Introduction to Equine Colic: From Clinical Signs to First-Line Treatment

In this episode of Equine Insights: Internal Medicine Uncovered, Lachlan Fraser and Emily Reynolds walk through an emergency-focused introduction to equine colic tailored for JCU BVSc students. Using real-world scenarios, they cover how to recognise and grade pain behaviours, structure a safe and efficient initial examination, and use key diagnostic tools such as nasogastric intubation, rectal palpation, abdominocentesis and point-of-care tests like PCV/TP and lactate. The episode finishes with a practical overview of first-line visceral analgesia options—NSAIDs, α2-agonists, opioids, lignocaine and antispasmodics—and how to combine pain control with patient and handler safety in the field.