Please Help...

[ali]

My mare got into the tack room sometime since last night around 9pm. I found her out in the hall this morning chomping on hay that was this mornings breakfast.

I noticed one of the feed bags (Big Un's 300 by Purina) had been tampered with and possibly, although unlikely, the Equailizer supplement! It's this feed that has me worried as it's new to my program and my full size horse only gets a little over 1 cup per day!

Never thought this could happen to me, as I'm a nag when it comes to double checking each stalls latch before the lights go out for the night!!!!!!

I'm really worried. Should I walk her? It looks like she has a big belly but because of the hay in the aisle being torn apart I'm assuming it's a hay belly.

Please....what should I do in your opinion?

Funny, never thought this could happen to me!!!!!!!

 

[kaykay]

call your vet out NOW. she needs to be oiled asap. This happened ot us our very first year. our mare looked and acted fine so I thought it was okay. Unfortuantely I woke up the next morning to find her dead. my vet said if i had called and had her oiled as soon as it happened she probably would have been okay. The problem with overdosing on feed is it begins to clump together in the gut and release toxins. Please call your vet.

 

[ali]

Just left a message on emergency paging system.

I'm so scared.....

 

[kaykay]

im sorry im not trying to scare you but it can be dangerous. I think its better to oil then wait. The hay probably isnt a big deal but if she got much feed it could be. I always err on the side of caution. Im sending prayers that shes going to be fine!

Ps our horse broke a lock off the feed door and squeezed into a 2x2 hole!! its amazing to me what they will do to get feed

 

[ali]

Thanks Kay.

Very frustrating and confusing. Vet said to give her some Bran mash with mineral oil. He won't oil her as he claims it's too dangerous for a mini!!!!! I may be his first mini client???

Her stomach is grumbling, the look on her face is normal and she hasn't been turning to her stomach or rolling. I'm hoping this is good news thus far? She ate her bran mash no problem and has a bit of tidbits of hay available in the aisle. Should I put her out with the others?

Vet claims that the worry is in foundering and the next 24 hours of watching for bowel movement.

I honestly, though not totally certain, believe that she only got into the Krunch (very little was in the bag anyway) and perhaps the Purina Big Un's 300. That Equilizer is the real trouble I think. I simple cannot tell if she got into it or not.

Normally all feed is in an old (not operating) freezer but recently we had a delivery and were unable to pop it all in. Will not let that happen again!

There will be a grid installed on the tack room door so that I can leave it open at night for the cats but no horses can get in should stupid ever forget to lock a stall door. Ahhh....funny, another door to check on!

I'm now preparing to sleep in that cold barn just in case she colics. Putting bells on her halter so should I fall asleep I'll hear her roll. This should be fun....I've always wanted to sleep in the barn, I love them so much. I have to think HAPPY THOUGHTS right now or I'll mad. No, there already.

Thanks Kay and hope the vet is right.

 

[Marty]

I don't like your vet already.

He should have oiled her.

He probably doesn't want to oil her because I"ll bet he doesn't have a small enough tube. Darn these vets sometimes I swear.

Ok say you just over ate. You sit down and you begin to get a bad tummy ache. Common sense tells you to get the heck up and walk around and then go sit on the pot and pray for success, right?

Ok, same basic pricipal here.

Don't let her sit down and relax.

Make sure that your mare is walking around and keep an eye out for poop. Walking will help her distribute the stuff and encourage her to pass some of it with any luck. Any poop will be a very good sign. Don't lock her up ok? Make sure she's moving real good and just not standing there. Hopefully, she didn't get as much to eat as you think she did. Drinking is going to be very important.

 

[ali]

Thanks Marty.

Yes, I've been walking her around and am now going back out to put her in the dog pen just outside my back door where I can watch her very easily. Came in to shower and check emails again.

I'm so, so scared. Stupid, stupid, stupid me.

Should I give her ANY HAY? I'll make water available and keep her moving.

Funny....vet explained it this way to me. It would be like my over-eating at Xmas and hopefully she won't founder. I too think he's not up to snuff on the miniatures but what am I to do? No other vets available in the area. My vet of over 20 yrs retired to a breeding operation last year. This guy has only been to my place once and I liked his attitude. Sure hope he's right. The pain of owning animals can be so difficult sometimes.

