Bounty
Well-Known Member
I know the basic outline for post op care of a colic surgery patient, but can anyone offer any advice or suggest any questions that I should be asking the vet?
Thanks
Thanks
Colic Surgery - Post Op care?
- Thread starter Bounty
- Start date
Nari
Well-Known Member
(((Hugs)))
I was lucky that the hospital didn't discharge Jim until his care was pretty straightforward, they'd probably taken one look at me & realised they had a problem!
Things I double checked on:
- feed ie what, when, how much
- walking in hand, again how often & for how long
- warning signs of a problem re incision
Mind you I virtually lived at the yard to keep an eye on him & was on the phone if I sensed the slightest problem or change in behaviour.
Advice wise I'd say go with your gut instincts, you know your horse better than anyone else so use that to your advantage. If you have an experienced friend to hand it can be reassuring to get them to check with you once or twice a day - it takes the pressure off you a bit and gives a more objective opinion.
I was lucky that the hospital didn't discharge Jim until his care was pretty straightforward, they'd probably taken one look at me & realised they had a problem!
Things I double checked on:
- feed ie what, when, how much
- walking in hand, again how often & for how long
- warning signs of a problem re incision
Mind you I virtually lived at the yard to keep an eye on him & was on the phone if I sensed the slightest problem or change in behaviour.
Advice wise I'd say go with your gut instincts, you know your horse better than anyone else so use that to your advantage. If you have an experienced friend to hand it can be reassuring to get them to check with you once or twice a day - it takes the pressure off you a bit and gives a more objective opinion.
vetsbestfriend
Well-Known Member
Agree with what Nari has said. Also depending on type of colic that required surgery:
Are there any supplements that would be beneficial to feed to help prevent a reoccurrence or changes to normal routine.
Worming routine to follow and when (some of the drugs they are on can make the wormer ineffective and I was recommended to wait a minimum of 10 days after finishing all drugs before worming).
Is there anything you can give/do to prevent adhesions forming as insides settle i.e. ask your vet for some potassium iodide.
Most importantly, can you ring them directly for advice if you are worried at all whilst your horse is recovering, even for some advice.
For the first 3 weeks coming home from hospital I went to yard early morning, lunchtime, early evening and then did a final check at 10 pm. Exhausting with all the other things you have to do like walking in hand, mucking out etc and especially if you also have another horse to care for/exercise. If you can get someone to help do one of the checks, then that would be good.
All the best with the recovery.
Are there any supplements that would be beneficial to feed to help prevent a reoccurrence or changes to normal routine.
Worming routine to follow and when (some of the drugs they are on can make the wormer ineffective and I was recommended to wait a minimum of 10 days after finishing all drugs before worming).
Is there anything you can give/do to prevent adhesions forming as insides settle i.e. ask your vet for some potassium iodide.
Most importantly, can you ring them directly for advice if you are worried at all whilst your horse is recovering, even for some advice.
For the first 3 weeks coming home from hospital I went to yard early morning, lunchtime, early evening and then did a final check at 10 pm. Exhausting with all the other things you have to do like walking in hand, mucking out etc and especially if you also have another horse to care for/exercise. If you can get someone to help do one of the checks, then that would be good.
All the best with the recovery.
Bounty
Well-Known Member
Thank you both - it has been super stressful!
The colic itself was an epiploic foramen entrapment which is reasonably rare and just one of those freakishly unlucky things, so in a way I am pleased as it's not down to her being hypersensitive to feed/management changes or stress or whatever (not that I had changed any of those recently anyway!)
Also, by some miracle she has managed to avoid having to have a resection, which should help matters.
Visited her yesterday afternoon which was less than 24 hours after surgery and she was so incredibly bright, it was amazing.
She cribs, so the biggest challenge is to not let her crib at all while she recovers. Think I will fit a grille to start with so that she can have it shut at feed times (the only time she cribs) and I will have to investigate collars for turnout, though that seems a long way away at the moment!
ETS: I am lucky enough to keep her at home so that is a major bonus, and I work from home too so can check on her as and when throughout the day. Have told my others that they will have to take it in turns to babysit her otherwise she will be hugely unimpressed about being the only one left in all the time
The colic itself was an epiploic foramen entrapment which is reasonably rare and just one of those freakishly unlucky things, so in a way I am pleased as it's not down to her being hypersensitive to feed/management changes or stress or whatever (not that I had changed any of those recently anyway!)
Also, by some miracle she has managed to avoid having to have a resection, which should help matters.
Visited her yesterday afternoon which was less than 24 hours after surgery and she was so incredibly bright, it was amazing.
She cribs, so the biggest challenge is to not let her crib at all while she recovers. Think I will fit a grille to start with so that she can have it shut at feed times (the only time she cribs) and I will have to investigate collars for turnout, though that seems a long way away at the moment!
ETS: I am lucky enough to keep her at home so that is a major bonus, and I work from home too so can check on her as and when throughout the day. Have told my others that they will have to take it in turns to babysit her otherwise she will be hugely unimpressed about being the only one left in all the time
Nari
Well-Known Member
That's scary, it sounds like she was very lucky. Jims was a left dorsal displacement but it wouldn't resolve on it's own & started to get worse to the extent that surgery was his only hope - like you I was very lucky that no resection was needed.
Re the cribbing my hospital weren't at all worried about Jim cribbing, indeed once his stent was removed they took away the door grid so he could! They reasoned that it was better for him to crib & be relaxed than stress because he was being prevented.
Good luck & if you need someone to chat to you can always PM me.
Re the cribbing my hospital weren't at all worried about Jim cribbing, indeed once his stent was removed they took away the door grid so he could! They reasoned that it was better for him to crib & be relaxed than stress because he was being prevented.
Good luck & if you need someone to chat to you can always PM me.
TayloredEq
Well-Known Member
My boy had an epiploic entrapment as a 3 rising 4 year old. He ended up having double colic surgery (within 6 weeks of each other).
I am also currently rehabbing a horse recovering from a double colic surgery (within 36 hours of each other). His was an IFEE colic.
My boy was very straight forward. Was turned out within a couple of weeks of first surgery and days after the second surgery.
The IFEE colic is proving more complicated - 3 bouts of peritonitis, thrombosed jugular vein, abcess on thrombosed vein and he has also developed a hernia.
I am just back from a 3 day show so can't face a long answer now but if you would like to chat to someone then either google my username and you will find my number on my website or pm me and I will send you my mobile number and you can give me a call.
I am also currently rehabbing a horse recovering from a double colic surgery (within 36 hours of each other). His was an IFEE colic.
My boy was very straight forward. Was turned out within a couple of weeks of first surgery and days after the second surgery.
The IFEE colic is proving more complicated - 3 bouts of peritonitis, thrombosed jugular vein, abcess on thrombosed vein and he has also developed a hernia.
I am just back from a 3 day show so can't face a long answer now but if you would like to chat to someone then either google my username and you will find my number on my website or pm me and I will send you my mobile number and you can give me a call.