Horse making strange grunting noises? Help?

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MS123

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Hi all,

A friend of mine's horse since last week has been acting very strange and out of character. She has been making very odd grunting noises (in no particular pattern, just randomly) and has been finding it very hard to swallow, and consequently isn't eating or drinking properly! She will slirp her water and spit it back out again, and will barely eat anything. When she does eat, it takes her very long to chew, though she's been finding it slightly easier to eat from the floor, but she's picking and not particularly interested. This is a horse that usually will eat anything and everything. We gave her bute, to which she perked up and started to eat more normally, so it definitley is pain related. But where we just have no idea?

Dentist was called and couldn't find anything in her mouth/teeth.

Friend will be calling the vet, but thought to ask on here too to see if anyone has had a similiar experience? Or had any suggestions as to what it could be?

Any information greatly appreciated :)
 
Vet now and don't let your friend dither. Horses often groan and grunt when they are in a lot of pain - my mare certainly did when she had colic.
 
I will for the sake of thread presume the friend has a child. If her child was suffering the same symptoms would she wait a week or maybe ask fellow parents in the playground if their kid had similar symptoms. I suspect not.

Your right, she should call the vet today. Horse could be suffering from choke
 
Could even be a mild gassy colic. Does the grunting sound like a grunt or a bit like a burp? Is there any smell at all around the mouth when the horse 'grunts'? Does the abdoment look extended? Is she pooing properly?

Whether it be choke or gassy colic, if it's been going on this long a vet is needed.
 
I'd definitely get a vet to check it out l know when we had a horse at our equestrian centre contracted strangles & she did a strange throaty noise & had difficulty swallowing. She was reluctant to eat or drink. Hope everything checks out ok best to be safe than sorry.
 
dizzyneddy said:
I'd definitely get a vet to check it out l know when we had a horse at our equestrian centre contracted strangles & she did a strange throaty noise & had difficulty swallowing. She was reluctant to eat or drink. Hope everything checks out ok best to be safe than sorry.
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Even just a sore throat either due to a virus or injury (swallowing a prickle) can cause all these symptoms. The fact that bute improved things would make me call the vet even quicker. Poor horse.
 
I don't understand why the dentist didn't make it clear that the vet should be called immediately. This situation makes it more understandable why experienced, sensible horse owners find it difficult to keep bute in, 'just in case', these days. What do some people think about when they make their decisions?
 
3OldPonies said:
Could even be a mild gassy colic. Does the grunting sound like a grunt or a bit like a burp? Is there any smell at all around the mouth when the horse 'grunts'? Does the abdoment look extended? Is she pooing properly?

Whether it be choke or gassy colic, if it's been going on this long a vet is needed.
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It started on Sunday. Friend called vet and vet recommended she call a dentist, to which she did and dentist came out on Monday. Dentist couldn't see anything obvious and was slightly baffled as to what it could be. Vet has been called again now and is on way. The strange noises/strange behaviour would last for a minute or so, then she'd perk up (though still didn't have much of an appetite). But this has been consistent now since Sunday, though the symptoms are getting less frequent. Vet is on way anyhow.

There is no smell, no swelling, nothing obvious to the eye as to what it could be. Her poos are normal, and she is grazing in the field too.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
. This situation makes it more understandable why experienced, sensible horse owners find it difficult to keep bute in, 'just in case', these days. What do some people think about when they make their decisions?
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Yes, I agree with this. There are too many people shovelling bute and antibiotics down their horse's necks without calling the vet nowadays, when they don't even know what illness they are dealing with. Really bad horsemanship in my opinion.
 
Bute was given as per vets recommendation.

Edited to say- vet has diagnosed an infection, said horse has been given antibiotics.

Thanks all for the suggestions.
 
I'm sorry but I don't know of any vet who will tell someone via telephone conversation, without having examined the horse in question, to get a dentist out when displaying symptoms you describe.
 
Moomin1 said:
I'm sorry but I don't know of any vet who will tell someone via telephone conversation, without having examined the horse in question, to get a dentist out when displaying symptoms you describe.
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I agree with this when I call my vet first thing they say is do you need someone to come out, if I want my particular vet to call me they always ask why I need him to call and is it an emergency, and I am on quite friendly terms with my vet they all know me.
 
Moomin1 said:
I'm sorry but I don't know of any vet who will tell someone via telephone conversation, without having examined the horse in question, to get a dentist out when displaying symptoms you describe.
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Sorry, but I can't help but feel as if your trying to "dig". I explained the situation, to which there were a few helpful suggestions/comments. I urged friend to call a vet, to which she did, horse has now been given antibiotics and is well on her way to making a full recovery. End of!

Thanks again all for the suggestions.
 
MS123 said:
Sorry, but I can't help but feel as if your trying to "dig". I explained the situation, to which there were a few helpful suggestions/comments. I urged friend to call a vet, to which she did, horse has now been given antibiotics and is well on her way to making a full recovery. End .
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No. Moomin is actually making a very valid point - and it's worth noting for future reference.

No vet that I know, either, would have given this advice if the symptoms presented had been accurately described.
 
MS123 said:
Sorry, but I can't help but feel as if your trying to "dig". I explained the situation, to which there were a few helpful suggestions/comments. I urged friend to call a vet, to which she did, horse has now been given antibiotics and is well on her way to making a full recovery. End of!

Thanks again all for the suggestions.
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Dig or no dig - whatever you want to call it, it's the truth.
 
Moomin1 said:
I'm sorry but I don't know of any vet who will tell someone via telephone conversation, without having examined the horse in question, to get a dentist out when displaying symptoms you describe.
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Agree. My vet would have come straight out. It would have been treated as an emergency.
 
This all sounds rather unusual. Apart from the vet diagnosing and prescribing over the phone, I'm surprised that an equine dentist was called on Monday and attended the same day. They're never that available when I call!
 
magicmoose said:
This all sounds rather unusual. Apart from the vet diagnosing and prescribing over the phone, I'm surprised that an equine dentist was called on Monday and attended the same day. They're never that available when I call!
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And then didn't advise a veterinary visit!
 
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