Grass Sickness / Colic - Has anyone seen symptoms like this

[caths]

I wonder if anyone could give me so advice.

For the last couple of weeks, maybe three times I've noticed my mare start to eat her feed and then stop suddenly almost like we would if we ate something really hot or cold, she works away with her mouth, tongue and lips like they do if there is a strange smell or taste but she looks really uncomfortable. she groans and sticks her neck right out and then stands with her head down and goes away from her food and stands at the fence beside the mare in the next paddock just with her head down and licking her lips. Yesterday she seemed a bit collicy, biting her sides and lying down and the vet came but he wasn't convinced that was what it was.
She was better by evening and we gave her some hay as the vet suggested and she was much brighter yesterdaymorning but last night same thing again stops suddenly half way through her feed and same behaviour except that she didn't go down and stay down. She eventually lay down and kind of rolled but much more forcefully than she usually does. She was grazing quietly when I left about 9pm. Went to see her this morning at first light and she came trotting and cantering down the field to me. She ate her feed slowly and stopped just as she'd finished the last mouthful, extended her neck and started the same thing again with her mouth before going back to the fence beside the other mare again. Would this be the symptoms a horse would show with grass sickness. I don't know but it doesnt seem like all the symptoms I have read about. Can anyone give me any help with this as you can imagine its a really awful time and our vet is still not ruling grass sickness out. If it is this can anything be done if this is early stages.

 

[Marilyn]

I don't know alot about grass sickness, but are her teeth OK? Sounds like she might be having trouble chewing/swallowing?

 

[Shilasdair]

It's a bit of an odd one. It has some of the signs of grass sickness, choke and mild colic.
I'd agree with Marilyn - check the teeth, and perhaps check to see if she has anything in her throat like thorns which may cause choke/pain.
It might be worth worm counting her to see if there's a problem there....and check how much dung she's passing in case it's a partial impaction...
But either she'll get better or worse, and if the latter it may become obvious what the problem really is.
S

 

[cazza]

I've replied in Veterinary

 

[Nari]

Did your vet make any mention of ulcers? I know they're "fashionable" at the moment & so vets may be sick to death of owners asking about them but the colicky symptoms partway through eating her feed make me think ulcers.

 

[henryhorn]

Sounds like a mild sort of choke when the food gets stuck. Try massaging her throat next time gently and see if she recovers any quicker.
If it were grass sickness believe me you'd know...profuse green saliva and dribble pouring like a tap ex the nose and mouth when I saw a horse with it.

 

[Donkeymad]

Having had a mare with grass sickness, I don't think this is the case here. Sorry I can't offer any explanation though. Hope you get to the bottom of it soon.