Colic Surgery - Would you do it?

[HashRouge]

With my current two, no. One is 27 and I think it's too much at her age, and the other is 17 but very stressy if kept in (crib bites) and I'd really worry about the recovery period. With a young, fit horse then maybe. But hard to say without the horse in front of me. I've known a couple of horses break their legs coming round after colic surgery (including one that belonged to a vet) and it's made me very wary.

 

[ihatework]

A relatively young fit horse with no major temperament or significant medical issues would be put on the table and opened up for a look and a decision taken from there.

Older/retired/lame horses then no

 

[ycbm]

For Robin no. He has proved that he does not do box rest. He also heals incredibly slowly. So the thought of 3 months box rest would just not happen. Also the journey there is about 90 mins which would terrify me. He coliced once. He had been on box rest and gone out and forged himself. Vet said it might lead to surgery. I said there and then no. She looked shocked at me. Another reason I switched vets to a much more realistic practice.

A friend of mine was offered surgery as an option on a 24 year old horse who has such bad lungs that he was on inhalers 4 times a day ?. She was distraught to turn it down and blamed herself for his death, until I pointed out that he would be unlikely to have survived the GA and possible pneumonia .
.

 

[Lois Lame]

Disclaimer: This is NOT a thread for people to tell others they are wrong for what they would do.

I've seen a few posters note that they wouldn't put their horse through colic surgery and I just wondered why, and what you would do?

I have no knowledge of the surgery/ recovery rates and times and just wondered if someone could elaborate?

I'm assuming age of the horse and temperament (for box rest etc.?) would be a factor as well.

Just a bit of a musing really.

I've only ever had one colic case, and it was a bad one. 'Bad' doesn't cut it -- it was appalling.

I never considered surgery because I felt it kinder to put the fellow to sleep. Plus, I didn't have faith that surgery wouldn't be without its complications. I fully expected founder/laminitis even if the pony survived the surgery.

They shaved the pony even though I said no to surgery. I suppose they have people who change their minds. I was never going to change my mind. (I assumed their bit of shaving was for possible surgery. I never asked.)

As it was, the pony spent too much time before being PTS. The lady vet who attended him had horses of her own, and maybe she thought there was some chance that he would come good. I never thought he would come good. It killed me to see this brave fellow suffer so stoicly, despite every painkilling thing they could give him.

 

[windand rain]

No I would never do it Horses simply dont understand that they may get better after suffering excruciating pain. Anyone who has had abdominal surgery would be unlikely to put a horse through that pain. Added to that that so few make a full recovery and many colic again sometimes frequently I would be very sad but would PTS to save their suffering. As said before just because you can doesn't mean you should

 

[Snowfilly]

I watched a human go through extensive stomach surgery and have part of their gut removed, and it was agonising despite them being aware it was for the best and able to understand what was happening.

I’d never put a horse through that level of pain for any reason.

 

[Summit]

My boy is 21....I wouldn’t put him through surgery plus I don’t have the funds

 

[Buster2020]

No I would never do it Horses simply dont understand that they may get better after suffering excruciating pain. Anyone who has had abdominal surgery would be unlikely to put a horse through that pain. Added to that that so few make a full recovery and many colic again sometimes frequently I would be very sad but would PTS to save their suffering. As said before just because you can doesn't mean you should

Yea I had my appendix remove I could not walk properly for the best part of 2 weeks because of the pain was so bad. I feel sorry for the horses that have the surgery.

 

[daffy44]

I dont think there is one right answer, for me it would depend entirely on the individual circumstances of the horse, age, soundness, character, etc, etc, what would be right for one horse is not right for another.

 

[Cortez]

Having nursed two horses post colic op (not owned by me), I would never put a horse through that. Neither survived a year after the surgery, although one was being ridden about 6 months after and never regained anything like the form he had (he was an expensive dressage horse). I would put down any horse that didn't respond to the usual treatments.

 

[MurphysMinder]

With the current 3 veterans , no. But knowing of many success stories where horses have gone on to make a full recovery I would certainly consider it with a younger horse.

 

[Cortez]

With the current 3 veterans , no. But knowing of many success stories where horses have gone on to make a full recovery I would certainly consider it with a younger horse.

