Mild colic - what to do?

[Chumsmum]

Hi.

I think Chum has mild colic and want to just check I'm doing the right thing for now... and should I be calling the vet now or seeing how he goes?

Noticed Chum looked a bit off colour this morning, he lives out and called to me when I went to check them but walked over slower than usual. As it was raining hard and they all looked a bit fed up I gave them some hay. Noticed he was chewing strangely and looked at his sides a few times.. He had colic a couple of years ago that started with these same things though he was a lot grumpier last time.

I've stabled him and gave him a dose of liquid Coligone (have always made sure I've got some of this in stock after last time). I left him eating hay and he looked okay but not right but that's probably because I know him so well. He will be checked throughout the day too.

Last time because the symptons were not obvious it wasn't until the next day when he tried to roll in the school that I got the vet out who gave him Buscopan that sorted him. However this time I have the Coligone which may/may not help plus he not as grumpy but would you be getting vet out now? I know lots of horses get regular colic and I'm guessing you don't get the vet out everytime and that it can pass? Or is that incorrect?

I'm guessing it's new hay that has caused it as that's the only thing that's changed - I've been mixing it with old hay for a week and it's very dry so thought it would be okay - it was cut in June. I've left him with old hay today to make sure. Also it has gone very Autumnish in the last couple of days and don't know if he reacting to the change. He is 18/19yo, not very old but he virtually retired with Bone Spavin and does seem quite delicate these days - poor baby

Any help much appreciated.

 

[AmyMay]

Colic should always be treated as an emergency, and at the first signs I would call the vet.

 

[misst]

Vet everytime I am afraid. Easier to sort out early rather than when it has gone further. I would consider not giving him any hay until you have spoken to them. The usual advice is to remove food and water and walk in hand until the vet comes unless they become dangerous - in which case if you have a manege you can use turn him out in that so it is soft if he rolls, safely enclosed and nothing in there to eat.
Hopefully it is just change of hay and weather causing spasmodic colic - one of mine used to do this twice a year but always had the vet out.

 

[applecart14]

Hi.

I think Chum has mild colic and want to just check I'm doing the right thing for now... and should I be calling the vet now or seeing how he goes?

Noticed Chum looked a bit off colour this morning, he lives out and called to me when I went to check them but walked over slower than usual. As it was raining hard and they all looked a bit fed up I gave them some hay. Noticed he was chewing strangely and looked at his sides a few times.. He had colic a couple of years ago that started with these same things though he was a lot grumpier last time.

I've stabled him and gave him a dose of liquid Coligone (have always made sure I've got some of this in stock after last time). I left him eating hay and he looked okay but not right but that's probably because I know him so well. He will be checked throughout the day too.

Last time because the symptons were not obvious it wasn't until the next day when he tried to roll in the school that I got the vet out who gave him Buscopan that sorted him. However this time I have the Coligone which may/may not help plus he not as grumpy but would you be getting vet out now? I know lots of horses get regular colic and I'm guessing you don't get the vet out everytime and that it can pass? Or is that incorrect?

I'm guessing it's new hay that has caused it as that's the only thing that's changed - I've been mixing it with old hay for a week and it's very dry so thought it would be okay - it was cut in June. I've left him with old hay today to make sure. Also it has gone very Autumnish in the last couple of days and don't know if he reacting to the change. He is 18/19yo, not very old but he virtually retired with Bone Spavin and does seem quite delicate these days - poor baby

Any help much appreciated.

My horse used to get regular colic in the form of gassy spasmodic colic which was easily treatable with the application of 3 to 4 bute in a small feed and then 20 mins on the horse walker with the option of getting the vet out if the horse remained the same or deteriorated once back in the stable. This was on vets advice that I did this. I have found that ditching the muzzle and giving pink powder in his feed have rectified the problem (touch wood). The muzzle whilst limiting his intake of grass caused more problems than it was worth, as when he lost it, which he envariably did - he would gorge and then get colic. By regulating his grass intake by limiting the amount of time out at grass was the ultimately the solution I was looking for.

