Horses with colic are at higher risk for developing a life-threatening blood-clotting disorders called disseminated intravascular coagulation, or DIC. This disorder can cause excessive bleeding or excessive clotting.

Blood clotting is a complex process. When blood vessels are injured by trauma, they release special proteins to create blood clots to stop the bleeding. In addition, the vessels might activate proteins that can initiate the clotting process when bacteria or viruses circulate in the blood.

Colicky horses with severe gastrointestinal disorders, such as strangulations and inflammatory lesions (e.g., torsions, volvuli, anterior enteritis, colitis, peritonitis) and foals with septicemia are at higher risk for DIC, according to Luis Monreal, DVM, PhD, of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Spain.

“Excessive coagulation in horses with colic is initiated by toxins or shock,” said Nathaniel A. White II, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, who commented on Monreal’s paper about DIC