Recovery from colic surgery...

[_jetset_]

If Grace gets to the stage she can come home, please could someone just explain the general rules of colic surgery recovery to me? What is the estimated box rest period, can they be walked etc etc?

Rebecca x

 

[piebaldsparkle]

The gelding at our yard was on box rest for 10 weeks, then he was walk supposed to be walked out in hand, but instead was turned out in a small 15m X 15m paddock (but he wasn't the sort of horse that messes around in the field) during the day for a couple of hours for another 10 weeks. Then he was allowed out in the field. Think he started being brought back into work after 6 months. He is fine now, and he was an older horse (in his teens).

 

[Sags_Deer]

Hi, my mare (sadly i had her pts at the age of 26 in march sorely missed) had colic surgery at the age of 7 this was a number of years ago, she had to be box rested for a few months, fed little and often, hand grazed to introduce grass slowly back into the diet. I kept her on pink powder when it came onto the market and was pretty strict on feeding times after it, not that we werent before. She had a couple of colic turns but i knew instandly what it was a vet was there straight away. never knew what caused it. she never had apples too many can cause colic same with other treats after surgery so v strick with what she had and only mixed new hay with old and gradually etc. sorry im going on here. Um anything else yup they have a scar but hey ho that doesnt matter she went to do cross country, dressage, hacks etc not a problem got told not to breed for a couple of years to let it all heal, never did wish i had she would have been a great mum, but she is making babies in horsey heaven. all the best to you if you want to ask more feel free to pm me.xx

 

[Shilasdair]

My 2yo Shire x TB girl was operated on for non strangulating infarction of the small colon, kept in the vet hospital for 10 days, brought home.
I was told to box rest her for 6 weeks, but to walk her in hand for initially 10 mins 2 or 3 times daily, and to graze her in hand...but to discourage her from athletic contortions before the abdominal would had healed. This was to avoid herniation (where the would partially reopens and intestine peeps out) as they need more surgery to push it back in...

In reality I box rested her for about 4 or 5 weeks, walked her in hand, and grazed her in hand for half an hour morning and night.
Then I had a vet out to check her...and with his permission, I built an electric fenced pen (stable sized) on lush grass...and popped her in there, gradually making the enclosure larger, and the time longer....til she was out in an enclosure of about 20m x 30m. This was over another 5 or 6 weeks. Then I put her back in with her friends, as they all live out 24/7 and the vets were keen that she should continue to live out.
S

 

[blackcob]

My friend's horse had surgery in February of this year for a bladder stone, while he was recovering he came down with colic and had a second operation to treat that. He had to be box rested for six weeks, with very gentle short walks in hand. These were very short indeed at first as he seemed quite tired and weak, but by the end of the six weeks he had to be led out in a chifney to stop him tanking off. After that he was supposed to be put out in a stable-sized paddock made of electric fencing, which he should have stayed in for another six weeks with it being gradually made bigger each week, but in reality he jumped out of it several times in the first couple of weeks with no harm done. Another twelve weeks and he was being gently walked round the lanes under saddle, and right now he's back to full fitness and hooning around like he always used to. I think he's about 16ish so not a young horse to have such a big ordeal but he has completely recovered.

Best wishes to Grace and to you, I am sure she will be just fine

 

[Silgram]

Ed was on box rest for eight weeks during which time he was allowed to be walked in hand and allowed to graze in hand as often as i had the time to stand holding him. After the eight weeks he was ment to be turned out in small paddock but he kept jumping out so I had no choice but to turn him out with others.

 

[aran]

i friends horse had peritonitis and had colic surgery to remove a very large abcess. she has been walked in hand 3 times a day from the day she came home. You don't turn out until the mid-line incision is healed (externally at least) so usually 10 weeks. Then you can pen rest - paddock rest and then turn-out fully. She is on feeds little but often and is grazed at hand (3 times for 30 mins). She has had a few little colicy grumbles since coming home but walking out more has helped the adhesions loosen so these seem to be getting better. It will be a year before she is recovered - we really found that coming home was not the end of it but just the start in certain respects. I think it depends a lot on the colic and the degree of surgery though. Good luck.