Help Please!

[Magic]

Thanks everyone! My friend is feeling so much more hopeful now with all of the advice and help. I sent her some Gastrogard but even though it was sent Priority it will be a couple of days before it gets to her, so she called one of the vets back and told him what so many of us have said about possible ulcers, and he agreed that ulcers may very well be one of her problems. That's progress right there! It was too late for her to make it to the vet's office before they closed to get Gastrogard tonight so she'll get it in first thing in the morning, and in the meantime she went and bought Tagamet to give to her. She's also started giving Metamucil by syringe, and Baby gobbled up the yogurt that was put in her feed.

Baby has had two different fecal tests for worms, and there weren't any worms found at all. Thank you for the PM's too, I've let my friend know what you've said, and also sent her the link to this thread. She may update us, fi she has time, but if she doesnt' I will keep all updated. Thanks so much for the prayers for Baby!

 

[windspirit]

Thank you Lori and everyone! Thank you very much for the insightful information, prayers and well wishes. I have never experienced anything like this and was truly feeling helpless watching Baby suffer, w/ no idea how to help. But thanks to all of you we have a some solid information to follow up on and will start her on the ulcer medication in the morning.

The vet said that if it is a stomach ulcer, the medication will help, but if she has a colon ulcer there is little that can be done - it will just take time. At this point she is so worn out that I will pray that along with the physillium, yogurt, grazing and TLC she will have quick relief.

I will post an update soon, in the meantime Baby will be getting about as much TLC as she can stand

Thank you all again!

 

[lucky lodge]

has anyone every tryed drenching with parafon oil thats what the vets use here for sand..works well

 

[windspirit]

has anyone every tryed drenching with parafon oil thats what the vets use here for sand..works well

Hi Lucky, I haven't heard anything about parafon oil or how to use it - I would like to know how you would use it in case the physillium doesn't work this go round.

 

[windspirit]

What a difference a few hours can make

Last night I took Lori's suggestion to possibly give Baby some relief until we could get the GastroGuard on board w/ a dose of Cimetidine mixed in her yogurt. I am happy to say about 5 hours later she seemed to feel better, and although she still wouldn't get up on her own - she got up with easier, stayed up longer, walked more and is not quivering in pain. Now she has had her first dose of GastroGuard and the vet wants her to stay on the physillium at the same time. I will be hoping for more progress.

Thanks Marty, I will test for sand today - and will be putting her back on a little beet pulp - I'll even try giving her a boost with gatorade - sounds like a treat for sure.

Thanks again everyone, I'll update you on her her progress.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

I just wanted to mention that if she has sores from laying down alot, make sure you keep a really close eye on them and treat them with a fly repellent. I had a dog that got sores and within 2 days, he had maggots. We ended up having to put him down.

 

[Marty]

I wanted to add that fecal tests can be very deceiving. They do not show all the migrating species or hatching eggs and all larves. I don't ever rely on fecal testing 100%.

 

[REO]

I'm glad Baby was feeling a little better! I hope she keeps it up. She has a great mom!

I'll keep sending her healing thoughts and prayers.

Lori is an awesome friend!

Welcome to the forum!

Robin

 

[lucky lodge]

has anyone every tryed drenching with parafon oil thats what the vets use here for sand..works well

Hi Lucky, I haven't heard anything about parafon oil or how to use it - I would like to know how you would use it in case the physillium doesn't work this go round.

parafon oil is we use in australia and sand colic is one of the biggest horse killer here,so parafon oil is used...you stick a pipe up the horses nose and it goes into the horses stomach a job for the vet unless you no what your doing.then you pump it in. with in a couple of hours the sand and the oil are comeing out its bum you can do this up to 5 times a year

parafon oil for a mini 1/12 litres

add 2 table spoons of ebsom salts stur well

then drench horse

hope this helps

 

[windspirit]

I just wanted to mention that if she has sores from laying down alot, make sure you keep a really close eye on them and treat them with a fly repellent. I had a dog that got sores and within 2 days, he had maggots. We ended up having to put him down.

Thank you for the reminder - Yes she does have a couple rubs from attempting to get up that I need to keep up with. Since we moved to Nebraska we have also had "expereince" w/ maggots on our older dogs - had never seen them before - YUCK.

