Is there any hope for our boy??

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tinpot

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hi I'm looking for some vibes for our boy who on Monday went down with spasmodic colic. We got the vet out who gave painkillers examined etc been feeding sloppy food taking him for walks but still not going to the loo properly. The vet now thinks he has a blockage in the upper part of his gut which is a part as the vet explained as a cul de sac where the food goes in and back out but in his case its only getting the very wet stuff back out not the solid out been hoping it would clear itself but nothing seems to be happening. We don't have the kind of money for an operation he could have but the vet said its not guaranteed has he done one a while a go and the horse is still not right. so it looks like we will have to have our boy PTS. So I'm looking to see if anyone has any experience of this or any success stories please no bitchy comments as i am totally devastated:(:(:(
 
Having lost my two boys to colic, I am sending lots of vibes and hugs to you and your horse. My old racer, Bob, was on a drip all night, we nursed him through the day, but in the end we had to let him go. Murphy my cob, I found in the morning, too late to help him. He had a twisted gut, and I had no choice but to let him go there and then. I am sorry I cannot offer you more comfort, but I truly hope your horse will pull through. Whatever happens, I am thinking of you at this horrible time. I hate colic, and am a bit paranoid about it now. Hopefully you will be more lucky than I. I truly hope so. xx
 
Thank you for you replies i've never had ant experience of colic and really dont want to again just keep thing have we done everything right i know we have but just keep thinking is there anything else. And how can you choose when to do it when you see him down you think nows right and vet says ill give him a painkiller and he bucks up you think may be this time it will be ok then your back to square one again. I know i cant keep doing this to him but i dont want to let him go either.
 
Really sorry to read this, & am afraid I don't really have anything to add but didn't want to read & run.

If he's comfortable, what about a longer walk with plenty of grass or could he be turned out for a hour or two? I remember an old horseman telling me that he'd got a horse to poo by getting it ready to travel with boots & a rug & loading it on the lorry, apparently the excitement of going somewhere did the trick.

I will be sending lots of vibes, hope he recovers.
 
HazyXmas said:
Really sorry to read this, & am afraid I don't really have anything to add but didn't want to read & run.

If he's comfortable, what about a longer walk with plenty of grass or could he be turned out for a hour or two? I remember an old horseman telling me that he'd got a horse to poo by getting it ready to travel with boots & a rug & loading it on the lorry, apparently the excitement of going somewhere did the trick.

I will be sending lots of vibes, hope he recovers.
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It is a well known treatment around here to actually put them in the lorry and drive them around. A gypsy treatment is also to put them on the lunge and run them around as fast as they can go. Both can work, though they sound a bit drastic.

OP I will cross my fingers for you.
 
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keeping fingers crossed , i have had horrible experiences of colic , we were on the verge of putting him on a lorry to the equine hospitial for sx or put to sleep , again i was in a horrible sitiuation as not covered on the insurance for colic as already had claims for this previous , has your vet tubed your horse at all ?, how is he this am ? x
 
hi' yes they have given him liquid paraffin and tubed to get fluids in and we have been syringing water into him every couple of hours vet has only told us to walk him nothing said about going any faster he's not had a poo this morning as yet but when he does go its just like a cow pat. The thing is like yesterday he seemed fine had a poo in the morning and in the afternoon although very runny then goes down late afternoon (i presume when the painkiller wears off) so then we call the vet out and off we go again this has been going on since the begining of the week really putting us through the mill
 
tinpot said:
hi' yes they have given him liquid paraffin and tubed to get fluids in and we have been syringing water into him every couple of hours vet has only told us to walk him nothing said about going any faster he's not had a poo this morning as yet but when he does go its just like a cow pat. The thing is like yesterday he seemed fine had a poo in the morning and in the afternoon although very runny then goes down late afternoon (i presume when the painkiller wears off) so then we call the vet out and off we go again this has been going on since the begining of the week really putting us through the mill
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Tinpot can I suggest that this morning while he is feeling well enough, you appear to have absolutely nothing to lose to me by doing the gypsy lunge trick.

It sounds very much as if you are going to lose him, so what harm can it cause at this stage?

So sorry for your dreadful situation.
 
The best hope would be to get him to equine hospital for investigation and surgery. It is expensive but your insurance will cover it if you have it.
My local vet was rubbish just said there wasn't much they could do except make him comfortable and hope it clears. I think he wouldve been PTS if I hadn't taken him to the Bell Equine, certainly the way the local vet was going. Decision on PTS depends on lots of factors, Your personal circumstances, horses age, history and whether he is in any pain, unfortuantly only you can make that decision as only you know him. Always a horrid decision to make, I feel for you. Hope he gets better real soon!!!
 
cptrayes said:
Tinpot can I suggest that this morning while he is feeling well enough, you appear to have absolutely nothing to lose to me by doing the gypsy lunge trick.

It sounds very much as if you are going to lose him, so what harm can it cause at this stage?

So sorry for your dreadful situation.
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Totally agree with the lunging thing. Or sticking in a box and going for a spin. We had a Winter of spasmodic colic with my OHs wee mare last year. Learned all the tricks and anythings worth a try.

Fingers crossed for you.
 
