Feed to prevent impaction colic

[Chianti]

My pony had impaction colic on Saturday. This was a bit of a shock as he's poo varies and can be quite wet- he never has very dry poo. We've done the feeding little and often for 24 hours and he's now back out on his track system. I'd obviously like to prevent it happening again. His set up was explained to the vet, who couldn't see an obvious reason why he got it. Vet took blood so I should get the results in a day or so. Apart from his hay he just has a few soaked Thunderbrook meadow nuts twice a day to put his supplements in. I know it's important to keep his feed as wet as possible. Most of his hay is soaked. He has a dry net when I bring him in and a couple of dry nets are put on the track in the afternoon if they've eaten all the wet. He's had lots of health issues recently- last year from January to the end of May we did ulcers, colic, ulcers again and laminitis, so I have to be careful what I feed him. I don't want to feed alfalfa or soya. He was overweight but is now just about perfect weight wise. The yard owner is very good and would be happy to bring him in for 'snack' a couple of times a day. I was thinking Speedi Beet as a slop? Does anyone have any suggestions? (Never having another one)

 

[Birker2020]

My pony had impaction colic on Saturday. This was a bit of a shock as he's poo varies and can be quite wet- he never has very dry poo. We've done the feeding little and often for 24 hours and he's now back out on his track system. I'd obviously like to prevent it happening again. His set up was explained to the vet, who couldn't see an obvious reason why he got it. Vet took blood so I should get the results in a day or so. Apart from his hay he just has a few soaked Thunderbrook meadow nuts twice a day to put his supplements in. I know it's important to keep his feed as wet as possible. Most of his hay is soaked. He has a dry net when I bring him in and a couple of dry nets are put on the track in the afternoon if they've eaten all the wet. He's had lots of health issues recently- last year from January to the end of May we did ulcers, colic, ulcers again and laminitis, so I have to be careful what I feed him. I don't want to feed alfalfa or soya. He was overweight but is now just about perfect weight wise. The yard owner is very good and would be happy to bring him in for 'snack' a couple of times a day. I was thinking Speedi Beet as a slop? Does anyone have any suggestions? (Never having another one)

My last horse had colic on and off over a period of many years, despite regular worm counts/worming, strip grazing, muzzling, pink powder and 101 other things. In the end the only thing that worked were sloppy feeds and changing her paddock water every third day in summer, completely scrubbing it out and refilling it.

 

[Chianti]

My last horse had colic on and off over a period of many years, despite regular worm counts/worming, strip grazing, muzzling, pink powder and 101 other things. In the end the only thing that worked were sloppy feeds and changing her paddock water every third day in summer, completely scrubbing it out and refilling it.

Thanks. What did you feed? It's dispiriting - I kept saying to the vet 'But this is what horses standing in stables 24/7 get'.

 

[Birker2020]

Thanks. What did you feed? It's dispiriting - I kept saying to the vet 'But this is what horses standing in stables 24/7 get'.

Speedi beet, chaff and nuts. She was a good doer and only being hacked really the last few years. But she needed feed for supplements/bute.

All her colics were spasmodic gassy colics but she also had two left nephrosphlenic entrapments/left dorsal displacements and the vet felt that the second one may have been caused by dehydration hence the sloppy feeds.

I like speedibeet, my current horse is on it too and i like to give him a warm tea in the evenings so i make up the speedibeet each night.

 

[Chianti]

Speedi beet, chaff and nuts. She was a good doer and only being hacked really the last few years. But she needed feed for supplements/bute.

All her colics were spasmodic gassy colics but she also had two left nephrosphlenic entrapments/left dorsal displacements and the vet felt that the second one may have been caused by dehydration hence the sloppy feeds.

I like speedibeet, my current horse is on it too and i like to give him a warm tea in the evenings so i make up the speedibeet each night.

Thanks. Yard Owner already has Speedi Beet for an old boy so we could go with that.

 

[Birker2020]

Thanks. Yard Owner already has Speedi Beet for an old boy so we could go with that.

I'd be tempted to make it fresh everyday, a little goes a long way. If you leave it overnight or even for a couple of days it can ferment. And often makes a swimming pool for a hangry rat, which ends up being a dead rat when it drowns and is discovered the next day ??

 

[asmp]

I don’t know how old your pony is but I know of a 33 year old Shetland who has had two operations for impaction colic in the past year and is as sprightly as ever now. However, he no longer has hay as the vet said this is what was causing the impactions. Not quite sure what he has to eat but there are lots of buckets in his stable with various sloppy feeds. He also goes out for grass.

 

[Chianti]

I'd be tempted to make it fresh everyday, a little goes a long way. If you leave it overnight or even for a couple of days it can ferment. And often makes a swimming pool for a hangry rat, which ends up being a dead rat when it drowns and is discovered the next day ??

Thanks - it's fresh am and pm.

 

[ycbm]

Did the vet say anything about feeding him salt to make him drink more?
.

 

[Goldenstar]

Bran as a mash is the best thing for preventing impaction it provides bulk and is soft combined with soaked grass cubes it makes a super soft bulky food .

 

[Goldenstar]

Did the vet say anything about feeding him salt to make him drink more?
.

Salt has a huge roll in making field kept horses drink enough as the weather gets worse however you must ensure the water on offer is good and not too cold .

 

[Barton Bounty]

Lots of fibre to keep the stomach moving ?

 

[Chianti]

Did the vet say anything about feeding him salt to make him drink more?
.

He has Safe Salt in his feed. I'd be reluctant to feed him more because it's meant to be 'no' for ulcers.

 

[Chianti]

Bran as a mash is the best thing for preventing impaction it provides bulk and is soft combined with soaked grass cubes it makes a super soft bulky food .

That's useful. Thanks

 

[Barton Bounty]

BB had a distended colon, nothing had impacted as such but nothing was moving if that makes sense. I put him onto fibre nuts and veteran light which has lots of fibre in it and so far last few years have been fine! Touch wood ?

 

[Connemara24]

My horse who had grass sickness though they thought it was impaction colic at the time. The vets use to feed him a scoop of ponynuts in a warm bucket of water filled to the top, waiting till the pony nuts are soaked. He loved it! Hope this helps