paddy555
Well-Known Member
hi, I hope you and the horse are still coping.
My horse also had this ie ephrosphlenic entrapment at least twice
first time a few years ago he went down in the field and rolled like crazy, got up, down again etc etc this went on for 1.5 hours and very luckily for the horse the vet was late in arriving. After an hour I had decided that was it, hospital was 2 hours away, no transport and older horse. After 1.5 hours horse improved, vet arrived usual injections etc etc
the last time was the end of last year. Colic again for no reason, vet came, usual injections, went away, 3 hours later no improvement another vet arrived, made the diagnosis, asked what we were going to do. Decided to throw everything at it, if not he wasn't going anywhere.
vet tubed him and told us to get him to drink then lunge, we had to do both sides but especially the left then try and get more food and water in him and repeat etc etc She couldn't give more meds for another 3 hours
got fed up with lunging which wasn't doing much so turned him out in the field. That was amazing. He knew exactly what to do. I have never seen a horse roll like that, so violently and with such purpose. He finally got up, put the whip behind him and got him galloping. A few times around the field very fast and he rolled again. Same sense of purpose, another few rounds of the field but he was slowing down and that was it. Resolved
looked at his diet. Grass and gas seemed to blow him up. Even a small amount of grass. He always had had a larger belly than expected in that size horse.
Finally after a few false alarms and grabbing him off grass quickly I now have him off grass, living on a small grass free (except at the edges) track and he lives on Devon Haylage timothy plus S/B and chaff (plus supps etc) Belly is normal size and so far after several months we seem OK (terrified to write that
)If I even think he could be looking slightly blown up, even if it is my imagination, I put him in the field, whip behind him and get him galloping. A sort of nip it in the bud thing. Probably more for me than him
.bit scared to post this as it has gone 6pm and no update which is worrying but I will post it just in case it helps anyone.
❤ update L passed many poos, still dryer than what they would want. Getting very frustrated without food, happy with her, drinking flavour water, will start mashes later. Rectal everything back to normal. Had 6 cases of colic in 24 hrs. 1 had to have surgery. So please people make sure your horses drink well, either put flavouring in their water or spray their hay quickly before feeding, those who are going out in sun all day.
