Please keep my Merry Beth in your thoughts

[Marty]

Saturday am I went out to feed breakfast and found Merry Beth down, looking at her sides so I got her up and moving and gave her some banamine thinking she was colicing. She looked awful; head hanging down, depressed, no spark in her eyes. Bad call, I moved too fast because afterwards when I went to clean her stall I saw the back of her stall loaded with manure she had buried in shavings, about 8 piles, and I got to thinking, she passed way too much manure to be colicing. Plus she drank all her water from the night before. Now I'm thinking oh brother, this must be an ulcer, not colic.

I waited all day for the banamine to wear off because I know you shouldn't give banamine when treating an ulcer. I turned her out with everyone and watched and she didn't try to go down again but didn't attempt to graze, just stood outside with her head down. When she came back in she pooped twice in two hours thank heavens for that. I could not get her to eat a thing, no hay, no beet pulp, food, not even a lousy treat. She wants to eat, but just pushes her nose around in her hay and food and looks up at me begging. So last night I decided to pull out all the stops and jump start her first with about 30 cc of Pepto bismal but she was fighting with me so I tied her up so I could use both hands. In doing that, she hauled back on the rope, and she clampled down on the syringe with her teeth and I couldn't get it back out of her mouth. When she hauled back, she fell and I think she actually fainted on me for a second. Then I helped her back up and gave her a dose of gastroguard and tagamet and I know never to attempt shoving a syringe in her mouth when she is tied up ever again. Checked on her all night long; cleaned her up, brushed her really good, fixed up her pretty gold shinny ribbons and took her on walks. She is alert, her gums are ok, her eyes are bright, she just cannot eat.

This morning there is no change. She's standing in the corner. She acts like she really wants to eat so badly but just can't seem to even want to try. She put her nose in her feed bucket and on her hay and just moved it around again but didn't eat a thing. I gave her a second dose of gastroguard, took her for a walk, groomed her, and will try some pepto and tagamet again today.

I've had Merry Beth since she was a yearling. I have always said this was my best horse in the barn. She's very sensitive, extremely hyper, a real fireball full of snort and blow, and as sweet as any horse can be. I've always treated her with kid gloves, wanting to keep her in bubble wrap and she has never been sick a day in her life. This year I took a chance and sent her out to a little showing with my best buds, Tam and Dan Vanderwerf from Amazing Grace and she did very well.

Our mountain roads are iced over and there is no chance the vet can make it up here to take a look so I'm on my own here. Its been my experience with ulcers that it usually takes about 3 days for the meds to kick in so this is the start of day 2. I'm heading out with warm water for her. Please keep your fingers crossed for us. I'm a basket case.

 

[MiLo Minis]

Everything crossed and prayers said here that all will be well with your Merry Beth, Marty!

 

[~Lisa~]

Marty have you taken her temp yet? She sounds like she is just simply not feeling well as opposed to an ulcer although of course without seeing her and knowing her it is hard to really say but I would start with her tempature first

 

[Mona]

Hoping Merry Beth is soon showing huge signs of improvement!

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

Marty, fingers and toes are crossed, and I will call you tonight. Hope she is doing ALOT better for you. I know how much you love your "baby" (((hugs, and hang in there)))

 

[sedeh]

Prayers for your Merry Beth!

ray I hope she's doing better today. I worry about hyperlipemia when they stop eating.

 

[minih]

Marty go ahead and take her temp just to be sure but it still sounds like an ulcer to me. We had a horse at one time that would not eat for about 2 days after dosing with ulcerguard. Keep on giving the meds (if no temp) and you may still see improvement. And quit worrying, no banamine is not good for an ulcer but you did not do any damage with just one dose.

I have also given Maalox instead of pepto for ulcer symptoms, it does help some.

 

[backwoodsnanny]

I would also start with the temperature but if she doesnt have one could she possibly have a tooth that is bothering her trying to shed a cap maybe. I have a boy here who absolutely wouldnt actually eat anything through 3 feedings so I called the vet but before the vet came he was back eating vet checked him out anyway and could see a new tooth and told me it could have been because he had been trying to shed a cap that wouldnt come out. You know how we are when we lose our baby teeth if she has a cap hurting her when she tries to chew maybe that has discouraged her from trying to eat. Grasping at straws here.

Nita

 

[ShaunaL]

Good thoughts and prayers for Merry Beth to feel better quickly

 

[Genie]

Such a beautiful little lady. Good thoughts coming your way

 

[Marty]

She hasn't had a temp yestarday and there is no temp today either, I just took it again. No snotty nose, nothing like that. Her eyes are clear and bright and she is still very alert. Getting sick of being groomed though I think.

I'm trying to use what I have here on hand since the roads are iced over.

