my mare has colic

Oh dear, they are a worry! Do hope your mare continues to improve. Fingers n toes crossed, positive vibes for her, big hugs to you. xx
 
Thank you all so so much, it means a lot to me. Well, she is still with us, after an awful night.

After the vet left in the evening I called another practice for a second opinion who advised that it sounded more like impaction than spasmodic, and to get liquid paraffin, electrolytes and water down her through a stomach tube.

I got original vet to come back out and do it, and whilst she was sedated we got a fair bit down her, before she collapsed, and we all thought we'd lost her. The vet was even checking her vital signs, but she turned out to be just having a snooze.

She got up and was pawing again, even after sedation, so we stayed with her but she seemed to settle and even passed some droppings. Pawing and lying down and getting up again went on for a while.

Up every hour through the night checking her but she was exhausted and just snoozing. Loads better this morning, much brighter, whinnying when I go in, but won't eat or drink anything.

I just want to see that paraffin come out! Any ideas of what I could tempt her with - grass nuts perhaps? I want to walk her out but the yard is like glass this morning and i'm scared she is too weak to support herself if she slips.
 
So glad to read this today. I would leave her in the stable if you are worried about her slipping. Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery xx
 
My mare had colic a few weeks back, but made a very quick recovery - so I know how worrying it can be.

Wishing your girl all the best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Also sending you hugs - you must be exhausted after a night like that.
 
I certainly wouldn't be encouraging her to eat until she was passing droppings again regularly. One of mine took 23 hours to start pooing again and has been fine since. If it's impaction, I wouldn't lunge her either. I would do that with a gas colic, not an impaction. Best wishes for your mare's full recovery.
 
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My horsey had impaction colic and needed 4 days of very intensive treatments....he surived without surgery but it was touch and go for a while. Colic comes in so many guises....it is viitally important you know which type yours has got as the teeatments will vary. Are you 100% confident with your vet, if not get someone else in as compaction colic s very serious and needs correct treatment. Do not feed anything...no hay, feeds, treats until poos and wees are back to normal and check heart rate...if it is above her normal at rest she is in pain and believe me they are great at hiding it sometimes.
I really hope she gets better soon, mine did recover but he received the correct treatment straight away so please make sure you know exactly what type of colic you are dealing with.
 
Fingers crossed for you.

If it's an impaction I also wouldn't feed, though she will still need liquids. Can sh ebe tempted with some warm water, maybe with some apple juice in it? If not you may need to get the vet back to tube some fluids down her again. I wouldn't lunge for an impaction, as someone else said that's more for gassy colics, but if she wants a quite mooch around that may be helpful.
 
Hope she's showing signs of improvement today.
I echo what redriver' says, my mare suffered an impaction a couple of years ago too but recovered without the need for surgery in around 4 days... Ice never been so pleased to see poo!! ;) It is important to know what type your treating. Updates when u get time, thinking of you both.
 
Good to hear that she's feeling better this morning, when we've given liquid paraffin, the droppings come out all shiny. We've had a few simple impaction colics over the years which have been resolved fairly quickly but as I said above we also had an unexplained colic which lasted 3 days and she's still with us. Try not to worry too much (easy to say I know), as colic isn't always extremely serious.
 
It sounds like she's feeling a bit better and like she's on the right track. No experience of impaction colic myself so can't give any advice, but fingers crossed she'll be back to normal soon. Thinking of you both x
 
Hi all, thanks again for the help and advice. My own vets are still. uncertain whether it is an impaction or spasmodic, but they are still leaning towards spasmodic. She's very lethargic today, i've led her out to her paddock about an hour ago and she's had a nibble of grass but is standing snoozing inthe sun now. She's not really keen to walk much, I guess she's exhausted.

She's had a nibble of a carrot and a tiny bit of soaked feed - she passed some more droppings earlier too, which were quite hard.

A bit worried about her not drinking enough though, I've been purring warm water in the stable and field but she doesn't drink a massive amount anyway so i'm not sure what else to do.

If we are still here on monday, the vet will be doing blood tests for any underlying causes, but one day at a time.
 
