Mystery of Recurrent Colic

[Dynamo]

Has anyone experienced anything like this and can you shed any light on things or give any management tips. The vet is mystified as to possible causes.

Pony has had three episodes of violent, but short colic, over a period of a few weeks.
He's out on an averagely decent paddock in the day.
In at night with ad-lib, late-cut, very clean hay.
No hard feed whatsoever.
Teeth done regularly, wormed regularly, etc.
Very fit and in relatively hard work, including jumping, XC.
Gleaming with health and vitality, very well muscled and toned.
Always has access to fresh, clean water, and we put apple slices in it to make sure he drinks plenty as we thought it could be dehydration.

Each of the three episodes has:
- occurred at the end of the day about 5pm
- started immediately after having a poo, so not typical impaction colic
- started with trembling, then kicking of the stomach, then progressed to deranged thrashing around and trying to roll
- passed before the vet has even got there, and pony has then seemed totally fine and normal and vet not able to detect anything amiss
- been on a day when he hasn't worked

Am going to have him tested for PSSM. I would appreciate any other suggestions.

 

[Snow Falcon]

Food impaction from the other end. Scoping would find anything sinister. My mare had recurrent mild colic and was found to have a food bolus at the entrance to her stomach. This could be down to delayed gastric emptying. She is now off hay and has soup style feeds.

There is also something that can occur of the left hand side-entrapment? Think it's near the spleen or something like a displacement. The name of it escapes me at the moment but will try and rack my brain.

Eta: left dorsal displacement

 

[nagblagger]

What's his pee like? Can horses get renal colic, kidney stones...??

 

[Dynamo]

What's his pee like? Can horses get renal colic, kidney stones...??

Pee seems normal, no trouble to go whenever he wants, and normal colour.

 

[SO1]

Build up of gas through lack of movement on days off which is then released by thrashing about?

I use colikare and that seems to be good for gas release.

 

[Dynamo]

Build up of gas through lack of movement on days off which is then released by thrashing about?

I use colikare and that seems to be good for gas release.

Thanks, have just ordered some. Never experienced this before. Always something to learn... thank you

 

[spotty_pony]

Are you on sandy soil? Could it be sand colic with everywhere being so dry?

 

[sport horse]

I have one horse that had colic surgery five years ago due to a massive impaction. I now always soak her hay - not for hours but enough to make sure that it is very wet. She also has a very liquid bran mash as her last feed about 9pm (they live at home!) again to keep the fluid levels up.

 

[Laurac13]

Could it be a gassy Colic due to the grass as you mention it happens at the end of the day when he has been out all day and not worked?

 

[I'm Dun]

Mine had a couple of weeks of reoccurring colic. Not as violent as you describe, but enough to induce a heart murmur which indicates lower intestinal pain apparently. He was booked into be scoped as that would show any ulcers and anything amiss on the way to the stomach. While waiting to be scoped he was treated for hind gut acidosis/ulcers and made such a dramatic recovery that I cancelled scoping him. Bloods showed nothing amiss.

He had never shown any signs of ulcers and had always been on hind gut friendly diet, but then he was moved to a friends for a few weeks, got a nasty foot abcess and this coincided with him being out on grass which he hadn't had over winter. I'm now feeding the oily herbs recommended by the equi biome people and will organise to have that test done once I pay off my vet bills.

I'd book a scope and in the meantime treat the hind gut. It wont hurt if there's no hind gut issues. Have you had his sheath checked? Beans can cause a dramatic reaction in some horses. So another thing worth doing.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Has anyone experienced anything like this and can you shed any light on things or give any management tips. The vet is mystified as to possible causes.

Pony has had three episodes of violent, but short colic, over a period of a few weeks.
He's out on an averagely decent paddock in the day.
In at night with ad-lib, late-cut, very clean hay.
No hard feed whatsoever.
Teeth done regularly, wormed regularly, etc.
Very fit and in relatively hard work, including jumping, XC.
Gleaming with health and vitality, very well muscled and toned.
Always has access to fresh, clean water, and we put apple slices in it to make sure he drinks plenty as we thought it could be dehydration.

Each of the three episodes has:
- occurred at the end of the day about 5pm
- started immediately after having a poo, so not typical impaction colic
- started with trembling, then kicking of the stomach, then progressed to deranged thrashing around and trying to roll
- passed before the vet has even got there, and pony has then seemed totally fine and normal and vet not able to detect anything amiss
- been on a day when he hasn't worked

Am going to have him tested for PSSM. I would appreciate any other suggestions.

Lost two to colic


My late Pony kept coliking ended up at RVC first time, turnout to be Mesenteric rent entrapment.



I would not wait with recurring colic as there must be a reason, and you need to find out before it is too late

 

[Dynamo]

Are you on sandy soil? Could it be sand colic with everywhere being so dry?

No, but thanks for the suggestion. He's on a well covered paddock for about six hours a day and ad lib hay the rest of the time.

 

[Sossigpoker]

No, but thanks for the suggestion. He's on a well covered paddock for about six hours a day and ad lib hay the rest of the time.

Perhaps too much grass or it's too rich and it's causing gas build up?
I would trial only turning out for half a day and adding spearmint to his feed to help with the gassiness.

 

[Goldenstar]

I had one it turned out to be tumours on his bowel

 

[Dynamo]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. Much appreciated.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I have one horse that had colic surgery five years ago due to a massive impaction. I now always soak her hay - not for hours but enough to make sure that it is very wet. She also has a very liquid bran mash as her last feed about 9pm (they live at home!) again to keep the fluid levels up.

Thanks this has helped me confirm that I should always soak or at least wet my horses hay as he has had 2 episodes of impaction colic in the last 2 years, mine live at home as well and I soak most of the hay but they don't really like it but maybe a quick spray is enough most of the time.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. Much appreciated.

One of mine had impaction colic today so I feel for you it's bloody horrible and you just feel so helpless and inadequate well I know I did.

Still on colic watch now his having a few handfuls of hay in a bucket of water and a tiny slop mash until the morning.

I hope your horse is OK x

 

[Snow Falcon]

Hope your horse is ok too Pinkvboots.

I think it's important during dry spells that horses get extra water over hay/feeds etc. It's certainly something I'm keeping a careful eye on now with my mare.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Hope your horse is ok too Pinkvboots.

I think it's important during dry spells that horses get extra water over hay/feeds etc. It's certainly something I'm keeping a careful eye on now with my mare.

Than you, His back to normal this morning and kicking the door in for food it's such a relief.

 

[Birker2020]

Could it be a gassy Colic due to the grass as you mention it happens at the end of the day when he has been out all day and not worked?

Mine used to be very gassy, spasmodic colic literally every week for months, then intermittently, we tried a muzzle, reducing time out, pink powder.
When they had the spasmodic colic the vet said said to give two or three bute, put on walker and then stable and check, colic pain would always over ride bute.
One of the vets from the practice suspected ulcers.

In the end a course of slippery elm (coats stomach lining), giving sloppy feeds and scrubbing and changing paddock water every three days did the trick.