colic info

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wcr

Well-Known Member
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Location
Rogue River, Oregon
I have been going through a colic episode with one of my horses who has been hospitalized since Saturday and finally had surgery last night. The presentation has been different than straight forward colics I have dealt with. I did my treatments here and when it didn't respond took him in. He was eating and drinking in the face of colic and was treated at the vet and remained very stable despite extreme bloating from tubing. He has held his own and Sunday decided to do surgery and then he pooped as the surgeon was on the way. The plan was to pick him up yesterday and then he recoliced. Last night they did surgery and he had a rock hard fecal ball he never would have passed but they were able to inject saline into it and break it up enough to pass it into the large colon without having to cut into his intestine. The surgeon was from California and she said she has seen this many times in minis. This was the first time I had heard about minis prone to fecal balls. Heaven knows they colic much easier than the biggies and now maybe that is why they tend to colic more frequently.

Just thought I would pass this along.
 
Thank you,

this is one of the reasons I keep coming back to this forum. The wealth of shared information.

Here is one more idea to research and learn about.

I do not have a local equine vet, and I have learned for the most part that 'cow vets" are not tons of help.

I have found one vet that I can work with and all of these idea are HUGE when it comes to helping my horses on occasions.

Every time we learn about one more thing to consider and check for, we are happy.
 
I am in the same boat that you are in. I have a yearling filly who coliced Friday, just before I was leaving for a show.(I was leaving Saturday AM) I treated her here, but she was not getting any better, so up to the vets late Friday night, where she has been ever since. She has not been fed since her colic on Friday, but no amount of water, oil or saline solution would move what ever is inside her. She is stable and all her vital signs are good, but we are going to surgery this afternoon.
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She is impacted with something, but we do not know what. My guess is a hair ball with all of the hair that they are shedding out. Still too cold and wet here this year to clip the horses down.

It always seems to happen to your best ones and at the worst time!!
 
Hey Riverdance, post your findings on your horse. It would be interesting to see the different reasons they colic once you open them up. We have so many colics that we treat and resolve without vets and so many horses we put down rather than have the surgery. I have had the really ugly colic that we went to surgery with and the horse died within 4 hours of surgery and I swore I would not go that route again. They found 5 major problems: impaction, enterolith, torn omentum that entrapped the large colon. and torsion of the cecum. This was on a 9 month old colt.

My 2 surgeries are very different in nature and I had decided to put this last horse down rather than go to surgery but he fought so hard that I couldn't give up on him and am now very glad I did the surgery.
 
wcr THANKS for the post. Did the California vet have any ideas for preventative steps?
 
Kathi,

I will post and let you all know what it is. It always seems to happen at the worst time finacially as well as to ones best mares. This filly is a creamello Windchaser daughter and very nice, so I really hate to loose her.

Surgery is later today. Sure wish she would go ahead and poop before.
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There are certain areas of the country more prone to enteroliths. Inland California is one of them. We rarely see them on the coast of California.

For those of you that have Barbara Naviaux's book "Miniature Horses; Their Care, Breeding and Coat Colors", they are described and a photo appears on page 114.
 
I am soooooo glad to hear that Dreamz is doing better!!
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I was so worried about him last night. Not having to cut into the intestine should speed up his recovery too!
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It would be nice if the vet had some good preventitive ideas. Give that cute little begger a kiss from Aunty Sandy!
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I live in the Central Valley of California and my vet says that he gets a huge amount of sand colics with mini's in this area. As a preventative measure he recommended that I put Melody on Psylium(sp?) He said I could have her on it everyday or for 1 week out of the month. I just switched to one week out of the month so that her body doesn't get used to it. Glad your girl is doing better!
 
Kathi,

The vet called and surgery was extensive. Very dry fecal matter in the large and small colon and the large and small intestines. They had to open all of it up to clean her out. There is a 50/50 chance that she will make it, but she is on her feet and doing well right now. Eveything looks good at the moment.

He said that this kind of impaction is very common in Mini's. My first one that was so bad. Most, I have been able to get them through it within 24 hours.

Keep your fingers crossed for DeLa.
 
I'm sorry it was so extensive but she did get through the surgery so hoping for the best.

My vet said enteroliths are not a problem in the Rogue Valley area of Southern Oregon even though my 9 month old had one and he was born here and had never left the ranch.

As far as sand, when I vaccinated everyone they all got the psyllium treatment so medically everyone had gotten the full meal deal here.

I think it is interesting that your filly had the fecal ball also. Mine was in the small colon and wouldn't have passed without intervention. They described it as rock hard.

My colt is doing well and will be home Thursday after he has had 48 hours of antibiotics. Should be off the IV already as he is drinking and eating. He has a belly wrap and will come home with it as prevention.

Anyone else out there that has gone through the colic surgery and what has been the reason in your case?
 

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