Colic?

Montyforever

Montyforever

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I normally buy really good hay from the local feed shop as I don't buy a lot. But as their vans been off the road I had to get some from my friends supplier. This hay is terrible it's got half a tree in it and god knows what else, and she's now said she's found ragwort in hers.
They've been having it for a few days now and now Honeys started to show colicky symptoms today.
She's not terrible but I'm going to go back up the yard in a few hours to check her and make sure shes not worse. She's been kicking at her belly a bit and scraping with her front feet but she's still tucking into her hay and pooing and doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain but she came into her stable and rolled :( I've only ever had to deal with colic once and that was obvious sweating and rolling constantly so is this early signs of colic or something else possibly to do with the hay or ragwort poisoning? :(
 
Definitely not ragwort poisoning from this batch of hay - it's a slow insidious process.

If you suspect colic, I'd get the vet out, even though it's Sunday. It can go from very mild to very serious in a very short time. I've been lucky 3 times and had mild colic turn out to be just that, on one occasion the vet medicated to be on the safe side, although horse appeared to be ok, the 2nd, the horse had recovered and vet (who'd been delayed at another emergency) decided to do nothing. The 3rd time was the same horse as the 2nd time and although still mild, the horse was sweating and vet medicated.
Suspected colic is one of those things I never mess about with, I know too many people who've lost horses to colic complications.
 
First thing - take all food away immediately. I would call the vet and get them out to have a look if it was me.
 
Thanks everyone, I didn't want to take out her hay as she would just eat her straw instead! I'm not going to call the vet unless shes still the same/worse when I go back up as there's no consistency to it at the mo, she was kicking/pawing then fine for 20 mins then doing it again.
 
That doesn't mean its not colic, it just means its coming and going.

Personally would go back immediately and stay until she is either better or the vet has to come.

Colic can get very much worse, very quickly.
 
Ragwort poisoning only usually shows symptoms once the liver is over 60% damaged.

Echo what the others have said, stay with her and ring the vet.
 
Rockysmum - I'm going up in a sec, just feeding the dog and taking him back to my nans. I will probably stay up there for a couple of hours even if she's not any worse as I don't want to leave her overnight without being sure :)
 
Please go and check on your horse straight away. Whilst spasmodic colic can show the signs you describe so can more severe forms of colic (especially in elderly or native types) as can acute ragwort poisoning.
Hope it works out ok.
 
montyforever said:
Rockysmum - I'm going up in a sec, just feeding the dog and taking him back to my nans. I will probably stay up there for a couple of hours even if she's not any worse as I don't want to leave her overnight without being sure :)
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Dont leave her all night if she is showing any symptoms at all. I dont know that it is colic, the only person who can tell you is a vet. I have to tell you though that a horse which is only showing mild symptoms now could be dead in the morning if left unattended and untreated.
 
That's what I mean! Il be keeping an eye on her for the next few hours and if she does anything that's not normal for her il call the vet I'm not going to leave her unless I'm sure otherwise I will just worry all night
 
Please get the vet. My mare looked unhappy one day last year, I decided to get the vet out and she said it was mild colic. This happened once on a Sunday and again the next day (Bank Holiday Monday). The day after she was in surgery - she never looked more than a bit uncomfortable for the first 48 hours. The vet who came out those two times rang up to apologise for having missed her displaced gut, after she heard that she had died.

I would never, ever risk messing about with colic. It kills, and quickly.
 
ditto this.
colic can have weird symptoms. i've known one go really woozy from it, he never pawed, never looked at his tummy, nothing. got vet out, rushed him to horsepital, loads of muscle relaxants etc... and no op requd. early vet attention is always the preferred choice...
i would burn all that hay and find another supplier asap, and/or demand your money back - nobody should sell hay with ragwort in it to horse people. that's disgusting.
 
^^^^ All of the above, please don't feed hay with ragwort - your horse will pay for it in the long run. And colic...... Don't leave it too late, its better to have a call out and resolve it now rather than let it rumble on. Check pulse, respiration rate and temperature, droppings and whether your horse is drinking enough - with impaction they will sometimes still eat although the system is blocked further on.
 
Rockysmum - yup was just about to post!
She's absolutely fine :) I think she was just a bit hot/itchy earlier under her rug. Thanks everyone I know colic isn't a wait and see thing but she's bright and happy again, eaten her hay, had a drink and done several poos :)
Hay is definatly going on the bonfire tomorrow, and am going to go pick up a few small bales from my suplier and see when they can deliver a round :)
 
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