Colic and treatments for it

[Dakoiah@aol.com]

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!   Got a question for you more medically savvy 
people......

Last night my neighbor called me asking if I had any Lasix (I work for a vet 
and tend to have an interesting assortment of drugs, depending on my critters 
needs.  Lasix was not one of them.)  I told him no, but what did he need it 
for.  He said his horse was colicing.  I then asked him if he needed any 
Banamine, he said, No, I don't use that....I use lasix.   So, never having 
heard of lasix as a colic treatment, I asked him why.  He said for the 
kidneys, it makes them pee.

Ok, ya'll.  I'm confused.  If my horse is colicing, the last thing I want to 
give them is a diuretic, am I correct?  Wouldn't that pull water out of their 
intestine/stomach and make it more likely to cause or worsen an impaction 
colic?  I don't know why the horse was colicing (here in Fl, either sand or 
gas usually), but I can't see how Lasix would have any good effects for a 
colicking horse.  Any of you vets out there, I'd love to hear your opinion.  
Thank God and Knock On Wood, Alpine has never colicked, and because of that, 
if he ever does the first thing I'm doing is calling my vet, but I still like 
to know what treatments are there for colic, and how Lasix fits into that.  
I'd appreciate your comments.....

Juli and Alpine-it's 35 degrees and we are going riding on this fine 
thanksgiving day!!!!