Advice - colic yesterday not eating today

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sue4571

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Awful week. We had one pony with mild colic Tuesday (16yr old Highland gelding) but walked round and was ok afterwards and back to normal now. Second pony coliced last night - this one totally different, down, sweating, rolling, thrashing. (She is 17yr old Highland mare). Vet got here quick and settled her, she was up, and looking better in herself. This morning she was up but would only pick at a bit of hay. Walked out to handgraze but not v interested in grass. Put back. Lay down. Got up again this afternoon, had a mouthful of grass, back in, lying down. Ate one tiny bit of carrot from hand. Not interested.
Vet been out again, taken droppings sample and done blood tests.
Dreading tonight.
Any ideas of what we can do meanwhile?
Both ponies from same field - walked it, nothing unusual. Routine not changed.
Thanks
 
Going by my previous experiences, other than keep checking your horse and being ready to phone the vet again, there isn't a huge amount you can do. Maybe keep an eye on the heart rate, this is a very good indicator of how bad the colic is.

Colic is horrible, I've recently lost a horse to it. Fingers crossed you have a good outcome.
 
I hope she's ok now.

Sometimes I think it can leave them feeling bruised & battered so that they can be quiet & off their feed for a day or two. That said I'd keep a very close eye on her & call the vet if I had the slightest doubt, which is exactly what you are doing. You know your pony, and so you're the best one to judge whether she'll be better in or out, left alone or kept company to jolly her along. Sometimes if they're in they just seem to focus on how poorly they feel & lay down, put them out & they'll have a little more interest & pootle about then start to nibble.

If you're happy she isn't still suffering a low level of colic then an old fall back of mine is to soak a small handful of high fibre nuts in warm water & offer it as a lukewarm soupy mash. For some reason they'll sometimes have a go at this, and once they start eating they seem more inclined to carry on. If she doesn't eat it don't leave it there, take it away & offer a fresh one in an hour or so.
 
Thanks you two, its so upsetting and any ideas welcome.
She didnt eat or drink anything at all yesterday and lay down for most ofthe day. We got her out of her stable and walked her to some grass a couple of times, but not interested. Other than that we just sat with her. The vet offered painkillers again last night, but we had some bute and mixed that with some apple juice in a syringe and gave her that.
This morning she was up at 7am when I looked but didnt acknowledge me, and had been up and down since. Breathing was laboured, so did the apple and bute again.
The vet has now rung with poo and blood tests. Nothing wrong on either. Nothing abnormal in bloods at all and worm count negligable.
He is now as confused as us.
We had another theory as she has had tooth probs in the past and wondered if it was massive toothache pain and not 'colic' and we just thought that as the other one coliced - but vet just listened and humoured us I think. If she had any infection she would have a high temp and again he said something would show in bloods - but all normal.
We need to get some liquid into her. Her breath smells dreadful.
Any ideas? She is very depressed now. Im just desperate. Ive had her 14yrs
Sue
 
Bute is an anti inflammatory, but not an anti spasmodic. If she is colicing, and antispasmodic will help with the pain.

Has she passed any droppings?

Has she been tubed? Ileus (where the intestine is in a constans spasm) can prevent the stomach contents moving from the stomach into the gut, which can cause foul smelling breath.
 
sue4571 said:
Thanks you two, its so upsetting and any ideas welcome.
She didnt eat or drink anything at all yesterday and lay down for most ofthe day. We got her out of her stable and walked her to some grass a couple of times, but not interested. Other than that we just sat with her. The vet offered painkillers again last night, but we had some bute and mixed that with some apple juice in a syringe and gave her that.
This morning she was up at 7am when I looked but didnt acknowledge me, and had been up and down since. Breathing was laboured, so did the apple and bute again.
The vet has now rung with poo and blood tests. Nothing wrong on either. Nothing abnormal in bloods at all and worm count negligable.
He is now as confused as us.
We had another theory as she has had tooth probs in the past and wondered if it was massive toothache pain and not 'colic' and we just thought that as the other one coliced - but vet just listened and humoured us I think. If she had any infection she would have a high temp and again he said something would show in bloods - but all normal.
We need to get some liquid into her. Her breath smells dreadful.
Any ideas? She is very depressed now. Im just desperate. Ive had her 14yrs
Sue
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I'm sorry to be negative, really, I don't want to upset/worry you, but if this was my horse I'd be getting the vet back pronto, if they are only humouring you, get another vet. The laboured breathing is a sure sign of a horse in pain :( The breath smelling awful isn't a good sign either.

