Colic Advice Please? (Sorry, a bit long)

[finefeathers1]

Poor horsey had his third dose of colic on Friday night. Everyone says buy a nice cob, they are no trouble .......

I just want some advice please from you kind people out there. To give you some background, the nag in question is a 14.3hh 16 year old irish cob who is hacked 4or 5 times a week and lightly schooled and gets taken out to the odd 'party' for a bit of fun. He's out as much as possible, fed a small portion of cool mix in the morning and evening (mainly cos daughters eventer gets mega feed, they are stabled next door, and he gets jealous), add lib hay when he is in and we've been on our yard 3 years or so and we are both very, very happy.

Anyway, he's on full livery, so he was done for me at about 5.00 pm, and at about 6.30 pm on my way over to the yard I received a call from my daughter. He was squealing in pain, trying to kick himself and rolling around. I got there within 10 minutes and called the vet out as my ususally very stoic boy was obviosly in pain. Vet diagnosed spasmodic colic. Now he had been kept in for a couple of days as he had been out munching and was starting to get a bit on the porky side. I would add, he does get a good quantity of hay if he is in. Vet reckons its a change in routine.

Now this is odd, as the same thing happened last year. He ended up going to PC camp with my daughter as my daughters eventer had injured herself jumping out of a paddock to get to the boys!!!! He was stabled for 4 days and I gather he wasnt too happy. On the 5th day, he showed the same symptons, which resulted in the vet coming out. On both times it was very bad spasmodic colic. The third time was when he was full of grass and it eventually went away without a vet coming.

Now, my horse is well cared for, is on a nice yard with lots to look at, but peaceful as well. He is in quite a lot in the winter and we dont get these issues. I am now worried about leaving him in just in case the same thing happens again.

Can anyone offer any advice, or have they had a similar thing happen to them. By the way, he is fine now.

 

[tullystud]

One of my liveries has a pony that is healthy in all respects but everytime we move fields her pony colics unless we severely restrict grass and reintroduce very slowly to new field. Spasmodic colic. Vet recommended probiotics so a couple of weeks before the change in field she adds probiotics to the ponies feed. This has reduced the number and severity of colics.

vet had suggested yoghurt which is cheaper but the pony didn't like it. The other cheaper option is small amounts of crushed charcoal in the feed although the pony didn't like that either. But a few ideas to try whenever there is a change of diet or routine.

 

[finefeathers1]

Unfortunately he wont eat bran mash! We've tried this before and he hates it with a passion which is odd seeing as he lives to eat, not the other way around. Might try the yoghurt - I presume its not the flavoured sort?

 

[hellspells]

My old girlie was very prone to attacks of spasmotic colic. I was suggested all sorts but the few things that helped her...instead of having her feed as one big one, it went in a treat ball - slow tyrical (sp) feed rather than one big one that could be inhaled rather than eaten!!! Has he been wormed recently or have you have a worm egg count done? (maybe worth looking into - one type and I can't remember which can cause spasmotic colic). Soaked hay and movement - even if its in a bare area like a arena or such.

Hope your boy is feeling better!!

 

[kellyeaton]

it could be due to change in routine it could stress him out. Is he wormed up to date? you say he wont eat bran mash have you tried adding apple juice or mint to eat? have you tried a pre/pro biotic to try help settling his stomach as well?