How many colics is too many?

[Chianti]

As in the title really. How many times do you think you should let a pony/horse have colic before you call it a day? My pony had impaction colic in April 2021, November '22 and January '23.
They were all resolved with pain killers- Buscopan (?) and the last two by syringing with salt water over night. I'm very inexperienced with colic so don't know how long you let it go on as something that they get. I appreciate that each case is different but would be grateful to hear other's experiences with this. I should add that they've all either been on a bank holiday or the weekend!

 

[JBM]

His last colic was a good few months ago has he been struggling since?

 

[Roxylola]

If the pony is getting impactions I'd maybe be looking to soak hay and/or add some sloppy feeds. Those are frequent enough that I'd suspect something is causing them but not frequent or severe enough to make me think it's time to pts

 

[Barton Bounty]

Why would you call it a day? Is the pony old or not worth it

Having just lost my horse to colic after successful colic surgery , confused by your post!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Has your vet tried to look into why the horse keeps getting impaction colic?

Mine has had it twice in 18 years both both quite close together we ran bloods and they checked for worms or infection.

He was clear for worms but showed up as having an infection somewhere so he was put on antibiotics abd his not had colic since.

Impaction colic can also occur if they have a virus or if they are not drinking enough water.

So soaking your hay and using a mash type feed can help get extra water in them therefore prevents the impaction.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would look for an underlynig cause but you might not find one. I would start by checking the pony's teeth but also feed soaked hay and sloppy mashes. Impaction can be caused by the intake of too little fluid, so anything that you can do to increase intake is good. I have always said that I wouldn't want to put a horse through colic surgery but treatment at home has never been a problem.

 

[Lucky Snowball]

Ensure pony is getting enough water, as above, soak hay, wet feeds and add salt.

 

[Lucky Snowball]

Also plenty of grass and turnout

 

[irishdraft]

I would be looking into why your pony is getting impacted colic, my previous horse horse had quite a few low grade impact colics, I started to feed him a very wet diet which helped him for over 2 years but unbeknown to me he had internal tumours growing which sadly did cause an extremely bad colic from which there was no return.

 

[Snow Falcon]

My mare had colic episodes. A scope showed an impactation at the entrance to her stomach. They got more frequent and after a field accident a scope showed another impactation. I let her go. She had delayed gastric emptying.

 

[ycbm]

The last one was 10 months ago, is there a reason for asking the question now?
.

 

[Laurac13]

Were all the times during very cold spells do you remember? My vets always say colic numbers go up when it’s cold as the horses don’t drink enough (my boy included he hates freezing cold water) and has colic once when we had snow years ago, now if it’s super cold I make sloppy mashes with warm water

 

[Cortez]

How old is the horse? Have his teeth been looked at? How severe were the previous colics? Has/had he been wormed regularly? Lots of factors to consider, but I don't think I'd be considering putting him down.

 

[Red-1]

I would have a lot more tolerance for colics that resolve so easily as yours.

Rigs had colic in 2021. It cost £1,600 to resolve, over about 6 days. He suffered. He had a tube permanently inserted in his nose (for that week, not permanent-permanent) and many, many visits. It was due to cold weather. He was in pain.

I would fund another, to a similar cost, timescale and pain level, but would not give the aged, many-conditioned horse, a third go at it.

What you describe is pretty mild.

 

[ihatework]

Impaction colic requiring minimal intervention would be a management issue rather than a pts issue.

Serious surgical colic - 1 is too much for old/already compromised and 2 too much for others

 

[AmyMay]

What is your management?

 

[Orangehorse]

The colics you describe were not close together, as above I would be looking at management, sloppy feeds, warm water when cold, etc.

Even so, we don't know what is going on inside them, so there might be something nasty there.

After hearing of a very sad tale about an elderly horse nearby that kept having colic, recovering, then another episode and the vet kept saying "its not bad enough to be pts." The horse had a complete change in its routine which was causing stress as well, and then one morning the horse was found in a dire condition and that was the end. But I was appalled at that and how the poor horse suffered several bouts of colic over a shortish period of time and decided that if my horse ever got colic when he was over 20 he would not have an operation, he would be treated for one episode of colic - depending on what was causing it, etc, but that if happened again within a short space of time then it would be time to say goodbye.

But OP, that doesn't seem to be the case with your horse. If he is recovering OK and you can look to the cause then hopefully you can prevent further episodes.

 

[AdorableAlice]

More fluid would most likely help him. Saracen Recovery is useful, 500g in 10l of nice warm water given several times a day has been life changing and saving for my mare, along with a major change in management and diet.

 

[Chianti]

Why would you call it a day? Is the pony old or not worth it

Having just lost my horse to colic after successful colic surgery , confused by your post!

I just meant if you felt the pony was suffering by having repeated treatments for a painful, unpleasant condition. He isn't old but has had other health issues. I don't know what you mean by 'not worth it'? I've spent a small fortune on vet's fees to try to keep him healthy and happy and have adapted his life as much as I can to keep him well. I wouldn't put him through colic surgery as he wouldn't cope with the stress of hospitalization and stable rest.

