COLIC - desperate for help

J

JETsCaribbeanMalibu

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My mare is suffering from colic as I type this, absolutely desperate for help with anyone who has gone through this and come out the other side with success... I have hours to make a decision for my best friend
 
oh man, sending many good thoughts to your mare, cross fingers *no experience myself* but bumping for you,
 
In my experience most colic is treatable with a few injections. Its only if you are very unlucky they end up needing surgery. What does your vet say.
 
Im so sorry, has she had it before? My lovely boy had a displaced colom and was really poorly but he recovered and is fine now. Im sure there is hope for your girl, keep positive ! Sending hugs x
 
Have had my mare for 15 years (she is 17). Never experienced this, very difficult to pin-point the prob, she is not passing faeces, she has had two vet visits, both with strong pain killing injections - i have lunged her, but am living on borrowed time, as vet will not visit and inject anymore
 
Why on earth wont your vet come any more, very unprofessional behaviour. I would be ringing a different vet.

Personally I wouldn't lunge a horse with colic, perhaps a gentle walk round the yard.
 
You need to act quickly with colic if the anti-spasmodic injection is doing nothing, then you have an impaction or a twist contact your vet and get and immediate referral, you will regret not doing anything, no go kick some ass, its your horse, you care the most now do the most! x
 
I dont know what to do - I wish i knew the answer. Its trying to juggle everything and do the right thing. Mindfully I am convinced the cause is that she has eaten rotten hay left in the field "as a jump" which after her condition I noticed has disappeared (been eaten???)
 
I would also advise the gentle walking rather than lunging. I know they recommend leaving them in now and allowing them to roll etc but I have always walked mine because that is just what we always did and the walking seems to help ease the pain. If they are out in the field they walk themselves in between rolls so they seem to think it help them. I hope her symptoms ease relatively quickly, poor girl!
 
I'm confused now, if she was suffering from agonising colic for two days I would expect her to be dead by now. Is she just a bit off colour and not eating or passing anything,
 
At 7pm yesterday all appeared fine. At 8pm she wanted to lay down and role, but couldnt be "bothered" to get up even when the dog was within 2 feet of her which is very unusual - that rung a few alarm bells - I brought her into the yard for her feed, but she didnt want to eat anything, she went over to the grass in the yard and proceeded to get down again, with the possibility of rolling again - I promptly got her up and got her back into the field where it was safer for her and called the vet out.
 
She has passed a little bit of wind - but minimal. The second visit by the vet today (with blood test taken) the vet did rectal examination (this is the second one as she also had one yesterday), she listened to her chest both before and after doing a false feed through the nose with fluid. This did cause a minimal reaction and my mare passed a very little bit of faeces, but then immediately wanted to get on the floor from the pain - this is when the vet administered her second pain killer. On vets advice I have lightly lunged her - walk and gentle trot.
 
She had her second painkiller at about 3pm this afternoon. When I called the vet she was down in the field and refusing to get up from a flat position. However vet took more than an hour to get to me and by this time I had her up and walking on the lunge and a bit more comfortable. But after the false feed with the water pipe and a "tiny" faece, she went down on the ground in pain - which is when the second painkiller was administered. Vet left with instructions to lightly lunge every 45 mins, for about 10 mins, which i did until about 9pm this evening.
 
Who is caring for her now is she at home with you?
It may help to take her out of the stable every hour for a short walk.
Her pain relief will be wearing off so she may get worse through the night.
If she has passed something that may be a good sign but colic for over 24 hours is not good and you may have to make a hard decision .The option of sending her for more tests being one choice.
I hope she can start to improve soon, you really need to get the vet back if she gets worse.
 
Vet has been good, giving advice and has been helpful, but the change now is because she has had two painkillers they would want to examine further with the prospect of an operation - I feel more time/patience is needed, with the help possibly of a further painkiller - but I could of course be wrong.
 
We found that walking really helps. Constant gentle walking - rather than strenuous exercise - even if it's hours.
My mare originally had colic surgery which was successful - but she was very young and the post care is a lot for any horse and owner to go through. I'm not sure I would put my 13 yr old gelding through it now.

Best of luck x
 
She is not in her stable, but in the field, as I feel this is far safer for her to go down as and when she needs to, and no risk of getting cast, or banging herself. Trust me she is bruised all over from this experience, and her face is swollen - i am crying as i type this, she so does not deserve this, she is a dream to own.
 
OK, I'm no vet but I would do the following.

Ring the vet immediately and describe her condition. The vet will either come back or advise you to take her in.

I dont want to be harsh but you need to make some decisions.

Can you afford/ are insured for expensive treatment and surgery. Can you cope with the months of box rest which follows. Is your mares general health good enough to survive this.

If not then you have two choices, get the vet to PTS or if she is not in a lot of pain give her some more time.

You could of course take her in but specify what treatment you will allow, for example injections, fluids etc are OK but no surgery.

I'm sending you both hugs and hope your mare gets better. Wishing you all the luck in the world.
 
Thank you Destiny, now you are reading from the same hymn sheet - its the fear of putting her through something, a) I dont know how I feel about her going through that b) am I able to give her all the care to get her 100% back to good c) financially i think speaks for itself - the bills in the last two days alone have broke me.
 
She shoulnt be left out in the field in this state and should be supervised, I agree that she may get cast in a stable but I have had a horse with colic that when he came out of the painkiller went mad with pain and would have run through any fence.
Have you got anyone to help you this should not be dealt with alone.
 
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