Have you ever looked after a colic surgery horse?

 

[MurphysMinder]

Have you ever looked after a colic surgery horse?

No, but a family member works with them .

 

[Michen]

Never say never. I did before I was faced with either PTS or operate.

I would have sworn blind I wouldn’t do it before then and even left instructions before that if I wasn’t contactable (for a different horse) and he needed colic surgery he was to be PTS when I was away

 

[Rowreach]

Never say never. I did before I was faced with either PTS or operate.

I would have sworn blind I wouldn’t do it before then and even left instructions before that if I wasn’t contactable (for a different horse) and he needed colic surgery he was to be PTS when I was away

What was the outcome if you don't mind me asking?

 

[oldie48]

I have lost two much loved horses to colic. My old TB was 28 and tbh my only thought was for him to be PTS as quickly as possible, I would have done it myself if I'd had the means. I lost Mr B at 16, the vet suggested taking him to the Equine Hospital with a view to surgery but we struggled to get him out into the field to be PTS, he'd never have stayed up in the lorry for even the 15 minute journey. I'd already decided that if he ever needed surgery for colic that I wouldn't put him through it as he wasn't a good candidate and I am so grateful to my vet for being so supportive. It can be really hard to say no when it actually happens and to say I was distraught is an under statement! My advice to anyone is to decide before you are faced with having to make the decision, hopefully you won't ever have to but.... fwiw I'm confident both horses had lipomas.

 

[Michen]

What was the outcome if you don't mind me asking?

He broke his leg standing up from surgery. It had taken a kick a few weeks before and although we x rayed before surgery to check, there must have been a stress fracture that didn’t show as the whole thing completed. I think I’d have done it even if I knew about the fracture though if there was a chance he could have been saved.

 

[Michen]

I have lost two much loved horses to colic. My old TB was 28 and tbh my only thought was for him to be PTS as quickly as possible, I would have done it myself if I'd had the means. I lost Mr B at 16, the vet suggested taking him to the Equine Hospital with a view to surgery but we struggled to get him out into the field to be PTS, he'd never have stayed up in the lorry for even the 15 minute journey. I'd already decided that if he ever needed surgery for colic that I wouldn't put him through it as he wasn't a good candidate and I am so grateful to my vet for being so supportive. It can be really hard to say no when it actually happens and to say I was distraught is an under statement! My advice to anyone is to decide before you are faced with having to make the decision, hopefully you won't ever have to but.... fwiw I'm confident both horses had lipomas.

This terrifies me as Boggle had a lipoma removed from his flank. I’m sure it means he’s more likely to get them.

 

[tristar]

some vets have a cut off age as low as 15 yrs,although i have known horses of 18 plus recover, one after three lots of surgery, breeding stallion

anyway in the end it depends on bloods how they are, and what is actually the problem, some might have no hope whatever is done, and how long it takes to get to clinic,

you can decide before but when faced with the decision it does`nt always go to plan, the mind is a funny thing

 

[Michen]

some vets have a cut off age as low as 15 yrs,although i have known horses of 18 plus recover, one after three lots of surgery, breeding stallion

anyway in the end it depends on bloods how they are, and what is actually the problem, some might have no hope whatever is done, and how long it takes to get to clinic,

you can decide before but when faced with the decision it does`nt always go to plan, the mind is a funny thing

Exactly. And mine wasn’t insured for colic surgery as had peritonitis 4 years before. And he was on loan. And I paid another 2k for special plasma stuff. His owner understandably didn’t want to cover surgery cost but was happy for me to go ahead if I wanted to.
Bizarrely I was literally about to buy him when he coliced.

So despite The 5-10k bill estimate, the fact he wasn’t mine.. my adversity to it in the first place.. I just couldn’t have him PTS. I was literally stood in front of the stocks with his head in my arms and there was just no way.

That’s maybe selfish though, but I knew the horse was tough as anything and truly believed it was also the right decision for him- to try.

Still haunts me though, 3.5 years later and I am crying like an idiot writing this!

 

[tristar]

Exactly. And mine wasn’t insured for colic surgery as had peritonitis 4 years before. And he was on loan. And I paid another 2k for special plasma stuff. His owner understandably didn’t want to cover surgery cost but was happy for me to go ahead if I wanted to.
Bizarrely I was literally about to buy him when he coliced.

