I just bought my first cob! Introduction + feed advice + photos!

Red-1

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Come Rigsbys guts.....poo ??????

To be fair, it is perplexing me. He has normal poo for the day, but is laying down all the time and has left his hay, which is unheard of. I did give a quick lunge round, just to see if moving would help. He was enthusiastic, not sweating, not blowing, just a few circuits each way, he did another poo, all short fibre, no long fibre, not dry just small. But, as soon as I said to stop and good boy, he laid down again, so the vet is coming straight away.

He is laid in his stable as I wait.
 

Reacher

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Fingers crossed he feels better soon.

I was just reading the post about the industrial freezer curtain - what a good idea. My 2 have a patio and door is always open - on the rare occasions we get a nasty easterly wind it blows right in.
 

Red-1

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Phew, the vet has just left. He didn't look really poorly, he had gut sounds and was not in any obvious pain. The net was still there, half full though, and that means trouble for Rigsby.

She gave some buscopan, said that he looked settled but she would just give a precautionary internal, just to be sure, despite the fact that he had passed some normal poo. The first part of the internal had normal poo, but when she felt to the pelvic flexure, there was an impaction. Quite a big one.

He has been tubed, had some more drugs and is on starvation for the night other than warm sugar beet water. She says she has seen a few impactions today, she thinks it is because their water has been cold and they haven't been drinking as much.

Vet is returning tomorrow and he may be hospitalised then, so he can have regular tubing through the day.

Rigsby was very cross. Firstly, his skin is like rhino skin, so the intravenous injections too a fair bit of fiddling. Secondly, the tube would not go in smoothly, at one stage it went down the wrong way, then it was stuck again. He was cross and horrified. Lastly, sugar beet water is no substitute for tea.

Fingers crossed he passes the impaction tonight.
 

Red-1

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He can go to Horsepital if necessary for extensive tubing, but I do hope it won't be necessary.

Crikey, with all his various ailments, it would be surprising if a colic saw him off!

He still doesn't look terribly poorly. Just cross! I just don't believe in delaying if colic is suspected.

Happily, with our new cctv, I can watch him on my phone. He is currently looking out for his tea!

262172626_322117503089470_681997389090032545_n.jpg
 

chaps89

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I was at a client talk held by my vets the other night and they said the key thing with colic is to make quick decisions, the ones that struggle to recover are the ones where owners have ummed and ahhhed about whether to go to horspital or not, those that get in sooner have a better prognosis. Sounds like you’re already on the ball with that one!
 

Miss_Millie

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Poor Rigsby, I hope that he feels better soon. You're an excellent owner for getting him looked at so quickly, that was absolutely the right thing to do. Sending vibes his way <3
 

Red-1

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Yay, I watched, live, on cctv, as Rigsby lifted his tail and did some... rabbit type droppings! The first ones that are dry, so we are at the impaction poos. Only a little bit, but good news all the same.

He hasn't eaten his flavoured sugar beet water, but I also have some LamiGel, so made some warm soup with that. He drank it straight down, about 1/3 of a bucket of warm slop. I have made some more. As he hasn't laid down since the vet was here, he is looking for food, he has been tubed with 2/3 of a bucket of warm Epsom Salt water, he has now drunk extra liquid... with all that I feel confident to go to bed.
 

ycbm

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I was offline and missed this yesterday Red, I will keep everything crossed for a soft wet poo report later.
.
 

Red-1

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Things not looking great for Rigsby right now.

He was comfortable enough last night, standing quietly, until around 5am, when he had a lie down. He then rapidly got worse, getting up and down, so I called the emergency vet out and had him walking on the arena to await her arrival.

Sadly, he simply would not walk, was collapsing mid stride to roll, Mr Red did a heroic job to prevent him going over and over.

When the vet got here, at 7am (she was coming from the other side of their area) Rigsby whinnied like he knew she could help him. But, he steadfastly refused to get up. He was injected on the floor, still refused to stand, so had an internal exam whilst he was laid down.

He has a football size impaction, in a bad place. She had been happy until the internal, he was passing some sloppy poo, and has gut sounds, but the impaction is very big.

Rigs isn't fit to travel, and is not a good candidate for surgery. The vet will come 4 times today, to flush him through to try to soften and move the blockage.

He has the tube up his nose left in place, to try to reduce the change of a haemorrhage due to the repeated tubing.

I guess it is 50/50 for Rigsby.
 

AandK

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Keeping everything crossed for Rigsby, I hope the impaction passes soon.

Is there any way to get IV fluids into him at home? My 8yo had a very badly impacted caecum after a GA 2yrs ago, he had lots of fluids by IV and into his stomach to help soften and pass the blockage.
 

Red-1

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Keeping everything crossed for Rigsby, I hope the impaction passes soon.

Is there any way to get IV fluids into him at home? My 8yo had a very badly impacted caecum after a GA 2yrs ago, he had lots of fluids by IV and into his stomach to help soften and pass the blockage.

I will ask at the next visit. His vitals are good, he has just had a full bucket of water, electrolytes, and other stuff tubed into him.
 
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