The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
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22 TheHorse.com THE HORSE September 2016 and put his head on my lap, and he fell asleep." Thankfully, the next morning the geld- ing had made a miraculous turn for the better. And today, Ouragan is back to win- ning show jumping medals under Boillin in the Burgundy region of France. Every colic case is different—and cer- tainly not all stories can have such happy endings—but veterinarians agree that the care we give our horses after a colic episode, surgical or not, can play a major role in their recovery. By preventing relapses, encouraging healthy gut motility, protecting incision sites in postop horses, and seeing to hors- es' welfare during their convalescence, we can help patients get back to all the things they were doing before colic—and more. Best-Case Scenario: No Surgery Perhaps you've made it through this colic experience without sending your horse to surgery. Lucky you! Chances are he is in for a full recovery within a few days—maybe even a few hours. A horse whose colic resolves without surgery can go back to his normal routine within 12 to 24 hours of the episode, says Louise Southwood, BVSc, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, ACVECC, associate professor of emergency medicine and critical care at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's New Bolton Center, in Kennett Square. In fact, the sooner the better. "The more time horses spend in the stall, the more gastrointestinal problems they'll have," she says. "Getting them out and getting exercise is good for them. Just treat them like any other horse that's had a short time off work, and gradually increase their workload over a couple of days." When There's an Incision Site Let's say surgery was necessary, but your horse is on the other side of it. The good news is he's among the approximate- ly 80% that get to go home afterward. The bad news? He's got a major incision in his abdominal wall. Colic surgery incisions range from 20 to 40 cm in length (8 to 16 inches), depending on the kind of surgery performed. Several layers of tissue—skin, subcutaneous fatty tissue, peritoneal lin- ing (the membrane lining the abdominal cavity), and especially the body wall— need to heal. That body wall, composed of muscles, ligaments, and other fibrous tis- sues, is what essentially "holds everything in," says Southwood. And getting that wall to heal well enough to withstand the forces of ridden exercise can take up to 12 weeks. That's if all goes well. Surgeons and medical staff perform the necessary wound treatment in the week or so before your horse comes home. Then, your job is to make sure he doesn't burst that incision open with excessive movement. That means four weeks of strict stall rest (with some hand-walking and -grazing), followed by another four weeks of small turnout time, alone. "We don't want them running and play- ing and bucking with other horses, but we do want them to be able to have just a little more exercise at this point," South- wood says. After eight weeks they can be in a pasture with other horses. If the incisional scar is small and looks good, they can start some very light, unridden exercise after Week 10, she adds. Caring for the COLIC SURVIVOR If your horse went under the knife, he'll need wound care and stall rest to prevent hernias like the one seen here, followed by weeks of restricted turnout, before he can begin exercising again. PAM MACKENZIE Abdominal Pressure Bandage www.cmequineproducts.com Copyright 2006 CM Equine Products all rights reserved You do not have to settle for elastic materials that lose shape and cannot give firm even pressure 888-431-7771 or 951-278-1042 Durable One person can install Washable Even pressure promotes faster healing Aids in the prevention of hernias Reduction of post surgical hernias Excellent for high risk pregnancies Patented System & Method of Treatment Available in an Umbilical Hernia Repair Style Dryable Saves Time TM Heal Belt