at a loss what to do !!!

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racebuddy

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my horse is 15 years old, suffered numerous bouts of colic, nearly lost him few months ago, he has been doing really well but only gone 8 weeks and then has coliced again although did settle within half an hour, i opted not to do the sx route as not insured and didnt want to put him throught that sort of sx, he is treated as if has ulcers which he probably has, on readymash extra and alfa a oil, careful re turnout as gets stressed when out to long , strict routine also, on pre and pro biotics also, i am just in two minds as to what to do as i love him to picies but do not want him to keep colicking, fortunatley i have been there each time so i have managed to get vets in time ect, i just dont know how much is enough as it has taken him few months to recover from the last lot of colic any ideas greatly received. xx
 
How much is the vet costing you for colic per year?

If you think its ulcer related is it viable to pay out for a course of GastroGard?
 
I would speak to your vet and ask them their opinion and go from there. You have to think of whats best for him at the end of the day if he's going to colic frequently then I think I would pts. But if the vet thinks they can help him and he will go on to live a normal life then thats great. One of my friends up my yard recently lost her 18 year old horse to colic it was so awful to see him in so much pain. Unfortunately he had a twisted large intestine and my friend had to make the difficult decision whether to go for surgery or pts. The vet said he might not survive the anaesthetic and the operation itself was risky and even if he survived it rehabilitation would have been tough for him and of course there was no guarantee he would make a full recovery so she made the difficult decision to pts. The strange thing is he had major surgery on his legs a year to the day he got colic and was pts so I think it was his way of saying he had had enough. Good luck with what ever you decide.
 
Pocket_Rocket said:
I would speak to your vet and ask them their opinion and go from there. You have to think of whats best for him at the end of the day if he's going to colic frequently then I think I would pts. But if the vet thinks they can help him and he will go on to live a normal life then thats great. One of my friends up my yard recently lost her 18 year old horse to colic it was so awful to see him in so much pain. Unfortunately he had a twisted large intestine and my friend had to make the difficult decision whether to go for surgery or pts. The vet said he might not survive the anaesthetic and the operation itself was risky and even if he survived it rehabilitation would have been tough for him and of course there was no guarantee he would make a full recovery so she made the difficult decision to pts. The strange thing is he had major surgery on his legs a year to the day he got colic and was pts so I think it was his way of saying he had had enough. Good luck with what ever you decide.
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This ^^^. I lost my old boy to colic two years after he had surgery. I wouldn't have had the surgery tbh but I was out of the country so the decision was made in my absence.
 
This is a horrible decision to consider. I would raise the possibility of pts with the vets in advance of any decision having to be made, try to understand the process and what will happen and what ALL your options are. Can you pop into the vets for a quick chat at any point?
That way when you're in the heat of the moment and emotions are running high you can discuss the option with a little bit of forethought and some understanding, instead of it being raised there and then and making a stressful situation worse.
 
My 16 y.o. pony mare had emergency colic surgery five years ago, made a complete recovery and has never had colic since. For me the operation was a success and I never regretted it. My vets did say that ponies seem to have a higher success rate.
 
Hi, firstly sorry to hear your chap is going through this, its not easy, secondly talk to your vet about having him scoped to check if he doesactually have ulcers. It is better for you and your vet to know what you are dealing with and a scope should give a clear definition although an outlay to check. Then if you need gastrogaurd which is expensive you won't be wasting your money.
Also have you used coligone - it does work in some cases and there is a lady on here who is connected to it - h'smum I think. (very helpful)

If it isn't ulcers then you need to discuss with your vet - Operations can work in an emergency, but its the aftercare that is also important - there were 2 posts on here regarding operating and colic - which I suggest you have a read (it might put into perspective if you get to a stage where an op is the only option and prepare you for the decision)

