Colicy mare

[jleonard]

When I got home from a show yesterday around 12:30, my little Suzy was laying down out in the field. She did not pop up when she saw the trailer, which is unusual, so I went out to check on her. She did not get up when I came over, not even when the domninat horse in the heard came to see what was up. They all run from her. I forced her to get up and took her out in the yard and handed her to my dad so I could unload the other horse and go get my thermometer and stethescope. By the time I got back she had laid down again. She never tried to roll, she just laid there looking depressed and would occasionally hold her upper lip back so her teeth were showing. She would also stretch her legs out as far as they would go and just stand there. (I cheked her feet, no heat, not foundering).

Took her TPR's, everything within normal range except her temp whih was 97.6. Pulse was 32, respiration low also. Active gut sounds, actually, they were a litle too active! Called the vet (of course it would have to be a Sunday!) he said to just give her some bannamine, walk her for 45 min to and hour, see if she had any interest in grass (she didn't), and call him back. Well, I did all that and she perked up some, enough to raid the trailer for cookies and take a couple little nibbles of grass. She went out with my dad to clean the barn and was opening doors and searching the other horses stalls and in general acting much perkier. We put her out in the side paddock with the other mini and my welsh baby and though she was not interested in grazing and just stood there, she had enough in her to go after the pesky baby a few times.

Went out around 9:00 last night and she was perkier still, eyes were brighter, ears were up, and she took a tiny piece of carrot from me. She had not eaten any of the hay we gave her (didn't give her grain and only a tiny pile of hay). Temp was a a more acceptable level, 99.1, everything else was still nomal. I gave her some more banamine at that time.

This a.m. she still is not feeling well. I'm headed out to check on her and give her more banamine, is it ok to keep giving it to her??? I have not dealt with many colicy horses... She has done this once before. That time the vet came out and took several liters of fluid out of her stomach and we took her to the hospital for observation. She was back to normal the next day. I do not feel that she is impacted, she did poop last night and still has lots of gut sounds. I'm wondering if it could be gas colic? My neighbor suggested giving her a bran mash, but I was not about to put anything else in without making sure it was still comming out! I feel like she must have fluid built up in her stomach again, is there anything I can do to help her with this? I will call the vet again if she does not improve. She is no longer trying to laydown, but is deffinitely still depressed.

Prayers and suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Jessica

 

[Riverdance]

If she is pooping and there are a lot of gut sounds, she is not colicing. Perhaps the grass is too rich for her in the pasture?

I would keep her out of the pasture for a while and keep an eye on her. I would also be careful of too much banamine., as you can cause ulcers. Do you have any probiotic? I would give her some as well as some Uguard. I always have a large powdered container of Biosponge on hand (no shelf life so you can keep it forever) as well as Uguard for when a horse of mine feels off. I have a mare thta just does not do well on too much pasture grass. She always gets a tummy ach and then acts like that. I give her Ugard and Biosponge and take her off the pasture. New grass can make them feel off. Is her poop wet and soft?

 

[Carolyn R]

yes, have the vet check her out, given her history. Set your mind at ease. What you describes with her previous incident is what sounds like gastro enteritis.

A horse can eat and poop with the onset of this, but the more they eat (esp. concentrates) the more the irratation builds.

Gastro enteritis (sp) is nothing to fool around with. By removing the fluids that pool in the gut, you prevent further inflamation from occuring. The longer the fluid sits the more inflamation, which leads to the beneficial bacteria breaking down which leads to fermentation of the substances sitting in the gut. Fermentation leads to more inflamation and more fluid pooling to that area and and more swelling.It is a vicious cycle.

Typically when the fluid is removed alot of the problem is alleviated, sometime they must remain off of feed and hay for a few days (to allow the irratation to subside) and are given an IV, plus additional tubing if needed to keep the fluid out of the intestestinal track

to allow it to heal (imagine mild abrasions in the intestonal track).

This can all lead to an impaction if they are not passing what they eat or stop drinking and eating. Enteritis also has the ability to escalate to a ruptured intestine if the fluid continues to pool to one area, expanding the intestine until it ruptures (lethal).

I had a BH that had cronic bouts of this, she is no longer around, but thanks to her, I have way too much experience with this (months of experience, repetative episodes every 4-6 weeks).

Once she does pull through, even if it is only a mild incident, I STRONGLY advise getting her on some ulcer meds and/or something to coat her stomach for the next month or so.

If you are going to bypass the vet, I would at least take her off of any concentrate feeds, soak any hay you offer her and get her on some ulcer meds ASAP as a preventative measure.

 

[ShaunaL]

I hope she gets better quickly for you

 

[Magic]

Carolyn, that information is great, thanks for sharing it! I love how much there is to learn here.

Jessica, I hope your mare is feeling better soon, and I agree-- get her to the vet for her best chance to recover. Good luck!

 

[jleonard]

Thank you for your replies!

Riverdance, I don't think it is the grass that is causing it. Our fields are still very bare, there is hardly enough for them to pick at. I suppose it is possible though, I know it doesn't take much with these little ones. Her poop was normal... Biosponge does sound like a good thing to have on hand, I will have to get some.

She is doing much better now, walking around, drinking, showing interest in her surroundings, so I think I will hold off on the vet for the time being. If there is any change I will not hesitate to call though. I did not give her bannamine this a.m. after all, so I know that she really is feeling better and it is not just the meds masking pain.

Carolyn, thank you for your advice, that is very interesting. Her two episodes are three years apart, so it is hard to tell if they are related or not. What you mentioned with the rupture is what I was worried about, but since she is feeling better, it seems like the pressure must be relieved now?

I think I have some probiotics, and I will soak her hay and keep her off grain until she is 100% back to normal. I think we have some ulcer meds around here somewhere too.

Thanks again

Jessica