Colic Prevention: Proven Tips to Help Reduce Your Horse’s Risk
(Presented live on September 13, 2012)
Lydia F. Gray, DVM, MA SmartPak Staff Veterinarian and Medical Director Dr. Lydia Gray has earned a Bachelor of Science in agriculture, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), and a Master of Arts focusing on interpersonal and organizational communication. After “retiring” from private practice, she put her experience and education to work as the American Association of Equine Practitioner’s first-ever Director of Owner Education. Dr. Gray continues to provide health and nutrition information to horse owners through her position at SmartPak, through publication in more than a dozen general and trade publications, and through presentations around the country. She is the very proud owner of a Trakehner named Newman that she actively competes with in dressage and combined driving. In addition to memberships in the USDF and USEF, Dr. Gray is also a member of the Illinois Dressage and Combined Training Association (IDCTA). She is a USDF “L” Program Graduate and is currently working on her Bronze Medal. Find Dr. Gray on Google+
My 6 yr old Westphalian has had a sensitive gut since arriving from Germany 2 yrs ago. He had loose manure 7?or diarrhea when I forst got him but has been on probiotics, timothy hay and triplle Crown Senior and has been doing well. Allergy tests revealed he is allergic to rice bran and the triple crown has it way down on the ingredients list. 2 weeks ago he had a gas colic……first time which resolved with ony a dose of banamine. I had used Ivermectin dewormer 2 days before. He is on smartpak immune. There are so many digestive supplements. Recommendation for this horse?
Hi Joyce – I’m sorry to hear that your new horse experienced some digestive upset when he first came over but sounds like he is doing better now (except for the colic) and that you want to keep it that way. Unfortunately, in most cases we never figure out what caused a horse to colic and the best we can do is avoid proven risk factors like the ones spelled out in this article (hay and grain changes, increased stall time, sudden differences in exercise and activity, etc). It’s interesting that he colicked after deworming, which is not unheard of. I hope you’re also working closely with your veterinarian on a parasite control program that includes fecal egg counts to identify him as a low or high egg shedder and then deworm appropriately. As far as digestive supplements, many of our customers have had a lot of luck with SUCCEED (https://www.smartpakequine.com/ps/succeed-2755), which is available in both powder and paste form. – Dr. Lydia Gray
My 6 yr old Westphalian has had a sensitive gut since arriving from Germany 2 yrs ago. He had loose manure or diarrhea when I forst got him but has been on probiotics, timothy hay and triplle Crown Senior and has been doing well. Allergy tests revealed he is allergic to rice bran and the triple crown has it way down on the ingredients list. 2 weeks ago he had a gas colic……first time which resolved with ony a dose of banamine. I had used Ivermectin dewormer 2 days before. He is on smartpak immune. There are so many digestive supplements. Recommendation for this horse?