colic ????s

[shelly]

Well, I had quite a scare yesterday with Sahara...I had fed grain and small amount of hay to all at 4:30 am and all was well. Got home from work at 9:30 am and noticed Sahara had ALOT of shavings stuck in her mane and forlock! I looked inside her stall and you could plainly see that she had been rolling several times over. Also she had not eaten her hay. Grain was gone but not the hay and she looked "down in the dumps" per say. Not like her at all!!!!

So I took out the hay and took her temp. 97.2!!!! that is very low for her and she tried to roll again while I was in there examining her. No other signs, YET! I called my vet and proceeded to walk her.

Joyce was on her way(we had plans on giving Joey a bath-didn't happen!)The vet called back and said they were about a hour out, to keep watching her and walking.

So, we walked, walked and walked for 1.25 hours until they finally showed up. By then she was starting to paw the ground and panting somewhat. They took her temp. now at 100 and did a rectal. Found watery manure and what seemed to be a large gas bubble in the colon, but couldn't get in far enough to do a complete exam.

So next they tubed her with warm water and found lots of gas in her stomach but nothing else. They figured she didn't have an impaction, maybe just the gas, but were still worried as they couldn't get in far enough rectally to feel all of the intestines to be sure. They gave her some electrolytes in the water tube and some banamine and we watched her for about 1/2 hour. She seemed to calm down and heart rate and breathing returned to normal. They left with instructions to watch her closely for any signs of discomfort.

As soon as they left she started looking much better and searching her stall for any little strands of hay that I might have missed, lapping at her grain bucket and whinnying for food. This was around 2:30...still no poop so NO food! Boy was she peeved when I fed everyone else at 6pm! Still no poop at 10pm when I finally went to bed. I cat napped of and on until 2 am when she finally passed some manure!!!!!!YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

I waited until 4:30 to give her anything and I only gave her a very small handful of grain and the same of hay and went to work. Got home at 9:30 and she had pooped again and was definitely interested in more food. I called the vet and they said to give her another small feeding the same as the one this morning, though to moisten the grain and hay. If she did well with that then repeat in 2 hours and so forth. She seems to be doing fine....

Now for the questions:

She doesn't seem to be drinking much---should I be worried?

She is lapping her mineral/salt lick like she has never had one before---constant interest!!! Should she have that and why would she be so interested in it now? Never showed much interest before, just occasional lapping.

What kinds of things should I have on hand for such emergencies?(besides Banamine-which I have)

 

[chandab]

Now for the questions:She doesn't seem to be drinking much---should I be worried?

She is lapping her mineral/salt lick like she has never had one before---constant interest!!! Should she have that and why would she be so interested in it now? Never showed much interest before, just occasional lapping.

What kinds of things should I have on hand for such emergencies?(besides Banamine-which I have)

I'd ask your vet but here are just a couple thoughts... She was tubed with warm water, so possibly hydrated enough for the moment to not be drinking much; and also the same reason for the salts.

When I've dealt with colic vet always recommended no grain for a few days after the episode, and hay to be given in small increments only after having seen poop.

 

[Riverdance]

Besides Banamine, I have on hand large syringes (without the needle), mineral oil and electrolites. When I have a horse that is starting to colic, I will give them banamine and mix mineral oil with water and electrolites. I use the large syringe to get the fluide to the back of their mouth. The largest syringe you can get. This will place the water and oil mix as far back as you can to get them to swallow it. I will usually give them several syringes of this mix then walk them.

The banamine will help settle them down and help keep them from rolling. Once they seem to be more relaxed I put them on the treadmill for 20 minutes. Many times they will pass manuer on the treadmill. If not, I will put them in a clean stall and watch them. I will repeat the water/oil mix as needed till they poop. Each time I give them the mix, I again put them on the treadmill. If you do not have a treadmill, then hand walking for at least 20 minutes each time you give them the oil/water miture.

Sometimes it will take up to 24 hours for them to finially poop. In the 24 hours I will have given them at least 4 treatments, if not more.

Once in a while I have had to bring them to the vets if things do not seem to improve. Last year I had two bad colics that went to the vets. One pulled through after a couple of days, one had surgery. Both (knock on wood) are fine today.

When I went back to feeding them, no grain for a few days and lots of very soaked beetpulp with their food. Wet hay for the first few days then wet beetpulp with the grain.

 

[shelly]

Thanks Chandab...I will keep that in mind though moistening her grain seems to be giving her some water that she isn't getting otherwise.

Editted to add: Thanks Riverdance...I was typing while you were posting. I do not have a treadmill, but will walk up and down my driveway like yesterday! Where would I get electrolytes?

 

[kaykay]

I have also always been told to withhold grain for at least 4-5 days after a colic. I also use StressDX for anyone horse that is colicing. My neighbor with the foaling farm got me started using it and its great stuff. It also makes them drink more and stay hydrated. so I always have large syringes to syringe it into their mouth

 

[Indian*R*A*I*N*Dance]

Now for the questions:She doesn't seem to be drinking much---should I be worried?

She is lapping her mineral/salt lick like she has never had one before---constant interest!!! Should she have that and why would she be so interested in it now? Never showed much interest before, just occasional lapping.

What kinds of things should I have on hand for such emergencies?(besides Banamine-which I have)

We just went through the same thing with Rain but we had to take him to the hospital.

Yes, she should be drinking about 5-8 gallons a day. If she isn't drinking give her some electrolights(sp?).

Im not sure why she would be so interested in the salt block but if she didn't eat anything she wouldn't have any salt/minerals in her and she needs them. If she is going at it for a long long time i would take it out so she doesn't get sick.

Yes, banamine is great, probios, bio-sponge, and electrolights are all good for colic.

Everyone is saying no grain after you horse had colic, but when rain coliced the vet gave us a schedual which we followed for 2 days. 1/2 cup grain w/ probios and water that down for the morning and 1/2 cup grain w/ probios and electrolights watered down for the evening. Like, i said we followed that for two days then he was on 1 cup of grain at each feeding with meds. We still give him the meds (since this recently happened) with his grain watered down, we were told to use them until its all gone.

edit-typos

 

[shelly]

Wow-5-8 gallons a day!!!!!! None of my minis drink that much. Joey drinks the most and that is about 2 gallons....Mocha hardly drinks 1/2 gallon. Sahara usually will drink 1-1/2 gallons a day, so I have been mixing alot of water with her grain and wetting her hay also. Her manure is moist, not runny but not dry either.

Shadow, my arab gelding drinks 5-6 gallons a day.

The vet gave Sahara electrolytes but didn't leave instructions to give her more...should I be? Also, what are probios and where do I find some?

 

[Carolyn R]

Depending on climate a mini may drink up to that much, but a full size horse only requires about 10 gallons a day to stay hydrated (give or take on variables and the breed) so if your mini isn't taking in that much don't be too concerned. Mine range from about 2.5-5 gallons per horse per day.

Carolyn