So despite The 5-10k bill estimate, the fact he wasn’t mine.. my adversity to it in the first place.. I just couldn’t have him PTS. I was literally stood in front of the stocks with his head in my arms and there was just no way.

That’s maybe selfish though, but I knew the horse was tough as anything and truly believed it was also the right decision for him- to try.

Still haunts me though, 3.5 years later and I am crying like an idiot writing this!

i understand how you felt, it happened to a horse i had 8 years ago, but it was too bad to operate although i was certain at the time i would go ahead, the decision was taken out of my hands

i really admire how you were brave enough to fight to the end, you should be very proud of yourself.

dry your tears and look forwards to happier times with your boys

 

[PapaverFollis]

No. I wouldn't do it, probably realistically/practically couldn't do it and in the moment didn't do it. I've had 3 occasions where a vet has attended for colic and it's the first thing I say to them... they won't be going anywhere so either they respond to what you do now or we'll be calling you back for a PTS. One horse was just after a nasty injury and I think the "colic" was him just needing a wee but his leg being too painful for him to want to go! The other two times was Granny horse, first time she responded to treatment after two vet visits. Second time 2 years later she didn't. I have zero regrets about our approach. If anything I regret even trying any treatment that second time and giving her that extended time in pain. But there was a chance she would respond so I don't regret the decision. Just the outcome.

I'm at least 5 hours from Edinburgh anyway and I'm not sure anywhere closer does it. The place at Inverness might but that's still 2.5 hours at least, longer with a poorly horse up. So it's just not really an option.

 

[Chianti]

No. My pony is insured but he lives out 24/7 and hates being in for more than a few hours so I know wouldn't cope with months of box rest and then very restricted turn out. I think as owners we have to distinguish between what can be done and what should be done. Neither of my other horses would have had the op as one was getting on and the other was retired, although that was at a young age.

 

[Ish2020]

Nope I wouldn’t even consider it my mother is a equin vet and a lot of horses don’t survive because of complications they have after it. Colic surgery is a last attempt to save a horse when nothing else has worked but it comes with risks and because a horse is such big animal it’s dangerous to knock a horse.

People don’t realize that colic sugary is so expensive my mother has seen so many people that go though with the sugary. Than after the people say they cannot afford the sugary.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I wouldn’t.

The cases that I’ve known of personally have not ended well. Horses rushed to Leahurst, operated on, relapse, emergency second op, dead horses, owners left owing £££££s.

I know that there are success stories, but I don’t know of any first hand.

 

[scats]

My lad had another fantastic 4 years after surgery. It was found he had a gut motility problem (which we didn’t know prior to surgery, we opened him up as they found a mass but couldn’t tell us what it was) so we were on borrowed time really. The night we lost him, we probably could have tried for to save him, but I felt we were delaying the inevitable and at that moment in time, he was poorly and suffering. I had already decided I didn’t want him going back to the hospital. No way on this earth would I have put him through a second colic operation, but I was surprised to hear from hospital vets that many people do.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Definitely not with any of our current horses and ponies and probably not with any, but never say never as others have written.

 

[shamrock2021]

I wouldn’t because I couldn’t afford it I have insurance but it only covers you if you’re horse dies and I don’t have a horse box so realistically I couldn’t do it even if wanted to. There is no point putting myself in death over it . I would have the horse pts if the vet could do nothing else.

 

[laura_nash]

It wouldn't be an option for either of my current ones, my cob can't be stabled for more than a couple of hours due to a severe dust allergy and his new companion, who I've only owned a couple of months, just freaked out at her first vet appointment and tried to kill the vet for attempting to give her a Dectomax injection. I suspect we are also a long way from any horsepital.

In general I would be very unlikely to ever put a horse through it, though I can understand why people do with young, fit, otherwise healthy horses that are used to vets and being stabled.

 

[druid]

Nope and I'm a vet and have been the one running anesthesia and scrubbed in to assist. If it's a possibility for your horse the refer them immediately and cut them early, don't hang on waiting to see if fluids and NSAIDS/sedation will solve it. The prognosis is much better if the abdominal lactate is low and there is no ischemia of the intestines.