Orchardbeck said:
Hi all, thanks again for the help and advice. My own vets are still. uncertain whether it is an impaction or spasmodic, but they are still leaning towards spasmodic. She's very lethargic today, i've led her out to her paddock about an hour ago and she's had a nibble of grass but is standing snoozing inthe sun now. She's not really keen to walk much, I guess she's exhausted.

She's had a nibble of a carrot and a tiny bit of soaked feed - she passed some more droppings earlier too, which were quite hard.

A bit worried about her not drinking enough though, I've been purring warm water in the stable and field but she doesn't drink a massive amount anyway so i'm not sure what else to do.

If we are still here on monday, the vet will be doing blood tests for any underlying causes, but one day at a time.
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Fingers crossed for you. With regard to her not drinking have you tried sugar beet water? It can tempt them so may be worth a try.
 
Agree with Black vekvet. Vets should be administering fluids if she's not drinking at alk. Surprised they're waiting until Monday before they take further action. Keeping everything crossed for you.
 
I think she must have had a sneaky drink when I wasn't looking. I brought her back in about an hour ago and she did a long pee, her urine was normal colour, not dark. I've measured the top of her water to the top of the bucket so I know for certain if she has drunk something but she has been nibbling grass this afternoon, and i've given her a tiny bit of soaked feed with carrots and apples which she has nibbled at too. I think I caught her chewing hay too but she stops eating as soon as I go in, which is totally unlike her.
 
To get my colicy boy drinking I covered a salt lick in molasses, he'd lick the molasses off and then got some of the salt, which made him so very thirsty and he drank loads.

When that stopped working I was making him warm ribena lol! Xx
 
Hi, thanks again all. Just been to check on her and found the best present of all - a lovely heap of droppings. She's eaten the apples and carrots out of her feed and had a bit more feed, a bit more hay, and most importantly, a drink.

I'm so relieved. The droppings were quite dark and hard though, I would have expected them to have wen softened by the paraffin, but I wonder if these were the main culprits, the softer ones are still to come - would that make sense?
 
That would make perfect sense hun, and I'm so glad that's she's given you such a lovely present - it's sad how obsessed we can get with poo! Good news that she's drinking again, jst be careful she doesn't eat too much until you're happy the blockage has cleared.
 
The liquid parrafin tends to coat the droppings, to help them on their way, tends to make the droppings shiny, rather than softening the individual lumps. My guess is that you will find softer shiny droppings soon. It does sound as if the offending bits are starting to move out! :D

Meant to say too how glad I am to hear that she is on the mend, they are always a worry!
 
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It is very difficult to know for sure and your vet must know what he is talking about but to me it does sound more like impaction colic...hopefully a mild case but you need to really keep an eye on her water intake as you are doing and get water into her anyway you can...the lack of water intake is far more serious than not eating, in fact I woud be more worried if she was eating and not drinking enough if that makes sense.
 
I know, she's not a thirsty horse by nature so that is a worry, i've tried speedibeet tea with no joy and that usually works but she has definitely had a drink out of her bucket. Sophieandbailey, I might try the molasses salt lick idea, that could work - I doubt she would drink water with any cordial added, she's too suspicious... I'm prepared to have to tube her with water again if we need to - hopefully she's on the mend now though.
 
I'm glad she's on the mend, its so horrible watching them go up and down :( I tried all flavours of cordial to get him to drink (he was off his fluid for around a week after colicing so I made his feeds really sloppy and fed small feeds three times a day to try and get some fluid into him) and it seemed to work, but worked better if he'd had a go on the salt lick first :)

I also used to get a big coke bottle, fill with water, and put some honey around the hole, put the bottle to his lips and while he was licking away at the honey I'd tip the bottle up and he'd then be lapping the water too!

I had to get very inventive :) xxxx
 
Just got bck from another check, she was peeing again when I went in - and there was another heap of droppings, slightly softer this time. and she had drunk around a half to 3/4 bucket of water, I had taken another one of hot water to top it up which replaced what she had drunk. I'm over the moon!

She'd had a bit more hay and another nibble of feed too. I can't believe 30 hours ago the vet nearly put her to sleep, what a journey.
 
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