 

[Chianti]

T

The colics you describe were not close together, as above I would be looking at management, sloppy feeds, warm water when cold, etc.

Even so, we don't know what is going on inside them, so there might be something nasty there.

After hearing of a very sad tale about an elderly horse nearby that kept having colic, recovering, then another episode and the vet kept saying "its not bad enough to be pts." The horse had a complete change in its routine which was causing stress as well, and then one morning the horse was found in a dire condition and that was the end. But I was appalled at that and how the poor horse suffered several bouts of colic over a shortish period of time and decided that if my horse ever got colic when he was over 20 he would not have an operation, he would be treated for one episode of colic - depending on what was causing it, etc, but that if happened again within a short space of time then it would be time to say goodbye.

But OP, that doesn't seem to be the case with your horse. If he is recovering OK and you can look to the cause then hopefully you can prevent further episodes.

Thanks. We do the sloppy feeds and soaked hay. I can offer him warm water when I'm at the yard. Your example is what's at the back of my mind. His have been quite mild - if colic is ever mild - but I'd never forgive myself if he was found like the poor horse you describe

 

[Chianti]

What is your management?

Track livery, wet hay, sloppy feeds - including speedibeet. Fed linseed as vet said that would help.

 

[Chianti]

How old is the horse? Have his teeth been looked at? How severe were the previous colics? Has/had he been wormed regularly? Lots of factors to consider, but I don't think I'd be considering putting him down.

He's 17. Teeth done every 9 months. Worm counts 3 times a year. Tape worm saliva test in autumn. Wormed in winter. My concern is that with his lifestyle - movement on track, soaked hay and sloppy feeds he shouldn't have had colic - but he did. So I'm not sure what else I can do in terms of management.

 

[Chianti]

Were all the times during very cold spells do you remember? My vets always say colic numbers go up when it’s cold as the horses don’t drink enough (my boy included he hates freezing cold water) and has colic once when we had snow years ago, now if it’s super cold I make sloppy mashes with warm water

That's another strange thing about it. First was in April -nice weather. Second last November - very mild. Last this January - very cold.

 

[meleeka]

He's 17. Teeth done every 9 months. Worm counts 3 times a year. Tape worm saliva test in autumn. Wormed in winter. My concern is that with his lifestyle - movement on track, soaked hay and sloppy feeds he shouldn't have had colic - but he did. So I'm not sure what else I can do in terms of management.

You can’t always prevent colic, even with the best management. I don’t think your instances are worth considering pts. For me, it would have to be much more regular for me to worry about an underlying cause.

I think you can only do your best to make sure enough water is going in, so clean troughs, fresh water and well soaked feeds. Do the colics have any relation to whether teeth are due.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

He's 17. Teeth done every 9 months. Worm counts 3 times a year. Tape worm saliva test in autumn. Wormed in winter. My concern is that with his lifestyle - movement on track, soaked hay and sloppy feeds he shouldn't have had colic - but he did. So I'm not sure what else I can do in terms of management.

I would get a 2nd dentist opinion

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

As in the title really. How many times do you think you should let a pony/horse have colic before you call it a day? My pony had impaction colic in April 2021, November '22 and January '23.
They were all resolved with pain killers- Buscopan (?) and the last two by syringing with salt water over night. I'm very inexperienced with colic so don't know how long you let it go on as something that they get. I appreciate that each case is different but would be grateful to hear other's experiences with this. I should add that they've all either been on a bank holiday or the weekend!

Depends on the cause.
pony colic .................... turned out to be entrapment.
donkey colic................... - RVC stomach static
my boy hardily any but lost him



welsh A colic and turned out to be IBD

really depends on cause. I always have colikare handy

 

[blitznbobs]

Medically resolved colics I wouldn’t consider pts… unless they were happening daily and no one knew why when I would assume some underlying condition… surgical colic one is enough… having said I would never put a horse thru colic surgery I did… and I regret it to this day.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I just meant if you felt the pony was suffering by having repeated treatments for a painful, unpleasant condition. He isn't old but has had other health issues. I don't know what you mean by 'not worth it'? I've spent a small fortune on vet's fees to try to keep him healthy and happy and have adapted his life as much as I can to keep him well. I wouldn't put him through colic surgery as he wouldn't cope with the stress of hospitalization and stable rest.

It was you that said about calling it a day! I have just spent £8,000 on my horse trying to his life with colic and he lost his life with something else in the end up anyway so …….,

These are very MINOR EPISODES nothing really in the grand scheme of things

 

[ycbm]

That's another strange thing about it. First was in April -nice weather. Second last November - very mild. Last this January - very cold.

I'll repeat the question you've ignored. The last episode was 10 months ago, indicating that your management has been fine since then. Is there a reason for your questions now?

To answer your own question, I wouldn't consider a series of 3 colics months apart, resolved so easily and ending ten months ago to be any reason to have PTS even enter anyone's mind. So I'm very curious why it did.
.

 

[ycbm]

. He isn't old but has had other health issues. ....... I've spent a small fortune on vet's fees to try to keep him healthy and happy

The colic is no reason to PTS but these may be and you will find the forum very supportive of decisions made about older animals with chronic and expensive health conditions.