Bain stressed it’s important for horse owners to seek veterinary care for foals in pain, as a veterinarian will be able to select the ideal pain management option for each individual situation. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse

At the American Association of Equine Practitioners Focus on Colic Meeting, held July 24-26 in Indianapolis, Ind., Fairfield T. Bain, DVM, MBA, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVP, ACVECC, an internist at Equine Sports Medicine & Surgery in Weatherford, Texas, discussed several methods by which to medically manage colic in foals.

A veterinarian should first perform a physical examination of a colicky foal to determine the severity of the problem.

“Perhaps the most important issue in approaching the foal with colic is to determine the specific cause and whether the problem is or has the potential to require surgical treatment for correction,” Bain began, noting the advancements in imaging and endoscospy that have aided the ease of monitoring a colicky foal