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Natural Remedies for Horse Colic
Learn what the signs of horse colic are and natural remedies for horse colic.
What are the signs of horse colic?
There are a number of possible signs of colic. The mild signs are your horse may not want to eat, may paw at the ground, look at their side, bite or kick at their stomach,
stand awkward, or have diarrhea or dry/hard/very little feces. More serious signs are lying down and rolling, not wanting to get up, vocalizing from pain, swelling in their abdomen, sweating, and
shallow breathing. If you think your horse is colicking, contact your vet immediately and do not
wait as many horses have died from colic. If your horse wants to lay down, try to get it up and walk it unless it is too weak. Meanwhile,
you can try some natural remedies for horse colic. If the intestine has twisted (called torsion) or the small intestine has
telescoped (called intussuception), your horse will need surgery. While most colic is from impaction, constipation, or spastic
and will not need surgery, you should treat it as life threatening.
What are some natural remedies for horse colic?
Aromatherapy: Basil, chamomile, fennel, geranium, juniper, marjoram, and orange can possibly help. See which one is right for your horse
by noticing their reaction when you present it to them or by muscle testing. You can mix 2-4 oils together in a 2.5% dilution
with coconut or aloe oil and then massage on their stomach.
Click here
to learn more about animal aromatherapy and sources.
Bach Flower Remedies: Rescue remedy, sweet chestnut, and water violet are remedies for horse colic that help your horse on an emotional level. You can offer the essences
to your horse by putting on their lips or rubbing on them.
Click here
to learn more about flower essences for animals.
Homeopathic Remedies:
Dr. Gloria Dodd has a
homeopathic remedy for colic
and
a digestive aid formula.
Animal Wellness Consultants has a
horse and colic kit.
Karen Cohen
has a horse homeopathy emergency kit.
Click here
to learn more about homeopathy for horses.
Herbs: Certain herbs can be beneficial for preventing and treating horse colic.
For herbs to aid in digestion,
click here.
Awesome Horse has a
natural, organic colic remedy
that can be given at the first sign of colic or on a bi-monthly or monthly basis as a preventative.
Herbsmith, Inc. has a
chinese herbal forumla
that can help prevent spasmodic colic.
Impaction Aide
is a liquid herbal product and Impaction Preventor is a powder herbal that can be given when impacted or as preventative.
Natural Supplements:
Probiotics
and
blue green algae
can be very beneficial to your horse's digestive system.
For remedies for horse colic to prevent sand colic, click here.
TractGard
is a supplement that can prevent colic.
What are some natural therapy remedies for horse colic?
Reiki
(energy work) can be offered to your horse by placing your hands on or near their stomach. If your horse moves away at any time,
offer reiki from a distance as they are sensitive to the energy and the discomfort from the colic can make them more so. See reiki for
horses link for more information.
Acupressure can be offered for colic relief. Dr. Dodd has a
chart that shows the 3 acupressure points.
If your horse has colicked several times, you need to look at the overall care you are giving your horse - nutrition, exercise, deworming
and vaccination program (deworming and vaccinations can cause colic in some horses), and any possible stress. You need to see if you are possibly doing something unintentionally with your horse that is contributing to the colic.
You may even find that you are doing something with your own life that is contributing to your horse's situation as animals are very sensitive
to what goes on in our own lives, sometimes even mirroring our health problems or taking on a health issue just to bring something to our
attention.
To get more information on holistic horse care,
subscribe to the free monthly e-zine,
Holistic Animal Care - The Whole Approach, that focuses on horses, dogs, and cats.
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