horse rolls violently and fearlessly. In wind (flatulent) colic there is
bloating of the right flank and the horse lies down, rolls without
violence, breathes with difficulty, paws, looks around at his sides and
finds no relief. In bloat of the stomach, gas and fluid gush back and
forth from the stomach to the throat; flanks may not show bloat; pain is
steady but not violent; horse sweats; nostrils flap; pulse is fast and
weak; countenance is haggard and anxious. In enteritis (inflammation of
the bowels) pain is constant and severe; the horse makes frequent
attempts to lie down but is afraid to do so; pulse and temperature run
high; membranes of eyelids, nostrils, and mouth are red; bowels and
bladder do not act; horse may walk persistently in a circle. In
impaction of the bowels, pains are comparatively mild or fugitive; horse
is restless, paws often, strains and passes no manure, or only a few
balls covered with slime and streaks of white mucus. In gut-tie, hernia,
and other absolute stoppage of the bowels, symptoms of enteritis are
common and the horse may, when down, strain and then sit on his
haunches. The latter condition, and enteritis, usually prove fatal. Wind
colic may need prompt use of the trocar and cannula to puncture high up
in the right flank for liberation of gas. In impaction, raw linseed oil
should be freely given in repeated doses of one pint, and rectal
injections of soapy warm water and glycerine will help. No irritants
should be inserted in the vagina or sheath in any form of colic.
Stoppage of urine is a result of pain, not the cause of colic. The urine
will come when the pain subsides. A good all-around colic remedy will be
found in Pratts Veterinary Colic Remedy. It is compounded from the
prescription of a qualified veterinarian and has a record of curing 998
cases out of 1,000 treated.


~Constipation~