 

[ChrystalPaths]

You have recieved some excellent advice. Is there another vet that would come out in the surrounding area? Oiling is by and far the very best thing to do. I swear these minis will make us grey but oh how we do luv em! You have my prayers for her.

 

[Bess Kelly]

Yes, you do want her to eliminate as much as possible....to "move it through" if she in fact DID eat too much.

BUT, the whole point of the oil -- ASAP -- is that the oil keeps the fermentation way down, thus toxins way down, in addition to moving it through. Once you pass that "window of opportunity" to keep fermentation down, well then you are working on heavy prayers.

I'm a little concerned about his "overeating at Christmas" example -- I mean, we get a tummy ache but, I've yet to see someone founder!!! :new_shocked: That is the REAL issue here, not the tummy ache.

Heck, we can make her poop....Castoria works....but it won't eliminate toxins if they ahave gotten to the point of entering her bloodstream. AND I'm not a vet, so really, I'm not trying to say I know more but, these would be my concerns.

:

Keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[kaykay]

bess thats the word i couldnt think of this morning fermentation!! this is what is so dangerous and releases all the toxins from feed. Thankfully when this happened to us the vet got there in time to save the other two horses but they were bigger. By the time he got there they were already toxic. Mine never acted colicky. never kicked their bellies etc. But by the next morning their eyes were swollen shut and they were standing with their heads down. I mistakenly thought because they werent colicking that they were okay

Id really feel better if he would have come and oiled her

I want to clarify that I am not a veternarian and am only telling you what happened to us.

Has she passed any manure??? Have you taken her temp?? Mine ran a HIGH fever.

Keep in mind when we overeat we can throw up. A horse cant

 

[ali]

So...do I call the Vet back and tell him what to do? I'm not being rude or disrespectful here I just want to know if I should.

This oil you speak of....what is it? Should I just give her mineral oil and how much?

Since noon today....the beautiful sound of a toot and the wonderful aroma of fresh poop had me doing the happy dance! I also hear her stomach grumbling. Tell me this is very good news! I've been walking her for the past 3 hours only to stop for hot chocolate.

Kay or anybody? The fact that your horse was not exhibiting any symptons until the following day is really scaring me.

Should I just demand that the Vet get here and oil her. Please tell me what this oil is? I've never had a horse colic nor have I ever seen it. Is this treatment only for miniatures and thus his decision not to come out and look at her because he doesn't know? I was sobbing on the phone to him so he knows I'm terribly upset.

 

[kaykay]

if shes passing manure that is a very good sign!! please do not walk her until shes exhausted though. Did the bloat in her tummy go down??

All horses get oiled for colic. This is mineral oil that the vet puts in a tube that goes thru their nose and into their stomach. The oil breaks down whats in the intestines so it can move out. This is very common procedure for miniatures or big horses. My tiny that coliced this week was oiled twice. I have no idea why he says this isnt done on minis and I dont want to second guess your vet because I am not a vet.

Can you take her tempature??? If its elevated at all I would insist the veternarian comes out.

This is a really hard call. I just dont know if you should be worried or not?? Hard to know without knowing how much feed she got???

Kay

 

[Minimor]

It really does depend on how much feed she actually ate. Was it a new bag & if so, how much was left in (or gone from!) it? I'd take it as a good sign that she was in the aisle eating hay when you found her, rather than still in the tack room chowing down on the grain, but that could just be my optimism showing through?

We had 3 boys get out of their paddock & into the bin of rolled oats last fall. The one went out back & was chasing around after one of the Morgan geldings, so we didn't figure he got any oats. The other 2 pigged out; originally we thought they'd likely eaten about 10 lbs each, but on closer inspection we decided it was probably not much over half of that....hard to remember just how much was left in the bin that morning! While oats is a bit different than the prepared feeds, it's still not safe for them to overeat on it; gastric dilatation is my first worry with oats. Our gelding looked quite normal, but the stallion looked very bloated that evening. Our vets here are notorious for not oiling (any horse, not just minis) even in cases of serious colic so we don't even ask them. I keep the oil on hand & just syringe it into them (& yes, I'm careful about it so they won't aspirate the oil

: )--I put it in across the tongue so that the horse swallows it down, I do not squirt it back into their throat, & I actually consider that safer than tubing, considering that the next time a vet gets it wrong & the horse aspirates the oil during tubing won't be the first! In any case, I did give the stallion some oil & then kept a close watch on the two horses. By late that night the stallion no longer looked bloated, & both were fine.

