Colic a displaced colon.

pistolpete

pistolpete

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A friends pony is currently in hospital having colicked badly on Saturday. He’s only young and he doesn’t seem to be improving. My poor friend is beside herself with worry. She’s not really explained to me what’s going on. Could someone please explain to me the protocol for treatment of displacement colic? Surgery hasn’t been mentioned but it seems head hardly been fed since Sunday night. Thanks.
 
Well seems we have a diagnosis. Sand colic! So anyone that’s had experience of that please. How do you mange them? Obviously he can have psyllium husk and sand ex added to his feed. Vet has said hay available in field at all times too but yard won’t allow that!
 
Psyllium husk one week on, three weeks off, feeding hay in slow feeders with solid bases/off the floor and making sure they drink enough (speedibeet in feeds and no added sugar blackcurrant and apple squash in a bucket - with always the option of plain fresh clean water available too.
In horsepital protocol is (I think!!!) Epsom salt flushes, fluids, drugs to improve peristalsis, pain relief.... Tube feeding and surgery if no progress after a few days
Hope your friend's horse gets better quickly 🤞🤞🤞🤞
 
@Dave's Mam has first hand experience of sand colic, I believe.

The yard is failing in their duty of care if they refuse to comply with the vet’s instructions to hay in the field. Grazing a bare field may well have contributed to the accumulation of sand in the gut.

Owner might have to move the horse.

Sand colic can be fatal.
 
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Tiddlypom said:
@Dave's Mam has first hand experience of sand colic, I believe.

The yard is failing in their duty of care if they refuse to comply with the vet’s instructions to hay in the field. Grazing a bare field may well have contributed to the accumulation of sand in the gut.

Owner might have to move the horse.

Sand colic can be fatal.
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Exactly. It’s so tricky! Glad it’s not my decision.
 
Yes, unfortunately Dave had sand colic Nov 2023. He spent 4 nights in vet hospital & was found to have a vast amount of sand. Treated with epsom salts & psyllium, via tube initially. He was also very dehydrated, so he had fluids too.
He has psyllium for the first 7 days of every month & I regularly do a poo test in a clear plastic glove with water, if there's sand in the poo it will sink to the bottom. This is not a definitive test, but it's a guide.
 
Dave's Mam said:
Yes, unfortunately Dave had sand colic Nov 2023. He spent 4 nights in vet hospital & was found to have a vast amount of sand. Treated with epsom salts & psyllium, via tube initially. He was also very dehydrated, so he had fluids too.
He has psyllium for the first 7 days of every month & I regularly do a poo test in a clear plastic glove with water, if there's sand in the poo it will sink to the bottom. This is not a definitive test, but it's a guide.
Click to expand...
Thank you that’s really helpful.
 
Gloi said:
If this poor boy has got sand colic from being in this field it would be a good idea to test any other horses in the same field and maybe feed them psyllium too. It is bad management on the part of the yard owner.
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Bizarrely no other (out of 40 ish) horses on my yard have been affected. But yes, good idea to get some psyllium through them all.
 
I too have experience of sand colic - sadly it didn't end well. When I was first bedridden with ME my lovely but novice friend kindly took my endurance/driving/XC pony on loan as I was in no state to look after him. I didn't realise that the fields he was kept in had no piped water, just a sandy bottomed stream. After repeated bouts of colic over a period of 2 years, which she kept from me as she didn't want to worry me, he suffered a final bout where the attending vet pronounced him literally full of sand and he was pts. This was many years ago, and I am sure treatment has moved on. I hope your friend's horse makes a full recovery.
 
I know it’s now been diagnosed with sand colic but my then 5-6yr old did have a displaced colon and was operated on nearly two years ago. No bowel was removed and fortunately (touch wood) recovery was uncomplicated and he’s not had any issues since. 🤞
 
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