Fasting for gastroscope, any tips/experiences?

[Haphazardhacker]

My horse is being scoped tomorrow, the RVC are doing it at my yard and have said she needs to fast from 8pm tonight.

I have changed her straw bed to shavings and have a grazing muzzle at the ready as she has been known to eat shavings.

I am going to stay with her overnight as I want to keep it as low stress as poss and do not like the thought of her in a stable hungry and alone while all her mates are happy grazing.

She has a salt lick in her stable which she loves, I wasnt sure if she is allowed to keep this, its the himalayan kind so she cant eat chunks of it and just licks it.

I am dreading tonight, does anyone have any tips to keep both of us sane? Even just to hear of your experiences of fasting would be helpful.

Also was wondering what to do after, regarding feeding. I imagine she will gulp down anything so I an thinking I will need to introduce food slowly. Also when can she go back to work? I am not in a hurry, just wondered what the norm was.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

So I've just had two of mine scoped. We fasted from 6pm and they were scoped at 10am the next morning, Doodle behaved, Topaz ate some shavings however both were clear enough to see their stomachs and we left the salt lick in (same as yours). As they were in together we didn't stay with them, and I can imagine it might be more stressful if you're there seeing them hungry?

I went up at about 6:30am to muck out and check them and although noisy they weren't too upset, but again I didn't stay long for risk of upsetting them more.

They are sedated to scope, so we just waited for the sedation to wear off and then gave them their usual haynet before giving them thier feed at the usual time in the evening.

One thing to prepare for is that they can bleed quite a lot from the nose if a blood vessel is damaged, both ours bled which was unfortunate as the stable looked quite horrific afterwards . Quite normal I'm told (only other horse I know who's been scoped didn't bleed the first time but did the second).

Good luck and I hope you find whatever you're looking for.

x x

 

[ElleSkywalker]

I had one of mine scoped a few times, eventually I would take her to the vets the day before for them to starve as travelling her starved caused problems, as the vet is coming to you you at least don't have that problem

Do you have a companion type pony that can stay in to keep your horse company to reduce stress from being alone? I know she won't be completely alone as you are staying with her but a pony friend might help?

Re food after once sedation has worn off just give her a hay net and keep an eye that she doesn't scoff to quickly and choke. I think I gave my pony a small fast fibre feed after her scope before she travelled home with a hay net

I hope it all goes smoothly

 

[be positive]

I really don't think being with her will help reduce any stress, most horses will rest and relax if left alone unstimulated by seeing people coming and going, will give little thought to the other horses eating and just accept that you have "forgotten" to give them any hay, I would take the hay away and go leaving maybe a tiny handful for her to nibble after you leave.
I fed mine as normal at 9pm, took away his net and left him, in the morning was the only time he was not happy was missing his breakfast but I left the others out so he did not see them eating, he quickly gave up fussing and relaxed once he could not see me, I hid round the corner so I could see what he did, the vets arrived at 9 am and he was sedated without delay, I think it was all finished within under 1 hour, he was coming round by then so not too long before he could have some hay.

Horses tend to think for the moment, not having hay for one night is not the end of the world , you are probably stressing far more than the horse will.

He had that day off, turned out a few hours after the scoping, then back to work as usual.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

No need to stay with your horse. We have plenty scoped at the yard. Ours are fed a wee bit of hay at 9pm and no hard feed. Not fed after at all until they are scoped between 8-9am. Once the sedation has worn off we give hay but no hard feed until their lunch at 1pm and normally there after.

Staying with your horse will stress her out more as she's not used to you being there. Go home, go to bed and get some sleep. Scopes are routine and yes some bleed at the time, some don't. Some bleed a day or two later when they are doing hard work and blow hard.

 

[Haphazardhacker]

Haven't currently got a horsey friend who can stay in with her. I will ask at the yard if and see if anyone minds theirs staying in tonight but I doubt it. She gets anxious when in on her own and is calmer when I am around, thats the reason I was planning on staying there. Was thinking, after sedation wears off to give her a haynet (small holed to slow her down!!) , and then chuck her out. She lives out 24/7 during the summer and to be honest there isnt much grass out there so doubt she can gorge herself even if she wanted to.

 

[Goldenstar]

Keep the yard quiet and leave them too it that's really the only thing you can do .
The more they see you the more they get wound up about why your feeding them.
I hate fasting horses.

 

[crabbymare]

If she does not like being alone turn a radio on quietly in the next stable so she hears something and take yourself home. try to time the hay (and give a little bit more if needed) so that she eats it rather than taking it away from her unless you are going to hay her first and then take it away at around 7.45 and give her a feed

 

[Haphazardhacker]

Yeah good idea, will try make sure she has enough to take her to 7.45 rather than have her watch me take the net away. She will be having a feed after the hay.

