Poorly pony! Any ideas?

xxxloz123

xxxloz123

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Hi, my horse was acting strange yesterday afternoon. He was not himself at all and was just standing in the field looking rather sorry for himself. I got him and and put him in the stable as I figured it was probably just the heat getting to much for him. Once it had cooled down ( 6:30) ish,he seemed a lot happier and his normal self again so i rode him, then I knew something werent right he was very tense and unwilling to move so i jumped off and he had this weird twitching sensation on his flanks (there was no fly!) it wasnt the same sort of twitching. He also was very tight and tucked up around the back end of his belly and was tensing his mucles. there is also a slightly swollen area by his flanks that was really worrying me! I thought he could have colic so i phoned the vet and he thought the same and said to leave him in for a few hours ( was 8pm by this time ) He had pood once the whole time i was there. So i left him in as the vet said and went up a at 10 30 - 11pm last night and he seemed happy in himself but he still hadnt done any droppings so i phoned vet again and he said to just leave him in for the night with a small amount of hay. I ended up camping there over night! As I knew I wouldnt sleep not knowing if he was ok. But he seems happy this morning but he had only done one dropping! which was around 3am this morning. his swelling is going up and down :( Im getting the vet out this morning as im still not conviced as to what may be wrong with him. He also hasnt drunk anything at all! but he has weed 3 times! If you have any ideas as to what could be wrong please let me know. Also he doesnt seem to have any pain coming from this swelling at all. and its both sides of his belly. ( i did mention this to the vet )
 
just a long shot but if he has swelling, could he have been stung and taken a reaction to it?? have a good look around the swollen area and see if there is a mark of any kind
hope he is ok nothing worse than worrying all the time
 
No idea, but glad you called the vet for advice, twice, and that he's seeing a vet this morning.

If symptoms are so non-specific, it's hard for anyone to suggest a cause, but mild colic or even tying up are possibilties - except he hasn't had discoloured urine? If he was standing about in the field, not eating for much of the day before you found him, then that might account for the lack of droppings. As for the swelling, is that the ridge you see when they are tucked up? I can only think of one other reason and you really don't want it to be that - did he eat any hay?

Please let us know what the matter is/was. Good for you for staying with him.
 
I just went back up there and he seemed perky and he neighed his head off when i got there. Rang the vet back again and said he seemed ok and he had done 2 poos now! But i was worried about his urine. as he had been so frequently ( more than usual ) but not drank anything. But the vet didnt seem to worried about this :S I said it was quite strong smelling, but if he was having pains in his tummy that were preventing him from peeing properly then i guess he would have a very full bladder hence the frequent peeing. I really hope theres nothing wrong. Vet told me to put him back out in the field and leave him for a bit and phone if he looks in distress. He didnt seem fussed about coming to see him at all! I must have rang him about 5 times by now. ( think im annoying him ) Im hoping im being an over panicy mum and just over reacting about nothing!
 
And for the bites suggestion, Im not sure its anything at all the more i think about it! I saw him flinching there when i got off ( more shaking really ) but not in the way as a fly was bothering him, was very strange. thats when i noticed he looked tucked up which made it look like there was a swollen area :-S but like i said this was on both sides in the same place. Surely if he had any discomfort there he would pull faces at me when i touched it, but he wasnt bothered in the slightest! Another reason why I think im being a panicy poo. But im still worried about his frequent weeing :(
 
Just went back up to check on him, he was very hot and sweating buckets on his sheath and back legs! I rang vet again ( spoke to a different one ) and explained he was just sweating there and about his frequent urinating and she just said he probably to hot and to turn him out for an hour and see how he is. I have mentioned the urinating to both vets and neither were worried? but surely weeing so frequently isnt normal? Is it? Or am i panicing to much? The vet said to me if he wa acting unusual or looking in pain then to have someone come out, but he looks absolutly fine in himself, just hot and bothered. I really do hope im panicing to much! :(
 
I'd follow your instincts on this one and make one of the vets have a look. You know him best and if you're not happy they should come out. If he's tucked up, he's tucked up for a reason. It might just be a mild bout of colic or something but getting the vet out will set you're mind at ease if nothing else.
 
I'd get onto the vet and have someone out. Sounds like he might have tied up, esp with the sweating around his back end. If I were you I would have the vet out sharpish.
 
Oh dear I do hope you manage to get your boy sorted out soon
I had a similar case with my lad a few yrs ago, although he seemed fine in himself adn to look at I knew something wasnt right..he too stopped drinking for 3days i too stayed up yard at night to watch, he was eating normally but irregular pooing and lots of wee's..and they were getting darker and darker, to an extent the poor lad almost collapsed on me, teh vet did come straight out on the 1st day i noticed something wasnt right, he took bloods, checked temp everything....thinking it was mild colic... i was told if he hadn't drunk anything by the 3rd day to get him in...he was admitted to hospital and treated for colic....(although for a colic case to leg it up the road with me running after him soon as unloaded and headed for treatment room)...thats was my boy!!
He was kept in for 4days in ITU, he was very dehydrated and nothing ever came of what the cause was just cost loads for him to have a holiday in vets...day i picked him up he had to be sedated to load he ran back to nice warm cosy stable where he had round the clock care and feed.

But above all nothing was found wrong with him but seems like he had the same as what your boy's experiencing, I really hope you manage to get him treated etc, please let us know!

xx
 
I'd insist on a vet coming out, to hell with whether or not they think you're fussing. If they won't come then change practice!

I hope he's back to normal soon.
 
Just popped up again to see what he was like, he seems absolutly fine! hes not tucked up how he was. he had drank a bucket of water earlier and i saw him drink from the trough just now aswell. then he went back to eating. Il pop down again in an hour. part of me want to call the vet anyway, but i have work at 6! I dont think im going to be very popular if i dont go in... Non horsey people dont understand what these damn animals mean to us :P
 
I don't like the sound of sweating in one area only at all. If he was 'tied up', he may only be temporarily out of the woods. Is it possible he has got all out of balance with minerals and trace elements and such?

Just another thought - is his sheath normal to look at, clean and functioning correctly?
 
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Hi, just got back from checking up on him and he is definatly back to normal! no sweating anywhere! Vet seems to think he got far to hot in the sun yesterday and didnt drink enough, making him feel poorly. I will check on him again after work. but he is a different pony from yesterday!!! :) fingers crossed. thanks for all your replies. Il keep you informed
 
in which case, either way really, I would suggest that you make sure he has access to a salt lick in the field and in the stable. That should help encourage him to drink enough when it's hot and to prevent him tying up.
 
Really glad he is back to his usual self! Must admit that if it was me I would still have the vet out. Well worth double checking that it wasn't tying up as it would require careful follow up maintenence regarding food and exercise.
 
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