic Imitators

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MANY OTHER CONDITIONS BESIDES COLIC CAN CAUSE COLICLIKE SIGNS. AND AS WITH COLIC, DELAYED TREATMENT OR MISDIAGNOSIS CAN HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.

Posted by Alexandra Beckstett, The Horse Managing Editor | Apr 22, 2019

IS IT ABDOMINAL PAIN OR SOMETHING ELSE?

Discover your horse restless, pawing, and lying down repeatedly in his stall, and you might immediately think, “He’s colicking.”

Nine times out of 10, you’re probably right. But it’s important to understand that many, many other conditions besides colic can cause coliclike signs. And as with colic, delayed treatment or misdiagnosis can have serious consequences.

“For many of these conditions, if you were to inadvertently take a horse to (exploratory colic) surgery, you might very well might make the animal worse, not to mention spend a lot of money unnecessarily,” says Barbara Dallap Schaer, VMD, Dipl. ACVS, ACVECC, associate professor of emergency medicine and critical care at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, in Kennett Square.

Dealing With Equine Colic: Here are 33 Do's and Don'ts
RELATED RESOURCE: Dealing With Equine Colic: Here are 33 Do’s and Don’ts

Veterinarians define colic as abdominal pain or discomfort—something she says is critical for owners to understand. The classic signs of a horse with colic are many...

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