And lastly good luck
 
thank you for your replies, i discussed at length a few weeks ago with my vet as he was so ill last time and he was very nearly pts as a result but thankfully recovered , he was trated for gstroguard but did not respond at all despite haveing the tx, we disscussed possible casues ulcers, twist , tumour ect and decided that we would give him 24 hours, after a horrible few days he perked up and doing well for the last few weeks without any problems, i discussed again with my vet coupe of weeks ago and agreed that as long as he was healthy ect and enjoying life happy to carry on, obviousily has coliced again, he is breaking my heart as when does not show any signs og colci is so bright and happy and enjoing work. will have to have along think and discussion, appreciating the advice many thanks
 
i would try to find out WHY he is colicing. ? diet - needs long stem fibre based diet. ulcers? scope to find out if he has them. worming? is he clear from worms? do a worm count. previous gut damage from a worm burden? need to know his history really. stress? why is he a stressy type? does his routine/yard not suit him? work? suitable for him? teeth .. is he chewing his food well enough? is he drinking enough .. monitor for 48 to72 hours? bedding is he eating his bed?turnout?.. what is the grass like? is there a weed burden or acorns or hedging that he is bingeing on? once you have found the cause of the colic then you can make educated choices.
 
pro and pre biotics in his feed might help, as they feed the healthy gut flora. electolytes in his water if he is not drinking enough. what are the day to day quality of his pooh? hard and well formed, soft and well formed, slightly loose, or runny? any undigested matter coming throough? all up for discussion with the vet to form a good plan of action.
 
OP - having just gone through the surgery bit unfortunately unsuccessfully I would think carefully NOW while he is still ok if he has another crisis and takes a turn for the worse. It is better to have a plan when you are calm and not in crisis mode. One of the difficulties I had when we were in emergency mode was keeping my brain calm enough to make the right decision. I think I did at the end of the day, (chose an operation) but given the cost and the risk of it working out, you could end up making a hasty decision, ending up with a suffering horse and eventually no horse and being in debt. I was covered for most of the surgical costs & for the loss of the horse, but I think if I didn't have insurance ( and knowing what the effects of the surgery are on the horse) I might have made a different decision.
Every situation is different, but run through your options and do speak to your vet about it so that you are prepared for any eventuality. I hope with correct management you can avoid another incident. Take a big breath, stay calm, and good luck!
 
hi thank you for all your replies , he has been up top date with re to worming and has regualr worm counts done also, no history known as was a rescue which is hard as dodnt know any history at all , he enjoys being worked and copes well with his ridden work and when goes out competing although had a very easy year this year , he was in more hard work last year and competing every wkend and never coliced once, the turnout has always been difficult as he doesnt like staying out hence he only has a couple of hours turnout, when out gets on well with my other horses, he had time off when he coliced last time to allow him time to recover , still coliced when not in work, he is on high fibre only diet plus pre and pro bitoics, has had full bloods done, all ok apart from showed he had tyed up. thank you for your ideas.
 
tx and sx, please try to make it clear what you mean :eek:
I would keep him on as lib hay that is to say 24/7 [I am assuming that so far there is no link from grazing to colicking?], and one or two small [125gm feeds] of, for example Dengie Hi Fi chaff, plus minerals with pre and probiotics, and for a while, use as a happy hacker, keep him unstressed and see what happens, it is a very extreme position to put down when they seem perfectly OK.
Monitor his day to day status... poo normal/ oee normal? respiration rate, gums, skin elasticity, muzzle tension, tension generally, tail swishing, resting heartbeat, and gut movement [stethoscope].
By checking every day you will pick up on any change immediately.
Keep a stock of stuff from the vet so you can treat immediately, and not wait till symptoms escalate.
Use a bedding he will not eat.
If he colics when you are sure there is no management reason, then I would re consider at the time, not today.
 
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thank you again for your replies, he has regualr checks through week on resps and heart rate ect, i try and keep him as stress free as i possibly can, i certainly do not want to pts unless i feel he is suffering as he was so bad last time the vets agreed that if he coliced agaain within 24 hours then time to call it a day, obvisily came through and done really well up until last week, he is on alfa oil, ready mash extra as instruced by vet, his teeth are also up to date, thank you for your suggesttions.
 
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