How to explain seriousness of colic to non-horse folks?

[TheJenners]

I had an emergency vet call the other night for a colic (recovering, we got poop today!) that resulted in about 4.5 hours of sleep and me yawning my bleary way through work the next day. Then last night I get a call with an offer for OT today, and turned it down because, as I said, as I was still waiting on poop (meaning no poop this morning = another vet call out). I’m senior enough to get the OT offer early on and be able to take it or pass it, so there was no heartburn. Honestly I would have taken it because it was a regular work day for me that I had scheduled off, and getting OT on a regular work day is a pretty sweet gig.

None of my work peeps are horse people, so when I try to explain why colic can be serious (but usually isn’t), why I’m worried, why I had to run home real quick to feed a small meal… I’m left at a loss. Does anyone have simple words I can use? Because I’m like “well they can’t throw up and it can be something as simple as gas or it could be impaction, and they can have surgery but he isn’t a candidate, and … well, it can be lethal but mostly isn’t, but each one has to be treated like it is, usually…”

[Bluey]

You could say colic in a horse is similar to chest pains, it may be indigestion or a heat attack that kills.

You have to scramble to see what you have there.
Colic may take several days to resolve, to be sure it was not something lethal after all.

[S1969]

100 feet of digestive tract that needs to be kept moving; that’s how grazing animals are designed. Lots of possible problems along the way, including impaction and torsion. Best not to take chances.

[Bluey]

@S1969

100 feet of digestive tract that needs to be kept moving; that’s how grazing animals are designed. Lots of possible problems along the way, including impaction and torsion. Best not to take chances.

That is good.

Like a 100’ of big firehose, that if it gets a kink in it can blow up on you.:eek:

[fanfayre]

Compare to a gall bladder/appendix attack in humans?.. Ranging from discomfort to downright life-endangering

YAY for poop!!!

[JustTheTicket]

I would explain it like they could have an intestinal blockage and that can kill them. Humans can have the same issue so they can kind of relate to it and see how serious it is. Or explain that a gas colic can rupture or twist their intestines because horses can’t throw up. I have a tendency to explain any horse related topic to non-horse people like they’re small children and it seems to work.

[OnDeck]

I believed I’ve used the word “unpredictable” and the phrase “poorly designed”.

“He has a stomach ache. Right now it’s not a big deal, but horses’ digestive tracts are poorly designed… it could become fatal very quickly.”

(Yes, yes, I know horses are grazing animals and we feed them grain it’s maybe not a poor design… but it does get the idea across)

[TCA_Arabians]

I’d just say because it can kill them and you have to watch it closely. It’s like a small child with a fever. You watch it and head for the ER if it gets worse. Course, if you try to explain tubing - they might throw up.

[danacat]

For non-horse people I just say colic is a ‘twisted gut’. They get it.

[SuzieQNutter]

I would just say my horse was dying. We were tring to save him and so far it looks like we have.

I have said that the bigger the animal the more emotional it is to see die. So if they have had a dog or cat die tell them it is worse than that. They don’t lie down and die like a cat or dog. They thrash about and show pain.

[gottagrey]

let them know colic can be something that can go bad and downhill very fast and potentially life threatening.

[TheJenners]

@SuzieQNutter

I would just say my horse was dying. We were tring to save him and so far it looks like we have.

I have said that the bigger the animal the more emotional it is to see die. So if they have had a dog or cat die tell them it is worse than that. They don’t lie down and die like a cat or dog. They thrash about and show pain.

Well this is perfectly perfect!

[Wanderosa]

@OnDeck

I believed I’ve used the word “unpredictable” and the phrase “poorly designed”.

“He has a stomach ache. Right now it’s not a big deal, but horses’ digestive tracts are poorly designed… it could become fatal very quickly.”

(Yes, yes, I know horses are grazing animals and we feed them grain it’s maybe not a poor design… but it does get the idea across)

This. And I make it point to explain that, unlike other grazing animals, horses are not ruminants. Therefore, sh-t goes south quickly when there is no sh-t! Prior to our move last year we were in a rural area where lots of folks had raised cattle for generations but had never had horses “explained” to them in that way. I could see the wheels turning for a split second and then the light bulb go of when they put 2 and 2 together.

[shiloh]

No sht = Oh sht

@TheJenners - how is your horse doing today?

[lifeishorsesarelove]

I usually say something like:

Well horses can’t burp or throw up, so any kind of tummy upset has to go all the way through their system… and sometimes it can be really hard or even life threatening to get things all the way through.

Its not the most accurate way to describe things, because its not like colic is because they swallowed something sharp. But it makes people think of a time where they REALLY NEEDED to burp/puke and they can relate to the pain/discomfort and seem to “get” it.

I hope your equine is feeling better!

[GoodTimes]

I usually exaggerate a little.
I tell them that horses can’t throw up and they’ve got 100’ of intestine that can twist and rupture which is usually fatal and surgery can cost thousands of dollars.

When the horse pulls through than the vets and modern medicine get the credit.

[Aly]

Non horsey people are often dog people, so I’ve explained it in those terms. For example, “It’s the same as bloat in deep chested dog breeds, except on a much bigger scale. You have 100’ of tubing (intestines) just hanging in space and only attached at the ends. If stuff doesn’t go through smoothly, you can have really bad gas, a blockage or the tubing can flip and twist. You can’t tell from the outside what’s going on and they can’t tell you, so the animal can die very quickly and in excruciating pain. That’s what makes it an emergency.”

[S1969]

I think the real question is do they actually want to understand, or do you just want to make them understand that it was an emergency? If the latter, I’d go with something like “possible intestinal torsion” so you sometimes just have to observe and wait to see that all is working (by passing manure) but be ready for an emergency surgery/decision.

If they really care, I’d show a picture of the horse’s digestive tract and explain in more detail. But I can understand why they really might not care.

[Sparrowette]

at first, I tried to explain it to my dentist using the explaination method. Got a blank stare.

Then said: “Colic is what gets your vet out of bed in the midle of the night!”. Jaw dropped in understanding.

[DarkBayUnicorn]

I have successfully used “Potentially life-threatening internal issue requiring constant monitoring and nursing”. Explaining that horses cannot throw up is also helpful.

Oh, and if you use the word ‘colic’ when speaking with parents of infants, don’t be surprised if they either scoff, because their baby “has colic all the time and is fine” or starts freaking the eff out because they now think their baby’s colic is life threatening.