Colic AGAIN!

[Taboo1968]

My TB had a bought of colic late December whilst he was stabled 24/7..... (Some may remember my post To Walk or Not To Walk)

Said TB has been turned out since 24//7 and brought back into work slowly.... Nothing has changed in his diet, nothing changed to upset him, worming programme all up to date etc etc

However last night, YO screamed for me from the field as he was colicing again, looks like we caught it in early stages, but it was still enough for him to want to keep going down! No messing this around this time with walking, called vet and waited.....

Vet seems to think that this time it was caused by the grass coming through, so I cant win! I cant have him out, I cant have him in!!! Any suggestions for managing a rather sensitive tummy?

 

[AmyMay]

Has he moved fields recently??

 

[Taboo1968]

Nope! Absolutely nothing has changed!!!???

 

[Happy Horse]

It would be worth speaking with H's Mum - she had trouble with her horse and grass I think.

 

[Ferdinase514]

Similar to problem Finni has.

Just be careful turning out in Sprin and Autumn, consider some Coligone or antacids and pro/prebiotics (can never remember which!)

Also, my vet suggested to me last week that Finni may have gastric ulcers - typical for breed and age, which could cause some discomfort. Symptoms seem to fit.

He would need to be scoped and treated with proton pump inhibitors, then rescoped to check if treatment has worked......

 

[Taboo1968]

Thanks Finn, never thought of Gastric Ulcers, but your right, the symptoms seem to fit.... I'll stick him on a digestive supplement today and see how we go..... He's also due worming in a weeks time and I am now a little apprehensive as I dont want to bring on another bout of colic!!! Suggestions for that? i.e do it over two days instead of stuffing it all down his throat?
This was the horse that NEVER had any problems. lived out all last year on lush grass etc etc? So there is definately something going on in there!

 

[Ferdinase514]

Fortunately, I've never had a problem with worming (said whilst clutching wooden desk

)

Ulcers might be the cause then, if it's a new thing.

 

[AmyMay]

If it is gastric ulcers then a digestive suppliment is unlikely to be enough, as the horse could also be aneamic. May be worth having a blood test done.

 

[mlm]

we had a tb pony that kept getting colic. same as you did it when left in or turned out last bout she had lasted 4 days vet tubed her twice we walked her out every hour and eventually took her in to hospital on the 4th day. when they took her in she also had a heart murmer (rated scale 4) that was not there before and we had a 5 stage vet done when we bought her. she was hospitalised on monday given 40 litres of fluid. by wednesday she was out in the field at vets no heart murmer that had gone. my vet said that it was probably gastric ulcers as most tb race horses have them and are always on medication. she advised us to give him limestone flour it was approx £4.00 for a big tub i think it was made by naf. it worked a treat. never had colic again. for that price it is worth a try.

 

[Dougie]

loads of horses colic this time of year with the grass coming through, they gorge on loads of grass then because the gut is working so, it becomes sore and gets gas filled due to the amount of food breakdown.

if its a gastric ulcer, which it may be, as these occur when increasing the horses work load or if the horse is in constant hard work e.g race horse or grade A SJ. coligone(H's mums product) claims to work for gastric ulcers, however i have never used it but many people on here have.

did the vet say what type of colic he had??

 

[Shilasdair]

Quick point about worming over two days - if it is a double dose wormer for tapeworm, then you have to give it all at once or it's ineffective.....
S

 

[Ferdinase514]

[ QUOTE ]
. she advised us to give him limestone flour it was approx £4.00 for a big tub i think it was made by naf. it worked a treat. never had colic again. for that price it is worth a try.

[/ QUOTE ]

Limestone contains calcium carbonate, main component of antacids and so would relive the symptoms of ulcers, but would not get rid of them as the amount of acid being produced would not change.

In order to "cure" the ulcers a proton pump inhibitor, such as Omeprazole, would be needed.

(can you tell i've been reading up on this?!)

 

[Dougie]

ooooh get u!!! suppose we can remove ur dunce hat....just for tonight

 

[Taboo1968]

LOL!!! Well I am pleased to report that he is back to his usual Victor Meldrew self, pulling faces and being the general grump he is!

Will be having a chat with the vets tomorrow about investigative work.... Obviously want to know if there are ulcers...... strange how he has gone from being the horse who lived out all last year on very lush grass to being such a sensitive person!!!

But for now, fingers crossed, all is well again!

BTW it was Gassy Colic.....

 

[Dougie]

they can colic twice withing a month and they two episodes are not necessarly related!!

if it was 'gassy' colic (spasmodic colic if your looking it up) then its unlikely to be ulcers it may just be down to the new grass which a hell of alot horses colic with. horses are very poorly designed in general! dont worry too much im sure e will be fine and u have just been unlucky to get two colic episodes so close together

 

[Taboo1968]

Thanks Dougie..... Think I'm being very unlucky at the moment as he had a bout in November, another on Dec 28th and then this one yesterday!!!

The vet reckoned it was the new grass, and added that they were extremely busy with colic cases at the moment!!

