Colic from High Fibre Cubes

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Fransurrey

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Having started my old boy on the above on Tuesday (mixed in with Hi-Fi), I can only assume he gorged it too fast. Yesterday he was looking VERY sorry for himself and I thought he'd had a stroke at one point.

I'm in the 'lucky' position of never having had a colicking horse/pony before, so I called a friend who helped me out. One thing that worried me, though, was his walking. He was completely uncoordinated, falling over his own legs. I left him with only Hi-Fi yesterday (he can't eat hay) as he was obviously on the right side of the colic and starting to show signs of wanting to eat and when I checked him a couple of hours later, he was again 200% better, walking normally for him, too.

Has anyone else seen lack of coordination as a result of colic? It's certainly not something I've learnt. There were no signs of thrashing, but he had been lying down, so hopefully just a mild bout (I hate the thought of him being in pain overnight and me blissfully unaware, snoring).

At times like this, I wish I was on a yard!!!
 
Are you sure it wasnt more likly a sort of migraine? cause im sure horses must get them? Ive never know lack of coordination due to colic.. and in the same breath I have never known a horse get colic from hifibre cubes.. they are.. after all.. only grass nuts.

Lou x
 
In answer to your question about lack of co-ordination and colic, yes, my friends horse was walking like a crab when he had severe spasmodic colic as a way of relieving the pain as he walked. Horses may also stand with their front legs pushed forwards and their back legs pushed back so they give the impression that they are stood in a 'showing' type of position. I think I read somewhere that this action stops the bowel from pressing on something which again relieves pain. Horses can exhibit very strange symptoms when colicking. Mine stands in the corner of his stable with his head down and sometimes presses his face against the wall and once whilst at a show he began eating loose soil, ravenously gorging on it. The vet thought he did this because he was trying to relieve the pain: possibly reducing the stomach acid maybe? They do not all look round at their flanks or paw the ground in the same way that we do not all rub our stomachs if we have stomach ache. Someone put a post on here a few months back about high fibre cubes. If you mix them with water they swell to twice their size, so maybe feeding them too dry caused the colic, although the manufacturers do not say anything on the bag about diluting them with water. Maybe they would lose a lot of revenue for those persons who use them in their horses snack balls!
 
That's why I thought it might be a stroke, Nailed, especially as he's very old. I thought one eye was more closed then the other, but my friend thought not. The fibre cubes were unsoaked and he probably did have too many for a first feed, hence the colic theory - belly looked a little full, too. He was certainly better, later.

Maybe I'll never know!
 
i used to feed my horse high fibre cubes until he had such bad colic i nearly lost him. Since then ive fed him the simple systems lucinuts and blue grass nuts which are purely grass. High fibre cubes have various other components so are not totally natural. He has done much better on these and as they are only grass you can up and down his feed without worrying.
 
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If you mix them with water they swell to twice their size, so maybe feeding them too dry caused the colic, although the manufacturers do not say anything on the bag about diluting them with water. Maybe they would lose a lot of revenue for those persons who use them in their horses snack balls!

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Yep, I soaked them yesterday in preparation to give him a small amount of sludge this morning, which happily I can report he ate with no problems (I hope!!!). I was with him when he started eating on Tuesday eve and his little head didn't come up from the bucket. Normally with nuts/pencils he thoughtfully chews them and makes his own mash (bad teeth), taking hours to eat a feed, so I never thought there'd be a problem with these. we live and learn, eh??
 
Hi FranSurrey,
It sounds like you are on the right track soaking the food first. I have a horse who is scarily colic prone (and yes I have seen the stagger) and these simple rule keep him right:
1. Very sloppy feed - i feed him Copra as its low in starch and oily.
2. Low starch concentrates
3. Dollop of Linseed oil in every feed or Carron oil.
4. Plenty of water - tepid is even better when its a little cold.
5. Very gradually introduce new food. I even parked him at a friends place last week for 2 hrs; he obviously ate some of the straw bed and started to colic that evening! My mistade though. Even for turn out to grass I build it up gradually
Hope this helps
 
Blimey, Lark, that is scary. Funny you should mention the Linseed. As he's a bit scrawny after a harsh winter, I was thinking of adding this or similar to his feed anyway. He's mid 30s and has never shown colic signs before, but I guess at some point they all become less tolerant to new feeds. Gah!

Thanks everyone. Some useful advice there.
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my mare used to become quite uncordinated with her colic not always but could be, I found a wonder liquid that I used to give her on any evidence of colicing called collese (need to check spelling lol) it was great I also used to use Allen & Page fast fibre also brill! this collese is given by syringe into mouth on signs of colic and for a few days after at a higher dose but given orally every day at a lower dose hope this helps
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OMG i seem to be plugging the simple systems but i also feed the instant linseed to my boy. The lucinuts are lucrene nuts that you soak and it produces a tasty mash. You should have a look pn their website. They claim horses fed on it have a reduce recurrance of colic.
 
Hey JRT, this is very interesting for me also. I looked at the website and it indicates that this helps with stress related digestive disorders. I know that there isn't a product on the market that will directly state it will prevent the onset of colic; however in your experience do you think that this could work for any type of colic other than just the 'stress induced' acid inbalance?? don't worry I am not asking for you to quote a scientific study, just your own experience
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Anything that can help is always helpful
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Like JRT, I keep a supply of Coligone handy. It's brilliant stuff and very palatable. Sunny had an attack of gassy colic last spring - my fault entirely for turning him out straight from bare winter pasture to lush spring grazing. He's part Section D, part Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pig so I think his head went down for the grass and only lifted back up again when he fell over! I can't say that Coligone actually prevents colic but Sunny has a dose in his feeds for 3 days before any big changes are planned, eg new field etc. It lines and soothes the gut and so far, so good! PM H's mum for more info x
 
My horse used to suffer quite badly from colic. If we had any rain he would start huffing and puffing, then he would get it for no specific reason. I have had the vet out on numerous occasions, once they thought he would have to be referred to Liverpool. Now I always give him a very small handful of chaff during the summer, not that he needs it he's IDx but have found a small feed helps, especially when it's been raining. As soon as I see the first sign of him being uncomfortable in any way I give him a syringe of Coligone, and touch wood it has worked wonders - and he loves the taste!

I make sure when I am on holiday that my friend knows where the syringe is kept!
 
Have researched Coligone and will get some at the weekend, just in case. Happily, he was back to normal last night and sticking his head in the feed room - hurrah!

Am tempted to write to Spiller's, since they say on the bag that it contains additives to AID digestion, which I think is a bit of a joke...
 
I used to use Colease from Equimins which was good, but Coligone is better. It is a thickish liquid and has a nice smell and they seem not to spit it out as they do with the very runny Colease.

The Coligone website now satys that you can get the liquid, which until recently was only in 500ml bottles and ready to use syringes, in 5 litres I think it is, for everyday feeding.

I keep a syringe on the lorry too.
 
[ QUOTE ]
collese (need to check spelling lol) it was great I also used to use Allen & Page fast fibre also brill! this collese is given by syringe into mouth on signs of colic and for a few days after at a higher dose but given orally every day at a lower dose hope this helps
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Yes i agree with this it is very good i used it on a horse i used to look after and it really did work!!! try it youll soon see....
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i've known horses to get uncoordinated because of the pain and cramps of colic. i would soak all his feed until it is really sloppy and feed it like soup!

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That's exactly what I'm doing, now.
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BTW, peeps, is colease in the feed shops, or do I need to order online? Was planning to buy fud this weekend, anyway, so have held off ordering it thus far!
 
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