b'Arizona Ask the VetREAL COUNTRY EQUINE EMERGENCIESthe magazine Colic And Acuteit becomes saturated, just add more layers. Removing Diarrhea/Colitis the dressing may remove any clot that has developed Mike Barna The C word can strike fear intoallowing more bleeding. Have a second person call for even the most experienced horse owner.help while you are applying the bandage. If you are alone, Publisher Certainly, colic signs should always be taken seriously,control the bleeding first, and then call for assistance. ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com but more often than not, colic can be resolved withRememberhorses can lose approximately 10% of their minimal intervention. blood volume before showing signs of shock. Since an average 1100-lb horse has approximately 11.4 gallons of Erika Smith Royal Colic is a generic term used to describe abdominalblood, then he can lose approximately 1.4 gallons before Editor discomfort. It can be caused by a number of differentthere is a serious concern. erika963realcountry@gmail.com things including mild spasms of the intestines, gasIs the wound near a joint or tendon sheath? If it is call distension of the large colon, an impaction, or a largeyour vet immediately. A wound that enters a joint or colon displacement or twist that requires surgical Misty Voitovski correction. Every horse exhibits different signs, but thetendon sheath can result in a life-threatening infection. most common signs include not eating, looking at thePrompt, aggressive treatment is necessary. When you call Creative Director belly, pawing, curling the upper lip, laying down, rolling,you should be able to accurately describe the location, restless behavior, getting up and down and decreasedsize, and depth of the wound. Usually, you will be Contributing Writers manure production. instructed to clean the wound as best as possible and apply a clean bandage until the veterinarian can arrive. Lee AndersonBob Boze Bell If you think your horse is colicking the first thing to doOften, it is necessary to sedate the horse to adequately is to remove all feed. Also, if possible, take your horsesassess the extent of a wound. Small wounds on the body Bridgette CrosbyPete Florestemperature and heart rate. Make note of all of theseand head generally heal very well on their own, but Justin LeglerBetsy Lemairethings for your vet.it is always a good idea to discuss specifics with your veterinarian. If there is not serious bleeding and your Naomi LoomisRichard Miazga Diarrhea can vary from soft, semi-formed manure tohorse is not in distress there usually will be no harm if Randy MillerJim & Bobbi Jeen Olsonliquid feces and can be caused by a number of differentthe wound is not sutured for several hours.things ranging from a change in diet to a potentiallySudden Onset, Severe LamenessBill RobertsAlan Rockman life-threatening infection. Check to see if there is a feverAny rapid onset, severe lameness such as non-weight and if he is off-feed or overtly uncomfortable. Be sure to John SamsillRollie Stevens note if there have been any recent feed changes, travel, orbearing lameness, toe-touching, or an overtly lame Jolene WesterlingMichele Wilson exposure to other horses. If your horse is bright, eating,walk should be taken seriously. It could be caused by and drinking normally, does not have a fever and thea benign hoof abscess, a fracture, or many things in diarrhea is not continuous, then you should continue tobetween. Hoof abscesses or sole bruising are the most monitor him closely for the next 12-24 hours. Isolationcommon cause of sudden onset lameness in one limb. 801 W. Wickenburg Way from other horses is always a good idea in case there isExamine your horse for any wounds, heat, or swelling in the affected limb. Check the foot especially well for a an infectious cause. If diarrhea does not resolve or if any Wickenburg, AZ 85390 of the above-mentioned signs develop, call your vet forpenetrating wound, a foreign body like a nail in the foot, or for any problems with a shoe. Dont remove a foreign (602) 254-6644 further advice. body from your horses foot. It is extremely helpful for Lacerations and Puncture Wounds the vet to be able to see it in place and possibly even take ArizonaRealCountry.com If you find a wound or laceration the first things to askan x-ray to determine exactly what structures of the foot yourself are is the horse in immediate distress, non- may be involved. If your horse has been shod in the past weight bearing lame, literally will not use the limb tofew days, it may be a close or hot nail that needs to move or seems to be in shock? If the horse is in distress,be removed. If the horse is willing to walk, get him to get it to a safe place and call the vet for further advice. a safe place. If the horse is resistant or appears to be in distress do not force him to move. Check your horses Is there active bleeding? Like a large, actively pumpingtemperature. The presence of fever with acute onset lameness is a more significant concern and medications vessel or bleeding that looks like you just turned on the Follow Arizona Realfaucet. If there is active bleeding, apply a clean pressurelike bute or Banamine can mask a fever. Your veterinarian will decide the best course of action with the help of your Country for news, events,bandage or simply hold a clean towel or dressing over theaccurate description of the situation.wound and apply pressure with your own hands to stop giveaways and more! bleeding. If you do not have a clean pressure bandageEsophageal Obstruction use anything available. Do not remove the dressing ifIf the esophagus is blocked by a wad of inadequately chewed feed material you will most often see your horse Arizona Real Country is owned andcoughing, stretching out his head and neck, acting very published by Barna Broadcastinganxious, and sometimes looking like he is trying to vomit. Actually, in reality, horses are unable to vomit! LLC. No person, organization or partyThe classic sign of choke is to find your horse with saliva can copy or reproduce the contentand or food material coming out of one or both nostrils. on our website and/or magazine orHorses probably choke more often than we actually any part of this publication withoutobserve them to and probably resolve many of these a written consent from the editorssituations on their own without our knowledge. Your vet may instruct you to flush your horses mouth with large panel and the author of the content, asvolumes of water either by a large dose syringe or by applicable. The publisher, authors andusing the hose. This will make the horse cough and gag contributors reserve their rights withmore, but that is okay. The goal is to relieve the choke as regards to copyright of their work. soon as possible. Most often as soon as the obstruction is relieved the horse will want to continue eating.continued on page 6ArizonaRealCountry.com November 2023 5'