Oh Tinpot, my heart goes out to you. I have everything crossed that your horse pulls through this.
For many years I had only experienced mild colic and that was seldom until two years ago when I lost my mare. I found Maddie in the morning in a dreadful state. Even morphine based painkillers didn't relieve the pain or lower her heart rate. Sadly I had to make a very quick decision to have her pts. She had done an awful lot of poo so a blockage was unlikely and I had wormed her the night before with a product that I since found out can cause colic. Maybe she had twisted her gut before I found her but seeing her in so much pain and fighting to stop her rolling was something I never want to experience again.
Like I say my thoughts are with you and if I could wave a magic wand your way I would. X
 
Really hope your boy pulls through. Am not usually one for diagnosing via forums but you might want to ask your vet about the possibility of it being peritonitis and not colic. About 5 years ago my TB presented with ongoing colic symptoms which didn't improve so we took him to hospital where they did an abdominal tap and found he had peritonitis. This can be fatal but a lot of cases (thankfully my boy's included) are fully treatable with antibiotics. Most cases have a defined cause (perforation injury) but a number do not have any obvious cause - my lad didn't. Got to be worth a phone call.

Keeping everything crossed. x
 
is the vet due back out this am ? , could u not discuss some sort of payment plan with vets so he can go to equine hosptial if not showing any signs of improvement ? x
 
also , how old is your horse ? and breed ? fingers crossed , although pooing is a good sign , its not always a hundred percent that there is no blockage , we had one on our yard that had a blockage and was tubed three four times through the day , was passing some droppings but very dull and quiet , refered and was pts
 
I would also suggest lunging - not chasing him round fast and frantic but a bit of trotting. I got told to try this by my vet when my boy colicked, it worked a treat to get things moving and I now do it to any of mine showing colicky signs.
 
Whether lunging (or a lorry trip) works on colic depends on the type/cause. The OP's horse DOES sound like a spasmodic colic so it COULD work - but I'd want to know heart rate and temperature when he's at his worst before recommending it.

Many years ago I had a young horse who regularly got spasmodic colic (as a result of stress when his best friend hacked out without him!) It happend 8 times in 12 months until the last bout - which was the worst to date - and my vet was pretty sure it was a twisted gut (he couldn't feel the twist with a rectal but there WAS a lot of gas-filled bowel.) His heart rate at this point was only 60 - and he recommended taking him up to Fyrnwy Equine Clinic (which at that time wasn't nice and handly as it is now!!)

The dope wore off him in the lorry and he went beserk!! (Travelling at 3am wasn't 'approved' so he was throwing a massive tantrum!!) He came off the lorry the other end with NO signs of colic other than a blood lactate 10 times normal. I reassured the vet that as the horse had 'galloped' about 40 miles, that wasn't surprising! He never got colic again!
 
Could be worth talking to the vets re a payment plan for surgoury. When Lucy was admited to liphook for diagnosis of her illness they presented me with a bill for £2000 for her 3 day stay. I was only earning £80 a week, I had no savings and as she was atleast 19 she wasn't insured. I cryed at the vet and then cryed at the finance team as I had no idea how I was ever going to afford the bill esp as I had a massive bill from my regular vets already. They let me pay in monthly installments. Vets can be more understanding than you think. Massive ((((((((((hugs))))))))))) to you and (((((((((((vibes)))))))))))) to your boy.xx
 
Tinpot if you do think of surgery please check the longer term survival rates as well as considering the pain the horse would go through in rehab. Colic surgery by no means guaranteed that the horse will survive the operation, never mind the next six months.

I do hope things are better this morning.
 
tinpot said:
hi' yes they have given him liquid paraffin and tubed to get fluids in and we have been syringing water into him every couple of hours vet has only told us to walk him nothing said about going any faster he's not had a poo this morning as yet but when he does go its just like a cow pat. The thing is like yesterday he seemed fine had a poo in the morning and in the afternoon although very runny then goes down late afternoon (i presume when the painkiller wears off) so then we call the vet out and off we go again this has been going on since the begining of the week really putting us through the mill
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This doesn't sound like traditional tubing to me. It sounds like two separate things.

When my little Welshie went down with very bad impaction colic many many years ago, surgery was not an option. Having me and my sister helping the vet pump the LP into him from a bucket (all very old school) he was making improvements within the hour, pooed and recovered by the next morning.

I do agree with boxing up, some horses only need to have their travel boots put on and the ramp pulled down to trigger it, but the lunging could also work.

It is one of those things where, save from causing severe discomfort, it is worth a try as they are last resorts, you have nothing to lose.

I am so sorry you are in this position and will pray that something works and pulls your boy through xx
 
My mare had something similar at the beginning of last year. She was lunged by us and the vets though at the time they thought that there may of been intestine looped over the spleen.
She was eventually taken into the vets where they lunged and tubed her regularly she would perk up and then go quiet again. I think they ultra sounded her to see the spleen but found a blockage in one of the loops. She didn't need surgery , I think she was there about 4days cost me about £900 that included lunging at midnight .
 
We had a traddy cob mare in her twenties who had colic on and off for a week, usually showing signs just out of hours! The vet warned us that the prognosis wasn't good, he didn't offer surgery as he knew us well and knew we would not put the old girl through it. He was of the opinion that it was related to blood supply issues to the gut. She recovered, although slowly and lived for a further 6 years. We fed well cooked bran mash, poured liquid parafin in her and then fed grass nut mash with lots of mollasses. Old fashioned but effective.
 
Friends horse had spasmodic colic last year and he was tubed then lunged by the vet who came out. This went on and off for a few days but ultimately worked.

Don't give up hope just yet xxx
 
OP don't feel you are letting your horse down because you can't afford surgery. I could afford it and still wouldn't put my horse through it. I would try a trailer ride if no improvement. Fingers crossed for you.
 
My girl had a nasty impaction colic a few years back, she was walked on and off for the best part of 24hrs and tubed, belted with painkillers and buscopan to no avail, then admitted to the Dick vet School and seriously flooded with IV fluids, she had 4 big bags up running at once, every day, she was in for 3 nights, the bill was about £1,500 but it worked, is there any chance this treatment might be an option ?
 
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