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If your horse looks bloated or is passing more gas than usual, call your equine veterinarian promptly if the change is new, persistent, worsening, or accompanied by discomfort or other changes. Bloating and gas can occur with colic, which means abdominal pain; gas alone cannot tell you what is causing it or how serious it is.
What to do now
- Call your equine veterinarian. Describe the bloating or change in gas, when it started, and any other signs. Do not wait for severe rolling if your horse is already showing possible signs of colic.
- Share what has changed. Tell the vet whether your horse is eating and passing manure, whether its behavior has changed, and whether there have been recent feed, pasture, or routine changes. Mention any previous colic episodes.
- Report changes promptly. Say if discomfort is marked, signs are getting worse, or signs improve and then return. Those details can affect how urgently the horse needs to be assessed.
- Observe without trying to diagnose. If you happen to have a stethoscope, listening to gut sounds or noting a pulse may provide observations to report, but neither can rule out serious disease. Buying equipment is not a prerequisite for calling the veterinarian.
Signs that may accompany colic
Look for and report changes such as:
- A visibly distended abdomen
- Reduced manure or loss of appetite
- Depression or unusual behavior
- Pawing, looking at the flank, stretching, or kicking at the abdomen
- Repeatedly lying down and getting up, rolling, or sweating
- An elevated heart rate
Signs can be subtle and vary between horses and causes. The American College of Veterinary Surgeons gives a normal resting heart-rate range of 28–44 beats per minute in its colic guidance. This is a reference range, not a stand-alone triage test: pain, stress, and other factors affect the reading, so ask your veterinarian to interpret it.
Why gas or a bloated appearance can be serious
Colic describes abdominal pain rather than one particular disease. Gas may stretch the intestine and cause pain, but obstruction and other digestive problems can also cause abdominal distention. Similar outward signs can accompany conditions of very different severity, so gas frequency or appearance alone cannot identify the cause.
Possible contributors to increased gas or colic include feed changes, lush pasture, dehydration, stress, parasites, and obstruction. These are possibilities, not an owner-level diagnosis. Merck notes that excessive gas or intestinal obstruction can cause stomach dilatation; dilatation associated with overeating fermentable feed may progress rapidly to rupture if untreated. That is a serious possibility, not a reason to assume ordinary flatulence is likely to lead to rupture.
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What the veterinarian may ask and assess
Be ready to describe when the signs began, what and when your horse last ate, when it last passed manure, any recent changes in feed or routine, and any previous episodes. The veterinarian may check vital signs and assess the abdomen. Depending on the case, further evaluation can include a rectal examination, ultrasound, blood work, or passing a stomach tube.
After examining the horse, the veterinarian will decide whether care at the yard is appropriate or referral is needed. That decision depends on the findings and severity; it cannot be made reliably from gas or bloating alone.
Rank #2
- COMPLETE SUPPORT - Supports a healthy digestive system with prebiotics, probiotics, and enzymes.
- STOP THE LEAK - Horses that have issues with loose stool can benefit from the included probiotics.
- SCIENTIFICALLY FORMULATED - Prebiotics encourage micro-flora growth; Microencapsulated probiotics help with digestion; Digestive enzymes help break down roughage.
- PELLETED - Ingredients are contained in pellets that are more easily consumed than powders.
- AMERICAN COMPANY: An American company milling in-house in our own Colorado facility since 1946.
Reducing colic risk over time
General feeding and management practices may help reduce risk, but they do not treat a current episode. Penn Vet recommends:
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- Providing adequate water and making forage the main part of the diet
- Avoiding abrupt feed or hay changes and introducing changes gradually
- Maintaining a consistent routine
- Avoiding large amounts of grain and sudden access to pasture
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