06/09/2026
“Hi, my horse is colicking… I think he just needs a drench.”
As equine vets, we hear this all the time. And while passing a stomach tube and administering fluids (“drenching”) is a common procedure performed in colic cases, the reality is that not every colic should automatically receive fluids down the tube.
One of the most important reasons we pass a nasogastric tube in a colicking horse is actually diagnostic. We want to know whether fluid is building up in the stomach. Horses cannot vomit, so when there is small intestinal obstruction, severe small intestinal inflammation, or impaired intestinal motility, fluid can rapidly accumulate within the stomach and upper intestines.
This is called gastric reflux.
In these cases, the stomach can become dangerously distended. Passing a tube allows us to decompress the stomach and remove this fluid and gas, helping relieve pain and, most importantly, helping prevent gastric rupture - a catastrophic and usually fatal complication. 
If a horse has significant reflux and additional fluids are administered into the stomach, those fluids often cannot move forward through the gastrointestinal tract normally. Instead, they simply add further volume and pressure to an already distended stomach and small intestine.
This can dramatically increase the risk of gastric rupture.
That’s why, before administering large volumes of enteral fluids, we first check carefully for reflux. Horses with high heart rates, significant pain, small intestinal distension on re**al examination, or ultrasound evidence of gastric enlargement are cases where we are particularly cautious. 
This is also why I commonly perform in-field diagnostics such as abdominal ultrasound using my wireless mobile scanner. This allows me to assess the position and size of the stomach to ensure it is not distended, and evaluate the small intestine for distended loops or abnormal motility patterns. These findings are extremely important and help guide clinical decision making in colic cases.
It is also why owners should never try to force fluids into a horse’s mouth when they are colicky. If the stomach is already distended or the horse has impaired gastrointestinal outflow, administering oral fluids without assessment can potentially make the situation significantly worse.
On the other hand, many horses with simple impactions or mild large colon disease may absolutely benefit from enteral fluids administered via stomach tube. In these horses, the fluid helps soften intestinal contents, improve hydration within the gut and increase motility.
The important point is this: “drenching” is not a one-size-fits-all treatment for colic. The decision to administer fluids via stomach tube should be based on the horse’s examination findings and what type of colic we suspect is occurring.
If your horse is showing signs of colic, they need a veterinary examination to determine the best course of action.
📞 For equine veterinary emergencies 24/7, please call 0427 072 095.
