.
First, identifying the risk factors causing colic must be addressed. The risk factors include, change in diet; change in activity; vaccinations; pregnancy; transport; or fever (Herbert, 1999). The combined factors include, feeding grain in connection with a horse having a vice, such as cribbing or weaving; grain with transport; and any sudden change in activity level or diet (Herbert, 1999). Third, the specific causes of colic should be listed. The causes include, but are not limited to, adult small strongyles; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Bute and Banamine; drugs causing intestinal dysfunction such as Amitraz, a drug used to kill ticks and mites; drugs affecting the intestinal nervous system like atropine or scopolamine; analgesics for treating colic such as xylazine, detomidine, and butophanol because they cause parts of the intestine to stop moving; lipomas (fat tumors) because they can strangle the small intestine; roundworms, bot larvae, and tapeworms; various tumors; toxic compounds; gastric ulcers or spontaneous ulcers; infectious disease such as Salmonellosis, Potomac Horse fever, and Clostridiosis because they cause colitis and enteritis causing the horse to show signs of colic; grain overload; reduced water intake especially when it is cold or frozen; ingestion of sand; poor dental hygiene; strangulation of the intestine; and diseases involving other organ systems (White, 1999). The causes for colic are so vast that all of them cannot be discussed. However, knowing at least the above information on the possible causes of colic provides a good background. .
Luckily, the symptoms of colic are not quite as numerous as the causes. A horse with colic "may paw at the ground, roll, sweat, look at the flank area, or kick at the abdomen" (Fuess, 1997). In addition, horses may be restless, move their weight from one leg to another, lie down and get up again, act depressed, get anxious, or stand still (Fuess, 1997).