Colic & Now Swelling..

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Boss Mare

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Monday morning I went out to give AM carrots and my Quarterhorse was down rolling, sweating and thrashing.. breathing hard and pale gums.. actually they were almost blue.. I got him up and walked him to a small enclosure with his stall attatched (he was turned out for the night)..

I couldn't walk him but a few steps before he was down again.. this was severe.. I have dealt with a lot of colics.. even as far as emergency colic surgery and travelled all the way to VA Tech before.. but this was the worse as far as the way he was acting.. I thought / knew I was lossing him!

I gave him Banamine and a dose of Pro CMC (Pepto. for horses).. He acted as if he wanted to eat but wouldn't/couldn't.. (he only had grass hay avail.) He pooped a couple times and it was normal..

Unfortunately, My Mom (who has severe medical problems) needed me to pick her up from work - emergency - needed to go to the DR ASAP.. so I let him be and while on the way to pick up Mom.. I phoned the vet.. there is no large animal vet in the office, but left a message and paged the vets that were on call..

Soo.. in the approx. half hour, maybe 40 minutes later.. once I arrived home (I left people in charge of watching him while I was gone).. I come home and he is up, prancing, trotting and eating his hay and taking carrots like his 'always-hungry-self"..

The vet came out and he tubed him anyway to be safe.. at this time he is still acting totally normal.. excellent color, heartrate, cap. refill on gums = perfect.. Was told to give him Banamine if needed.. I gave it to him Monday evening only.. and was also told to with-hold grain and feed hay only..

Anyway.. he bounced back SOO quick from 'colic'?! and even though I noticed this that day I figured he injured himself rolling.. some swelling on the underside of his stomach.. he also banged up aboved his eye from rolling and thrashing, hence why I thought this was just trauma..

Yesterday, the swelling was the same.. today however.. the swelling below his stomach is about the size of my hand.. warm to the touch, though not painful.. he lets me walk under his belly and play with it (he is a great horse!).. I found a place that had a scab.. I plucked it off.. nothing came out.. but it almost looks like two holes.. I am thinking maybe a snakebite?! BTW.. not a hernia.. I thought that too..

We only have Copperheads that are venomous.. though not leathal.. I know what fang marks and snake teeth marks look like on a human (I am the owner of 12 snakes.. some as big as 15 ft.).. but don't know what they look like on a horse, esp. the reaction to a full size horse from a Copperhead.

But my question is.. if it WAS a snakebite.. would he have displayed these signs of colic and swelling later or is it a fluke and two different things going on at once..

By the way, his turnout area that night he was in his mostly wooded and grass.. He is kept alone, so it wasn't another horse kick, bite, etc..

I got home later tonight, so tomorrow I plan to clip and clean the area and see if a vet is needed..

Thanks in advance.
 
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Im so sorry!! Have no idea but they do sound related. Stress can make a horse colic and a snake bite would be stress. Sending good thoughts
 
I am so sorry to hear about your guy.

I do not know either, but If it is a copperhead bite.....I think that his colic-like reaction was due to the bite. It is my understanding the thrashing and rolling is a pain reaction when they are hurting in the abdominal area. I am guessing he was in great pain. The gums could be toxic reaction and the swelling could also be from the bite. It sounds like that could be it.

I hope he continues to improve!
 
Michelle -

I don't have answers, but am sending you good thoughts...

Liz R.
 
No idea here either but you can get under there with a mirror and a magnifying glass to investigate the area.
 
I just want to put a general warning out there for people when dealing with colics. If you have a horse that is throwing it's self down and thrashing violently in pain, and then is suddenly perfectly fine, you may have a much bigger problem. When a horse ruptures its gut, it is suddenly without pain (amazingly) and will go back to eating and acting normal. If you have a horse do this, go from trying to kill itself to perfectly fine, make sure your vet does a "belly tap". I won't explain it here for fear of someone doing it themselves, but your vet will know what it is. If the gut has ruptured, this is the fastest way to determine it by finding fecal content in the abdomen. Unfortunately, this is a fatal condition regardless of any surgical intervention.

Boss Mare, we'd like to hear how your boy is doing.
 
The swelling has gone down.. I'd say 50% better than last night.. eating and pooping great.. excellent gum color and the usual vitals..

I clipped and applied hot compresses to the area.. along with a good spray of iodine.. I couldn't get anything 'out' of this area as it only seems like swelling..

I've dealt with torn intestines and colons before in colicing horses (that were saved)..

This was far different.

Thanks to all..
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