 

[Chumsmum]

Thank you everyone for replies.

I did get vet out this morning as Coligone hadn't made any difference and he seemed more uncomfortable. She thinks it's a gassy, spasmodic colic, she gave him a painkiller and a muscle relaxing injection. His heart rate started coming down quickly so vet pleased with that.

He seems much brighter and hungry but had to wait until this evening before he had a poo. Have been giving him small amounts of hay and will go down to yard again in a bit to check and if all okay give him a haynet for the night.

Vet said they had had a lot of colic cases with the recent rain and then warm weather but keeping him on old hay for now to make sure.

Fingers crossed he will get over this okay.

Many thanks again for your help

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Just wanted to add that Coligone is excellent as a preventative but once a colic attack is in full swing, it's a veterinary emergency as others have said. My horse had a - thankfully mild - attack of gassy colic 3 years ago. Buscopan relieved it within minutes thank god. I also gave him Coligone for a week afterwards and was advised that whenever anything new is going to happen to him, eg new field, new feedstuff, etc etc put him on a few days of Coligone to start BEFORE the changes.

 

[eggs]

One of my horses gets colicky when the grass flushes. I bring him in and remove all food. I check him every half hour and listen for gut sounds. It tends to pass in about two hours and I am happy when he looks bright and has had a poo.

I do phone my vet when I notice he is colicky to give them a 'heads up' ut as this is common for him they don't come out unless I think he is not improving.

I have had two horses with severe colic and have had the vet out immediately.

 

[pollypock1211]

I lost my last horse to colic and her symptoms wernt as severe as ive seen some when suffering from it.

I always keep in epsom salts and peppermint cordial not sure it helps when colic is advanced stages but it is supposed to clear out the system..

glad your horse is safe and well now..x

 

[oscarwild]

Glad to hear your horse is now better from the colic.

Oscar has had colic 3 times since I've had him. Twice was a gassy spasmodic colic that the vet reckoned was through stress and the third time was a month or so ago and was due to a gut problem that he's currently being treated for. The last one was a different colic but not sure what one as he was in a different kind of pain.

First 2 was treated with buscopan and he was fine within a few hrs. The last one was horrible. He had salty water and oil fed into his stomach through a tube up his nose along with the painkiller, anti inflammatory and other stuff and it was hrs until he felt any better. Have to say having to hold the horse while the tube bit was done with a hangover was lovely. Had been to a hen party the night before and wasnt feeling good at all. But it certainly was a cure for the hangover.

 

[Chumsmum]

Thanks for all replies - very interesting to hear the different stories/reactions.

For those of you who treat at mild cases without the vet, what do you consider mild symptons?

The more I think about it, I think it was the flush of grass last week though it has never bothered him before, he normally just looks fat overnight... He also moved fields earlier in the year with no ill-effects though I 'think' I may have had him on Pink Powder then?

I'm guessing he is more sensitive to changes as he gets older. I keeping him on Coligone for the next few days.

I think I'm going to keep him in at night from now on (he normally out 24/7 due to his Bone Spavin) just to stop any changes in grass/temperature having such an effect on him. He seems to be enjoying it at the moment.

Pollypock 1211 - I'm so sorry to hear that your horse died

Regarding 'mild' symptons (which my horse had, don't think anyone else would have realised there was a problem at the stage I got the vet out), my vet was of the opinion that the quieter types can sometimes not be as obvious with the colic signs? Obviously depends how serious it is.


I really must make a note of my horses normal vital statistics as his heart rate was up - I even went to a Vet talk a couple of weeks ago and they recommended this but never got around to it..

Thanks again for replies and best wishes.

 

[Borderreiver]

Don't forget that many colics are caused by tapeworm. Even if you think you are up to date a tapeworm bloodtest with the vet is a good idea, especially if it keeps rumbling up with no real reason obvious.