Re: [RC] colic clarification - Helen and Larry McMaster
Ramy,
Thanks for this info. I had first heard that
horses could twist a gut by rolling, after a long ride, when I first started
long distance - about 25 years ago. I always wondered if I was taking a
risk when my horses rolled in the dirt just to scratch - usually just after
I got them really clean.
Helen McMaster
Ont. Canada
BUT, in fact, a twisted gut
is not caused by violent rolling, actually it is the other way around.
The horse is thrashing and rolling because he has a twisted gut. Horses
will roll in response to the abdominal pain. They will also stretch out
and attempt to urinate. They will also try to "outrun" the pain.
Anything to try to escape the discomfort. Horses roll all the time with
no problem. Twisted guts occur because, for one thing, their guts are
just not designed to stay where they should be. All of the intestines
are suspended by connective tissue from an area in the middle of the back,
allowing them to "swing" and move freely within the abdomen. Twists can
happen simply as a freak of nature. The intestine twists around on
itself, cutting off its own blood supply, much like the balloon animals a
clown makes by twisting a long thin balloon. When you have abnormal
motility, such as happens with heat stress and dehydration, when circulation
to the gut is decreased and irregular, a twist becomes more
likely.
