Beer to help colic

Just like it says...

Today I was told that if you give a horse a can of beer when they are colicing it will help the colic. I don't know how true that is and I just want to get some opinions on it.

Anyone?

Oh...NO!! That is working on the premise that the horse will burp, perhaps. Unfortunately they are unable to dispel that gas in quite that way.

There was a HUGE amount of press about an Aussie guy who "saved his dying horse with beer". I have many Aussie friends and they probably all think that beer can cure everything from cancer to baldness (Hey, I'm kidding...in case you don't know me).

Seriously, there are so many causes for colic from gas to obstruction to stress to diet. To say any one thing is going to cure it is scary.

While I won't totally discount it helping a few forms of colic, I will wait until the studies are made.

Yeah... I looked at that like "what?!" than how come I didn't give it to him last night when I was sitting there for 2 hours but I honestly don't know why in gods name it would help at all... Figured I'd ask

Lol....

I can't think of what to say to this except that it seems like a horrible idea to me.

Beer can make some people gassy... if it were to do that to a horse, you would be making things worse by giving it gas colic. I can see NO way how beer could help a horse...even one without colic.

It seems like a dangerous idea to me....

I've used it, and it's worked for me. Flat beer is better. I used it the first time on the advice of my vet until she could get there.
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Seriously???

How does it work? I mean, what can/does it do?

Just curious, as I would NEVER EVER do something so ...odd......without MY vet's full knowledge and approval and certainly not on the say so of an anonymous person.

Just wondering how it helps....you say

To be honest, no idea. I took my vet at her word and used it - it worked. Perhaps the alcohol helps them relax their gut allowing whatever is causing the colic to resolve itself? Why does drinking flat lemonade help when a person has an upset tummy? That's a similar remedy I've been told by a doctor, and again used on myself with success.

I am in no way saying anyone should try it if they don't want to - just saying I've used it with success. It's quite common here and is usually the first thing tried if there is no vet on hand. My old boy got a bit colicky at a competition this past weekend, he got a stubby of beer and is fine. It won't *hurt* so if it might help, I don't see why not.
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If it is just a mild discomfort colic, maybe it helps them relax? Seriously! I have heard of mild cases where the horse is given one dose of a mild sedative and then they are fine.
My horse had a mild case once, I gave a dose of oil and what we call the towel treatment: Roll up a towel length wise, have someone stand on either side of horse, have towel under horse (like a girth) between them, apply firm upward pressure starting at girth area and slowly moving back to abdomen. Soon enough, the horse was passing gas and feeling better.
Now, it was a mild enough case he prob would have been fine on his own, but I like to think it gave him some relief. Just like if you have mild cramps, sometimes just pressing on your abdomen gives you a bit of relief. Who knows?

Hmmm....wild spot, how do you know your horse isn't just PRETENDING to have colic to get the beer??? Maybe you have an alcholic on your hands!!!!!!

Lol! Well his name was Vodka :p
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