He will go back out tomorrow for a few hours and fingers crossed, wont try that trick again!

 

[Dougie]

december and noember what kind of colic? if they were impactions they is highly possible due to being in 24/7 as the guts arent working as much(if that makes sense) and he will be having hay instead of grass which has much less water hence impaction. however 3 episodes...could be pure coincidence but a wee check over will do no harm

 

[Taboo1968]

Gassy both times before as well! But agree that those probably due to being in 24/7..... Luckily no impactions (and he is not allowed a laptop or a mobile phone so that he can get tips on how to perform those either!)

yesterdays was caught very early, the last two attacks were quite nasty..... in fact the last one had me in a blind panic and in tears!

I agree, it will do no harm for him to have the once over, forarmed is forewarned etc etc

 

[Dougie]

pmsl!! dont worry my lap top may die soon, dog keeps salivatating on it!

its strange that it has been spasmodic all three times, again could be coincidence but who knows with those blooming creatures!! or he may just be a junkie and enjoy the drugs

 

[Taboo1968]

rofl - never thought of that - my horse is addicted to Buscopan!!!

I swear he does it to get attention! You see mummy has confiscated his laptop and taken his mobile phone away and given it to the new boy who is far more superior to him.... so I guess he is trying all the tricks in the book to get my full attention! Only thing is, it works everytime! But he still hasn't learnt that when he does this, he gets no hard feed, although he begs and begs when he hears buckets rattling! He can have breakfast tomorrow! And then no doubt he will stand there sneering at the warmblood yelling, ha ha, you see your not top dog all the time!

 

[Dougie]

hey buscopan is yummy...dougie gets tablets whens he eats too many sweeties

pmsl, think thats the worst bit about a colic is starving the, bless they just look at u when all other horses are getting hay and brekkie then they get a bran mash and look at u as if to say WTF is this crap???

 

[Taboo1968]

Before serving breakfast tomorrow I shall try and get a photo of the "Well woman where's MY food then" look..... Bless him he looks so sweet when there are buckets being rattled! He has that inquisitive eye about him and you can just imagine him saying Where's mine! Vet said only hay so he hasn't even had bran mash! No doubt he will be very happy tomorrow morning when meals on legs arrives at yard!

 

[Dougie]

oh please do a pic some of the faces they pull are hilariuos!! especialy the "oh sh*t theres the vet....quick hide at the back of the stable they cant see u" or the "i know that noise...fuk its those bloomin clippers"!!!

 

[Taboo1968]

His normal look is one of total disgust especially when the saddlery is walking towards him..... its the Do I have to work look! When we clip, we get the Oh for gods sake woman, dont you know how cold it is, give me those clippers and I'll shave your hair off so you can understand how I feel look.....

In fact most things with him have "a look" I always remember when I took him to his first dressage party and there was a horse loose, and everything else was just pratting about dancing around, and he just stood there with the For gods sake, why are you wasting all that energy look on his face.....

Of course yesterday we had the "my tummy hurts and I feel rather poorly look" and the "Oh god that stethascope is cold look" then we had the "Ouch that bloody hurt look" when he had the injection, then we had the "Do you really expect me to walk around like this" look..... then to top it all after the vet declaring that he needed to fart, we had the "excuse me, I'm far too refined to fart look" Finally there was the "Oh for gods sake woman, turn the lights out and go home, I've had my drugs, I'm eating my hay, now its you who looks awful look"

Wouldn't be without him though!

 

[Dougie]

pmsl! im actually sitting here in tears of laughter!! he sounds like my ideal horse!!!

its when u approach with three rugs of multiple colours and get the " they so clash dont you know!" look or when u ask for a canter the "u get off ad run ur bloomin self if u want" or when jumping the " look bitch u may enjoy but im fed up of this pointless jumping over these mankey poles now give me more hayledge and kindly toodle off"

 

[Taboo1968]

ooooh no I get the " I know your terrified of jumping woman so I'm gonna throw myself over that cross country fence as high as I possibly can" look (and he does it as well!!!) As well as the "excuse me, I'm not wearing that purple rug, just cos you like purple doesn't mean I have to agree look"

I think his best look is the "Bug off I'm eating my dinner" look, which is normally accompanied by bared teeth and ears flat back! We even have the "watch that hind leg woman, you come a step closer to my feed bucket and its gonna get ya" look!

He is such a lovely boy, would never part with him for the world, but if he was human, he'd be Victor Meldrew.... I can just hear him now.... I dont believe it, I'm poorly and she's not given me any food.....

 

[Dougie]

nothing beats the im a chestnut racing mare who became a brood mare last month, my ears are constantly back will happily take a chunk out for the hell of it and my back legs are quicker than dougie after the french rugby team!! oh and i refuse to be caught so will just spin round threating to kick if thats ok with u, u commoner

 

[Fiona_C]

We are talking about the horse who I swear would love a mirror in his stable so he can practice these "looks".

He is full of character!

 

[Taboo1968]

Sounds about right for him!

 

[Dougie]

oh god he is the horse version of me