What was the horses heart rate when they checked it? Has the horse had any Finadon or Buscopan etc? (depends on the type of colic what drugs they get) What colour are the membranes in her mouth, they should be quite a dark pink colour, if they are going very pale and dark lines are appearing round her teeth you need a vet ASAP, her circulation is being compromised. Is she 'tucked up' and/or sweaty at all?

Lots of vibes to you and your horse, I hope you get to the bottom of it.
 
get a vet asap, colic can grumble on for a few days but you mare is not eating or drinking and is showing what sound like indicators of severe pain, she will need drugs according to what is going on-she may not be suffering from colic at all but what ever is going on she needs to be kept comfortable, my vet came out every day for 11 days for my daughters mare, he always left with 'if anything changes or you are worried call my mobile, I will answer whatever the time of day or night' we tried different drugs on advice from specialists when she did not respond as expected, we had to have her PTS due to heart failure on the 12 day despite our best efforts symptoms had been masking symptoms and made diagnosis difficult-the one thing that sticks with me is that we could not have done anymore for her and she was kept comfortable all the time-I would be distraught if she had ended her days suffering due to lack of medical attention
 
I have rung the vet and he is coming out again. I really dont understand that everything is showing up normal. It is a lovely sunny day here and as she was going nowhere I left the stable door open so she can see what is happening on the yard, but she came out and followed the girl who was mucking out around in and out if stables. So we let her into a tiny paddock off the yard with grass and she wandered a bit and then came out again back onto the yard. She doesnt know what she does want but at least she is moving about.
I agree the vet should be able to cure the pain, and if he can do that she should then feel llike eating or drinking, but where it is we do not know.
The vet just rang to say he is leaving now but says bute is ok as a painkiller but he says she is making no progress and everything is normal so it doesnt look good. He said it coukld be anything - like a bleeding tumour or anything????
 
We have just wiped her nose which has a greenish discharge and she has dribbled a bit of clear liquid - which fills me with horror as we had one about 20yrs ago with grass sickness and that was something I will never forget. It couldnt be that could it??? That is always May time though.
 
what is her heart rate?

we had bloods run and everything was normal, the mare had an increased heart rate and was occasionally showing spasmodic colic symptoms, she had a reduced appetite for 3 days and then stopped eating for her final night-she was full of fluid and there was no space left for food but there was only a visible change in her body shape after the journey to the horspital.

if she is not eating then bute is not a good painkiller as it is hard on the stomach and if her pain is that great it will be ineffective-like you taking an asprin as opposed to prescription painkillers when in severe pain
 
sue4571 said:
We have just wiped her nose which has a greenish discharge and she has dribbled a bit of clear liquid - which fills me with horror as we had one about 20yrs ago with grass sickness and that was something I will never forget. It couldnt be that could it??? That is always May time though.
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it is not always may it can happen any time of year but may is the peak time, my vet suspected grass sickness on the first day our mare was ill but as she perked up for 48hrs it was discounted.

good luck with her
 
Thanks everyone but the outcome is the worst and we have just had Coral put to sleep. She deteriorated in the last couple of hours really rapidly and had a green discharge from mouth and nose. Her system just closed down at the end. So very very sad but I knew there was no coming back from that. She was 17 and not that old but there was no hope. I couldnt let her suffer longer. x
 
So sorry to here that you had to have your mare pts - its the hardest thing to do having to make that awful decision. When l had to have my pony put down l was left devastated but although its hard time is a great healer. All l can say is you'll never forget her & have lots of memories to treasure of your special girl. Big hugs xxx
 
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