Has anyone had a horse with Colitis?

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TriggerHappy

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My horse has been diagnosed with colitis. He's on two lots of antibiotics and bute as he's in some discomfort and odema on his chest and sheath.

Has anyone else been in a simular situation? What has happened once they've got better?

Did they get better??

I'm still in the early stages of it so not sure what will happen to him.


:(
 
What are his other symptoms?

My boy had chronic diarrhoea last year which they couldn't find the reason for, so they blamed it on colitis (which is some sort of intestinal inflammation is that right? It's been a year or so). It was controlled by steroids. After 4 months he was PTS, it wasn't colitis at all but internal melanomas.

Sorry, probably not very helpful.
 
He had chronic diarrhea on Sunday a very high temp and odema and just looking really awful i didnt think he was going to pull through.

The vet gave him antibiotics and came back the next morning to see his progress (if any) and he felt he has slightly brighter than the sunday evening.

He then got the blood results back and his has a very high level of white blood cells so he has given 2 different anitibiotics to fight the infection.

Although the odema looks awful he is a lot brighter. I've been allowed to walk him in hand down the road and he's allowed to eat off the grass verges as other horses havent grazed there.

I've done that twice today and he is very alert and even spooking at birds in tree's. He's even walking out better. But i dont want to be too positive if there is not a positive out come xx
 
surely if hes on antib's it would suggest hes infectious and if in early stages are they still testing and if so surely he should be in isolation? :S
 
if hes on two lots of antibiotics and bute 'some discomfort' sounds like it should be a lot of discomfort

poor boy
 
oh i'm sorry are you both vets??

yes he is being walked out because there is no diarrhea and is getting colic symptoms!

if he did has diarrhea he would have to be in complete isolation.

Does it matter, i've got a very poorly horse .... your pickiness and unhelpful comments are not helpful!
 
Millie had colitis as a 4yro and spent 2 weeks on intensive care at the vets with a drip, stomach tube and monitored 24/7 on CCTV.
she had endless blood tests, biopsy of her stomach lining, scanning etc etc.

she took another 4 or 5 months after she came home to really come right again as she had lost so much condition.

we didn't know what caused it and the only thing that showed in the dozens of tests was an increase in white blood cells which showed she was fighting SOMETHING but they never found out what.
 
no neither of us are vets i dont believe however, if a horse is infectious and been advised to be in ISOLATION forgive me for thinking that is what should be done, not only for monitoring the condition of the horse, but for the health and welfare of horses around him.
 
Sorry - I don't know if you missed my last bit. Just wondered whether he had any form of stool tests done? These can sometimes hold the clues :)
 
Well 'pixxie' i am taking advise from a qualified vet ... so i am doing things under instruction! if people have a problem with that, they will need to take it up with him?!?


fleabite - Yes bloods and stool samples done. bloods all ok apart from high white blood cells. awaiting stool sample
 
Ok, fingers crossed that the stool samples come back positive.

Would it be worth awaiting their feedback before taking any further action? Sorry, i've not got much experience of it and I haven't really read the whole thread :)
 
If its colic they give injections or I've known people to use buscapan(sp?) as it stops spasms in the digestive tract.

As above, isolation is generally in a box. Also I hope you understand that the road/lane is a public place where others may pass on horses, if it is contagious you would be liable.
 
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pony_puzz has just reittterated what my concerns are, isolation is isolation for a reason, how do you know that other horses dont go out for a walk and graze on that verge? what if someone is hacking and their horse snaffles a bit of grass, if they then got whatever your boy sadly has, that would as P_P said make you liable
 
Think you should file a complaint against the vet then as they surely haven't seen the word "isolation" in the dictionary in their life!
 
Maybe she's walking her horse within her own yard?

When my horse had suspected collitis (which is what they thought for nearly 4 months, although all his test results came back with nothing except gut inflammation) they never told me to put him in isolation. So it may well be not contagious (like strangles etc).

I hope your horse pulls through. It sounds early days. If the diarrhoea has dried up I'd say that's a good sign if my experience is anything to go by. When my boy had had it for months I was talking to my vet about possible outcome and she said that collitis can go on for a while and then one day just kinda go. So try not to panic.
 
I have just read this tread, and it appears that the professional advice from your vet was to keep the horse in isolation.

Apart for putting other animals in jeopardy, are you not concerned for your own horse?? This animal is extremely ill, by all accounts, and needs peace, quiet and intensive nursing, if there is any chance it will pull through.

If I were you, and I do not have any experience of colitis, I would adhere strictly to my vet's instructions, and I think you will find that the advice to keep your horse in isolation is for a reason.

I hope your horse comes through all this :)
 
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Some of you really could be nicer to the OP. I'm sure her vet knows what he/she's doing! Her horse is very very sick, and if you'd ever had a horse that ill you'd know how stressful and upsetting it is.

The horse is probably just on box isolation so it's not eating grass (bad for collitis).
 
I do hope your horse gets better! At the moment it sounds like they are saying conflicting methods of how to make the horse better though.
 
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