 

[ali]

Thanks Kay.

I'm going out right now to take her temperature.

No, I didn't exhaust her but boy I'm a little tired. It was just an easy walk, occassionally stopping and stooping.

Should I give her some mineral oil and how much? I know it's not the same thing as getting tubed but would it help?

I hate it when the docs just fluff us off as though we have no right to be concerned. I did tell him when I called that you had lost a mini and that you are suggesting I oil her.

Ohhh...her tummy does not appear to be getting larger. I'll take my measuring tape with me too.

 

[ali]

Temperature is very, very slightly over 100. This is good, right?

After pulling the thermometer out...The sound of music! That's right....gas and it did shtink!

Listened to her belly sounds from top, both sides-front and back and it's grumbling like a banchie.

Had the incorrect measuring tape for the belly so will go back for that, however, the belly still appears to be bloated but not larger than it was this morning.

Have given word in the household that I'm camping out in the barn for the night.

Anything else I should be watching for during the night? When should I give her hay? When is she cleared?

Do I give her mineral oil and how much. Don't have a syringe so can I mix it with Bran Mash and molasses?

Thanks for your help guys!!!

:

 

[Miniv]

Since you don't have a big syringe (put that in a future shopping list!) Do you have a gravy baster???

I have one in my barn medicine cabinet just for administering mineral oil. If it were me, I'd try to give her at least three baster-fulls to start with...... And do it gradually as you don't want her to choke on the stuff either.

Warning: It is a messy business.

My complaint for giving a bran mash with mineral oil is that many horses won't eat it!

MA

 

[midnight star stables]

All horses get oiled for colic.

No! Not All, we never have. In the last 4 casses we've had in the last 23 years, all we did was feed warm bran mash and walk them. We've never lost a horse or had problem from it.. Just us though

Ali, I'm sorry to hear about your little one

I'm Hoping for the best

 

[Bess Kelly]

Great advice all.....I am just praying that she did NOT get an overload and will be fine!

Until then, if she were mine, I would try to give her some salt (to encourage drinking), NO GRAIN (like I really needed to say that one

: ), maybe some wet beet pulp if you have any. At this time, tonight, the oil is too late. If she got some earlier, good.

Keep a check on her temp, keep a check on her pulse & temp in front feet. She seems to not be showing any discomfort, from your posts. So, you may have gotten lucky! :aktion033: If she makes it another 48 hours without limping you're home free.

Oh, hay should work tomorrow, IMO, as she's got everything moving inside. By this time, if they have TRULY gotten over-grained, she'd probably have her head hanging and somewhat lethargic or very nervous acting -- from discomfort. If this isn't happening you were probably lucky. :aktion033:

Keep us updated, please.

 

[shminifancier]

All horses get oiled for colic.

No! Not All, we never have. In the last 4 cases we've had in the last 23 years, all we did was feed warm bran mash and walk them. We've never lost a horse or had problem from it.. Just us though

Ali, I'm sorry to hear about your little one

I'm Hoping for the best

No neither was mine when she went into colic and she was at my vets for 2 days until she got better but he never oiled her...But eating feed like that it is more of a worry for founder then colic..After all that is how plenty of horses do get founder is from eating to much grain, and not so much colic from eating too much grain.

 

[ali]

:aktion033: :aktion033: :aktion033:

I'm very, very happy and relieved to report that my mare is doing well thus far! I'm hoping she will not founder.

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THAT RESPONDED. I was frightfully worried and feeling extremely guilty about all this. Your words of encouragement and opinions were very much appreciated.

I put my hammock up in the barn and stayed with her until 11:30pm last night. Before I left her temp. was normal, she had relieved herself 4 times and was looking for hay. I do believe that the horses were disappointed that they never got to watch/hear the end of the movie I was watching on the portable DVD player! It was so cute watching their faces wondering what was going on.

I will keep an eye on her feet. Haven't felt anything terribly hot yet. I sure hope she hasn't foundered. Looking back with a clearer head, I do believe that she probably only got to the Krunch and perhaps the Big Un's. The Equilizer bag had not been scrunched down like the others.

What a lesson and thankfully I did not loose one of my beloved critters! It would have ripped me apart.

Thanks again to all that responded especially Kay for responding quickly.

:

: Thank you, thank you, thank you.