Horse not drinking, latest update!!!

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Well the reason may now have become clear or at least a step forward, or back depending on which way you look at it:(

I spent some time with him this morning, a brush over, changed his bandage he was tied up away from his net, easier to get the bandage done, once I finished faffing around for about 20 mins, I let him go expecting him to go to the fresh water options to check them out, or to his hay but no he went to the top of the wooden partition and took hold of it, as I watched he nibbled, braced himself, took hold of it and gulped in air, he looked very pleased with himself:eek:, I was not so impressed, he did it once more before I rushed in sprayed it with fly spray, the only yukky thing to hand which put him off.

Contacted vet, who agreed it could well be ulcers and he has already started on Gastrogard for a week to see what happens, scoping will probably be done after this, I did not feel we could wait, a cribber is not always going to stop once the habit has started, hopefully he will not continue if the treatment works as well as it is meant to.

Poor boy, I knew there was more to it than the vet had said, it is all in his head was the last opinion given:(
So probably some questions to come on ulcers, treatments etc
 
awww pooooor pony....

I have a serial cribber, she even does it whilst eating and when the farrier can a few weeks back and I was holding her - she tried a sneaky one on my arm..

She has Ulcers and is on ProSooth

Hope you manage to treat it ASAP
 
Fingers crossed. x It isn't suprizing I suppose with all the stress he has had recently. It doesn't take much to cause ulcers.

I am so blessed to have mine at home as I can watch them moving round the yards and buildings all day if I want. It's amazingly interesting. :D
 
amandap said:
Fingers crossed. x It isn't suprizing I suppose with all the stress he has had recently. It doesn't take much to cause ulcers.

I am so blessed to have mine at home as I can watch them moving round the yards and buildings all day if I want. It's amazingly interesting. :D
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Thanks, just hope we are on track now.

Being there most of the time makes such a difference, you really get to know their ways, if I had not seen him try and crib it could have been days before he did it in front of me, they are so interesting to watch:)
 
Oh no! Fingers crossed you've caught it quick enough that it doesn't become habit. And hopefully he'll start drinking properly again, too.
 
If he's just started it then I'm afraid you haven't got to the bottom of the problem yet because windsucking is a SYMPTOM of a problem, not the CAUSE! If he's been doing it for ages and you've only now noticed it then I'd stress he must have ad lib forage at all times. But please don't try too hard to stop him cribbing or windsucking. Stereotypical behaviour starts as the horse tries to cope with poor management. The behaviour releases endorphins that act as a sort of natural valium. So even when the poor management is removed a horse can be addicted to the feeling of the endorphin release. Often the stereotypical behaviour will reduce but commonly it won't ever permanently disappear. If an owner tries to stop the behaviour with sprays, electric fencing, cribbing collars (ghastly things), etc etc etc then she just denies the horse his only release from whatever it is that is making him miserable. The likelihood is he'll then start another behaviour such as box walking or weaving. If he's only just started windsucking then there's a big problem still that you haven't uncovered yet. Haven't followed this closely enough sorry but have you considered, company, neighbours, turnout, workload, feeding, noise, position of stable/food and drink within stable, views outside, routine, routine of neighbours, etc etc etc.

I did also wonder whether he'd cracked a tooth so that cold water on it made him jump.
 
Box_Of_Frogs said:
If he's just started it then I'm afraid you haven't got to the bottom of the problem yet because windsucking is a SYMPTOM of a problem, not the CAUSE! If he's been doing it for ages and you've only now noticed it then I'd stress he must have ad lib forage at all times. But please don't try too hard to stop him cribbing or windsucking. Stereotypical behaviour starts as the horse tries to cope with poor management. The behaviour releases endorphins that act as a sort of natural valium. So even when the poor management is removed a horse can be addicted to the feeling of the endorphin release. Often the stereotypical behaviour will reduce but commonly it won't ever permanently disappear. If an owner tries to stop the behaviour with sprays, electric fencing, cribbing collars (ghastly things), etc etc etc then she just denies the horse his only release from whatever it is that is making him miserable. The likelihood is he'll then start another behaviour such as box walking or weaving. If he's only just started windsucking then there's a big problem still that you haven't uncovered yet. Haven't followed this closely enough sorry but have you considered, company, neighbours, turnout, workload, feeding, noise, position of stable/food and drink within stable, views outside, routine, routine of neighbours, etc etc etc.

I did also wonder whether he'd cracked a tooth so that cold water on it made him jump.
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His management, other than the fact that he is on enforced box rest, is as good as it can be, contact with others directly next to him, adlib forage as all mine have, he is very relaxed despite being in for 10 weeks.
The issue of his not drinking started after his 3 night stay in hospital for an op on his leg, he came back very dehydrated, his mouth was cut and badly bruised, he was reluctant to drink and has failed to improve.
It appears that during his stay the mouth injury probably stopped him eating and drinking normally, the daily sedation for tests and the op which acts as a diuretic combined with the fact he would have sweated meant he gradually became more dehydrated, this has been addressed since his return but it now seems that he may have developed ulcers during that time. The windsucking is a symptom and we may now be able to get to the bottom of his why he has not been drinking properly.
He had also been on fairly high levels of NSAIDs for 10 weeks which will not have helped if he does have ulcers.

Day 2 of gastrogard and he already seems a little more comfortable:)
 
FfionWinnie said:
Well done on your persistence and dedication to this horse op! Fingers crossed the gastroguard sorts him out.

How much longer is he on box rest?
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Thanks:)

He can start walking out next Monday for about a week or so to prepare him for restricted turnout, the main problem then is the mud but at least he can start to get back to normality:)
 
Good news positive.

This does beg the question whether horses who have to go into hospital should have preventative measures put in place. Some who do stuff with their horses, showing etc. are starting to take this approach I believe...
 
paulineh said:
Well done for finding out the ? problem.

Although I would not have been very happy that the vets allowed him home Dehydrated.
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amandap said:
Good news positive.

This does beg the question whether horses who have to go into hospital should have preventative measures put in place. Some who do stuff with their horses, showing etc. are starting to take this approach I believe...
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It is the fact that he was dehydrated that it was not addressed in any way that I have been informed of, that they are not willing to accept that he got injured while there, there is no comeback but an honest answer or to say "well ???? happened, we checked him over and he was considered to be fine" would be enough not just denying anything was wrong:mad:

How they could have missed noticing blood from the mouth I have no idea, maybe he did not bleed but that is unlikely considering how big and deep the cut must have been when it happened.
 
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