Boss Mare
Well-Known Member
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.
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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