COLIC is one of the most common emergency conditions affecting horses, and remains a leading cause of premature death. Fortunately, most horses with colic recover with “symptomatic” vet treatment (such as painkillers and fluids).
However, in a minority of cases it can be an indication of serious and potentially life-threatening diseases, which will require much more intensive and extensive treatments including, in some cases, surgery.
Colic is not a diagnosis, but rather a clinical sign of abdominal pain, which can be caused by numerous different diseases. Unfortunately, the clinical signs of the different diseases causing abdominal