 

[CherryTree]

What time do you usually feed and hay at night? I fed in the evening slightly earlier than normal, about 4.30 ish and he had the same feed and hay. You just need the stomach to be clear of food, if there is a little bit sticking to the walls there they can squirt water round to get it off. Scope was booked for early morning (8.30). My stressy thoroughbred didn't find it stressful at all.

 

[LeannePip]

mine was starved 3times in prep for scope - i fed her as normal so hay all afternoon in a pile on the floor not in a net so she could eat freely, fed as normal at 5 then went down and took it all out at 7pm and that was that - left her in he stable over night, put her in the lorry in the morning and she was scoped, the first time she was scoped she bled a lot, the second time she didn't at all - don't be worried by any blood - apparently its very normal.

As hard as it is try not to make it a big deal - just take the feed out and thats that!

 

[Haphazardhacker]

She usually comes in at 6ish for a couple of hours with the others and they all have hay and feed, she just gets hay and then they all get turned out at 8pm. This is the thing with feeding, as she lives on fresh air she usually doesnt get a daily feed during the summer , just the odd feed after a ride. I plan to feed her tonight - just a scoop (hifi lite) just due to the fact that she has a fair while to wait until she can eat again.

 

[MTBTLT]

I recently had to do this with my 4 year old mare. I gave her loose hay earlier in the evening so she could easily eat before giving her her dinner as normal. I had to take everything out from 6pm as I then swiftly left the yard! In the morning when she would usually get a feed I put some water in her feeder so she had something 'to do' whilst all the others were fed in the barn. She had to travel for about an hour and did so without any hay without a problem. Complications meant that she spent most of the morning and into the afternoon without anything and she really didn't seem too phased! I wouldnt worry about it and agree with others about not sticking around.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

She usually comes in at 6ish for a couple of hours with the others and they all have hay and feed, she just gets hay and then they all get turned out at 8pm. This is the thing with feeding, as she lives on fresh air she usually doesnt get a daily feed during the summer , just the odd feed after a ride. I plan to feed her tonight - just a scoop (hifi lite) just due to the fact that she has a fair while to wait until she can eat again.

I wouldn't give her the chaff. They need the stomach empty of all food to allow the scope to see what it needs to see. It can't do that if there is food in the way.

 

[Haphazardhacker]

Well she and I have survived the night. Stayed here for a bit and she was quiet enough so I went home. Have just come back now to remove the water as per vets instructions - feel very very mean

 

[Haphazardhacker]

Just noticed that the forum clock is wrong, its actually 6.15 am.

 

[be positive]

Hope all goes well later, pleased that she settled, most do so despite our fears.

 

[Haphazardhacker]

Thanks. Yeah I honestly don't know how to feel at the moment. In a twisted way id like them to find ulcers as it would give me a reason for her excessive girthiness and grumpiness but if they don't find anything its back x-rays. Just want to get to the bottom of it really, people at the yard who don't know her think she is just grumpy but I owe it to her to rule pain out before accepting its just her personality.

 

[MTBTLT]

Thanks. Yeah I honestly don't know how to feel at the moment. In a twisted way id like them to find ulcers as it would give me a reason for her excessive girthiness and grumpiness but if they don't find anything its back x-rays. Just want to get to the bottom of it really, people at the yard who don't know her think she is just grumpy but I owe it to her to rule pain out before accepting its just her personality.

I understand how you are feeling right now! We decided to investigate my 4 year old after a change in her behaviour and she started windsucking. I felt the same as you in that I almost wanted there to be something wrong so that we could help her. She had her blood tested, ovaries scanned, rectal examination and scoped. We found she had severe ulcers in the back of her stomach. When we found out first there was a sense of relief that we had found something that we could now help with and then came the guilt that I hadn't found it sooner and she had been in pain. It's now been 2 weeks since the diagnosis and we have a further 2 weeks of medication before we return for scoping. Always remember that the fact you are taking the time and money to investigate your mares apparent 'grumpyness' shows how much you care for her!

 

[Haphazardhacker]

All done, she has got ulcers, the vet did say where but it was a long word and she said she will be writing a report for me anyway. I am feeling glad as it gives us something to aim at and gives me a reason for her grumpyness , she will be starting a course of gastro guard and then will discuss rescoping in a month or so s time. She took a good hour to come round from sedation, she is currently tucking into a haynet and is plotting her revenge against me.
Also got a tube of flamazine from the vet as madam decided she doesnt like needles and threw herself against the wall cutting her head not serious but if the hair doesnt grow back i think she will tell the other horses she was in a bar fight