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  Discussion on Colic - to roll or not to roll
Author Message
Member:
Frances

Posted on Sunday, Apr 25, 2004 - 6:01 am:

DrO and others: any new thoughts on whether a colicking horse that wants to roll should be allowed to?

The latest issue of a UK horse mag writes: "this has been debated for years and it is now thought that allowing your horse to roll could replace a displaced gut rather than cause a twisted gut."

It's a terrible decision to have to make in the heat of the moment.
Member:
Ajudson1

Posted on Sunday, Apr 25, 2004 - 8:22 am:

I wonder; do they mean roll, like in a gentle massaging itchy back roll, or a violent thrashing roll? The latter would be a definite NO NO. I was taught, as a child, they had to be kept walking at all costs. Now I believe if the horse is calm they can lay down and get up, whatever they are comfortable doing. They are trying to find their comfort zone. I think that a horse that has "a tummy ache" vs a horse that has a severe impaction makes a world of difference in what we allow the horse to do. The horse with the impaction will probably die without surgery if it's severe, but will a lesser colic become severe with rolling seems to be the question here.

Can't wait to see the feedback on this. Great discussion topic Lynn.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Apr 25, 2004 - 9:44 am:

Unfortunately Lynn we do not know. We have felt for years now that rolling is not a common primary cause of a twisted bowel and the idea that rolling might replace a displaced bowel is not without merit. We do know we can roll a twisted pregnant uterus back into place and we know that some nephrospenic ligament entrapments of the left colon can be rolled to be corrected.

Experience with the above situations makes me think, it probably will have to be a precise roll and possible some fixation of the twisted component while rolling the horse to place the twisted component into a more normal position.

Assuming an undiagnosed colic I continue to let the horse do what he wants up to rolling, then get them up and walk them. If I know that there is a twisted bowel and surgery not an option I have put them under general anesthesia and attempted to roll them but with the exception of a torsed uterus and a few n-s ligament entrapments I have not had any luck.
DrO
Member:
Frances

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 27, 2004 - 9:39 am:

Thank you DrO.

Angie - I suppose they mean any rolling that the horse feels it needs, which would often be violent and thrashing. Goes against everything I've been told, too, but how awful if we've been preventing horses from saving themselves.

Still, unless the whole veterinary world announces that rolling's the way to go, I don't think I would dare risk it.
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