So sorry about your pet, we were fortunate to notice them before they got out of hand, I didn't know they could be deadly that quickly.

 

[HGFarm]

I am so glad she is feeling a little better and yes, welcome to the Forum!! Poor little gal, I hope the meds work so she is on the mend. Stacy had some terrific advice on many things I had not even thought of!

We used to have 'screw worms' here in AZ.... big maggots, but the Livestock Dept. had a program where they dropped sterile flies for many years, and we no longer have screw worms in the state. They are the most DISGUSTING thing I think I've had to deal with... well, pretty close, and can eat a huge hole in an animal in a matter of hours. We had one of the last cases here in AZ back in the laste 70's or maybe 1980- the Livestock Dept was shocked we had some- they had thought they were gone. (They would send you a little vial to put a worm or two in and to send off to them to confirm, but we all knew what they looked like so didnt need the reply!) Within a very short time, they would fly over and drop sterile flies that make the maggots, and voila... finally ridded the state of those horrible things. There is medicine to get rid of them, and then we found that Cut Heal rapidly closed the horrible gaping wounds left by the maggots. (As long as it was in muscle tissue and not on a leg, face or other boney part of the body)

Anyhow, please keep us posted on her progress and how she is doing and if you find out anything more!

 

[windspirit]

Hi Everyone!

I am so glad to be on the forum - Thank you for all the help and the warm welcome - wish I would have joined years ago!

Baby does seem to be feeling better but I am still really concerned mostly because she has yet to get up on her own or even make an effort - sometimes she cooperates when we get her up other times she stiffens out like a board and it is a real battle - but once she is up she will walk around and graze for a couple of hours and is sure on her feet. During the day I let her stay down for about 2 hours at a time and night she is usually down for around 5 or 6 hours.

Does anyone have any idea why she is still refusing to get up on her own - or have any suggestions.

 

[HGFarm]

Yikes, I dont... and this is why she is developing sores. It is terrible for their circulation to be down so long too and can cause other problems. Could she have thrown her back out or something while trying to get up before? CAN she get up on her own at all?

Many years ago, we had a full sized mare who, at some point in her life, had been run into, fell, or something happened to get her back out of place up over her hips. She would sit like a dog, but would not get up the rest of the way- it hurt too much, and she just couldnt get her legs under her to boost her up. After the chiropractor got done, she was good as new. Just a rambling thought here...

Just make sure she has plenty of soft bedding then to lay on, and try to keep encouraging her to get up on her own. Maybe take her grain and try to get her to get up and come over to you?

 

[windspirit]

That's it, she is getting sores on just one side, she moves around and works the bedding away - then has a tough time getting up... For several nights she was sleeping on the grass and the sores nearly disappeared. Unfortunately we had storms last night & had to stall her, now they are worse than ever

. For the first couple of days after Baby started getting sick she could get up on her own when she really wanted to, now sometimes it doesn't take much more than a tug - other times not so easy. It is like she has forgotten she can get up on her own - or perhaps it hurts. I have tried treats just out of her reach and she doesn't even try. On the positive side tonight she stayed up for 3 hours and was trotting across the yard.

 

[windspirit]

Its been a good day!

I wanted thank you all again for the advice - I think that Baby has turned the corner, she continues to lay down a lot, however she is now getting up w/ only encouragement!

I will keep her on yogurt, GastroGuard for at least a couple of weeks and probably just keep beet pulp as a part of her diet from now on. Have a wonderful Labor Day!

 

[REO]

Whooo Hooo!!!! Way to go Baby!

Give her a hug for me please!

 

[windspirit]

Whooo Hooo!!!! Way to go Baby!

Give her a hug for me please!

I will, I will! Lots of hugs to go around and a great big sigh of relief!

 

[Magic]

This is SUCH a relief! I know how stressed you have been (and how much your back hurts from having to heave Baby to her feet all the time!)

You forgot to mention to everyone that Baby is eating much better, and is already gaining weight.

Go Baby!

I guess that this is a good lesson for us all, to realize just how debilitating ulcers can be to a horse.