She had her dose of gastoguard eariler this morning and I just gave her a dose of tagamet for the day. I think she can only have one tab of that per day. And I got down about 20 cc of pepto. Not sure how much she can really have of that but it doesn't seem like nearly enough but at least this time she didn't land on the floor. I passed out hay to everyone and she came over and took a look and a snif and 1, and I mean 1 individual strand of hay to eat, that was it. Then she stuck her nose back in her food dish and I think she took 1 itty bitty bite, like just 1 pellet, then she returned to the corner of her stall. I have beet pulp soaking. I am going to try to give her a spoonful with applesauce.

I hope this doesn't turn into anything weird I can't handle, the ice isn't melting at all. Everyone is always so happy and healthy up here; don't know how this could have happened. I always try to keep them grazing on grass or hay to prevent ulcers. Sucks.

 

[Zipper]

Lots of good thoughts and prayers going your way Marty and Merry Beth.

 

[LittleRibbie]

Oh Marty, She sounds like what I descibed to you about SB last week...to the letter. Except it took SB alittle bit to poop. You were so helpful with your ideas and now I wish there were something I could say or do to help you and MaryBeth. I will call you later...but please, you too take care....we cant have you getting sick too!!

Healthy thoughts and prayers to you BOTH!!

Heidi

 

[RockRiverTiff]

I'll be praying for Merry Beth until we get a positive update Marty. It sounds like you're doing anything and everything you can--just try to stay sane in the process!

 

[Becky]

I waited all day for the banamine to wear off because I know you shouldn't give banamine when treating an ulcer.

I always give banamine when treating an ulcer if the horse isn't eating or drinking. All the vets I've used prescribe banamine as well. You need to get them eating and drinking again.

I've had a lot of experience with ulcer cases the past few years ( more than I want!) and you have to be really aggressive with the treatment. It involves banamine to relieve their discomfort initially, then tagamet or ranitidine 3 X daily, Ulcer or Gastro Guard 1 X day and sucralfate (if you have it) daily. Can you call your vet and discuss treatment over the phone?

The most important thing is getting the horse to drinking and they can eat. Offer small amounts of hay throughout the day. Eating helps to neutralize the acid production.

Please keep us posted.

 

[Miniv]

Marty,

We've only had a couple of ulcer cases over the years, so I can't really share anything of much value.....Just want to tell you that my healing thoughts and prayers are with you and Merry Beth. You must feeling terribly helpless being iced in.

I sure hope that the weather improves before your meds are used up.

Ma---

 

[MountainMeadows]

In my HUMBLE opinion, I have never seen ulcers develop "just overnight" as you are describing- especially when there have been no changes to her routine - really sounds more like a "bug" to me. It may be that something in lurking there but the temp hasn't spiked yet. For sure I would use the Ulcerguard as a preventative, but I would also be checking gum color, heart rate, temp and listening to her gut sounds to see if they are quiet or overly active. Maybe taking her for a walk off the property to get her to perk up and look at something new & different would get her mind off of herself and promote a little appetite. Might try a little squirt of electrolite past to encourage drinking.

I am sorry you are going thru all this when the weather is so horrible, we had a similar situation last year at the worst possible time so I feel your feeling of helplessness.

Good luck Marty & hugs to Merry Beth

Stac

 

[My2Minis]

Sending prayers for Merry Beth. I hope your sweet little horse pulls through.

 

[Sandee]

Are there any gut sounds? As long as there are some gut noises you can try home remedies. I've used Pepto and Maalox, corn oil, probiotics

My old gelding just coliced ( well close enough - stopped eating, no temp.,stopped drinking, lethargic). Fortunately, since he's so overweight, he didn't go down. I gave him Maalox in the morning which got him to poke around in the hay for a while. Wouldn't touch his beet pulp. In the afternoon I put a turkey baster about 1/2 full of corn oil down him and walked him. He finally passed a tiny bit of poop. Another dose of Maalox at supper and he took more hay. Then he was fine the next day - eating, drinking a lot etc.

We had a warm up in the weather but I'm guessing it was something in my hay that caused gas colic since my filly's pooh really reaked that night. Oh, and that combined with the fact that it's been so cold and snowy that they haven't gotten out to get any exercise.

Hope your problem is something similar and works out.

 

[JennyB]

[SIZE=12pt]Marty I will keep prayers

for Merry Beth and if it is ulcers then maybe she will get better in a few days ..Sounds like you are doing all you can....I had a young colt do what sounds like the same thing. He seemed ok and didn't have a temp or any other respratory conditions. He pooped and drank some water, but mostly mooped in his corner. We finally took him down to a vet hospital and they scoped him and he had a huge ball of food in his stomach which wasn't digesting. It wasn't causing colic either, but was irritating just enough to cause him not to eat anything else. They had to flush him out with water 3 times and scoped him 3 times, but it finally moved on through...hope that is not what Merry Beth has, but sounds similar. Just wanted to let you know. Let us know about her progress![/SIZE]

HUGS Marty

Jenny