Causes

• Certain parts of a horse's colon are not attached to its body wall and so can become twisted, trapping food and gas and cutting off the blood supply. The tissue of the colon starts to die, releasing toxins into the bloodstream.
  
  

Symptoms

• Horses suffering from lethal colic typically have a high heart rate, up to 100 beats per minute, a high temperature, up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit or more, and may have grayish-blue or bright red gums caused by decreased oxygen supply or toxins in the blood.
  
  

Treatment

• Lethal colic typically requires surgery to untwist the gut or remove any dead or damaged tissue and rejoin the healthy ends. Horses suffering from lethal colic are typically very ill and may not survive surgery.