How Should Horses Be Fed After Colic Surgery?

Colic is one of the most frequent equine ailments, affecting an average of four out of every 100 horses each year. Many horses recover from mild colic cases without treatment, but surgical treatment is indicated in about three of every 200 cases. If a horse shows signs of colic, a veterinarian should be called to do an examination because what seems like a mild case can quickly turn into a severe episode that may require surgery at an equine clinic.

There are various causes of severe colic, with impaction and strangulation being two of the more common factors. If surgery is performed, the recovering horse is usually hospitalized for several days. Stall-kept horses recovering from colic surgery may not need as much energy as healthy pastured horses at maintenance because they are not expending the energy normally used for digestion, estimated at 15 to 20% of daily energy use. However, this may be partially balanced by the demand for energy used in recovery and rebuilding tissue after surgery.

Regardless of the absolute level of energy required, horses that are not ingesting at least half of their maintenance requirement for two to three days should have nutritional support. In cases where oral ingestion is not taking place, horse must be provided with nutrients in another way. Intravenous nutrition has been helpful in reducing convalescence time and cost for horses that are in shock and unable to eat normally after surgery. Horses have occasionally been kept on this management for several weeks, though intravenous nutrition for a few days is more common.

Feeding after colic surgery varies by the horse’s condition and feed management history. Water can usually be offered unless there is evidence of shock or intestinal immobility.

In general, overloading with carbohydrates (grain, sweet feed, bran) should be avoided because of the risk of excess fermentation, gas production, abrupt changes in intestinal flora, and possible diarrhea or laminitis.

In most cases, feeding should begin with a forage diet of grass or hay beginning around 6 to 12 hours after surgery. Alfalfa (lucerne) is a good hay choice because it is palatable and offers energy, protein, and a slight laxative effect. Starting with a pound of alfalfa hay every three hours is advised, and free-choice hay can be provided 24 hours later if no problems are encountered. Alfalfa pellets and total diet feeds are other options.

If the horse continues to do well, grain can be slowly returned to the diet. Horses respond as individuals, and no methods have been established to predict a particular horse’s tolerance to feeding after colic surgery.

No feed management system can be guaranteed to prevent all cases of simple or severe colic.  However, owners can help to avoid some colic bouts by using dietary supplements designed to support total digestive tract health. EquiShure, an equine digestive aid developed by Kentucky Equine Research, may lower the risk of recurrent mild colic related to hindgut acidosis. It is particularly helpful for horses on high-grain diets because it stabilizes hindgut pH and encourages proper digestion of nutrients.