Recurrent colic

[Abracadabjar]

Long story short.

A pony down where i am stabled is a very ill little girl. She has for the last two weeks had recurrent Colic.

Vet called out didnt know his arse from his elbow, so OUR vet came out, has taken bloods. Blood has been tested for worm damage (awaiting results) and tested for liver damage with the result of none. Well this pony has now had colic everyday since, BUT its not normal signs, no thrashing around, pawing or rolling.....LOTS of laying down and stretching. She has lost LOADs of weight and also lost her spark in her eye.....flat nothing in them

To me it sounds like stressed induced colic...which i have read up about and all the signs show, but there is something else going on

She has gut sound, bowel movements. This is where it gets complicated....Original vet wanted to get her to have colic surgery....Since been told if she had had it it would of killed her....She is not physically or mentally fit enough for it.
She is a consistant rearer when others go out before her, in field or being ridden, A few weeks a go she smacked her jaw on the top of the door, we went to have it checked out and they couldn't find anything...But She now won't eat ANYTHING unless she has massive painkillers, so empty tummy=colic....She will eat grass but will only nibble. We think she has broken her jaw but the vets are being a nightmare at looking at her jaw and mouth. Wont refer etc. Long story not going into that one

Has anyone else had anything like this happen to them before...I know horses and ponies, been around them long enough and y/o a very very acclomplished horse women, we have read book and been on internet, well you name it we have done it, just to find out what could be wrong, and we are totally at a loss.

If you have any HELPFUL info let me know.....I have been up yard since 4.30 only just got home and am about to go stark raving mad with frustration and tiredness and hunger

Im sure i have forgotton something and will nodoubt add later

 

[chestnut cob]

Sounds awful, poor girl

Did the vet X ray her jaw when it was checked out?

 

[Happy Horse]

I'd insist on a referral and if they won't give you one I'd look to change vets. It may be a red herring but at the very least an xray of her jaw sounds like it would be in order. It sounds like she is in a lot of pain from something, not necessarily colic. HAve the vets given her any medication or suggested the next step forward?

 

[GreedyGuts]

I would press for referral if you feel your vet isn't getting anywhere. If she is colicing every day and deteriorating then you need to get something done soon. Have they scoped her stomach to rule out gastric ulceration?

 

[PuddingandElla]

I was going to say the same as Greedygut - i would want her scoped if i was you. At least that way they can have a look and see what is going on down there.
Re-occuring colic can be an indicator of stomach ulcers. As well as the refusal to eat - she, as you say, must have a very sore tummy. Once the ulcers take hold - it is very similar to humans, in that they don't want to eat cause their tummy hurts so much. But then it becomes a vicous circle and no eating makes the ulcers worse.
Good luck - keep us posted

 

[seabiscuit]

Would defintely demand that the vets refer her to a proper vets practise for a full scale investigation-full body scans, bloods and scopes.
The rearing sounds like there has always been something hurting ....

 

[charlie76]

My mare has had recurrent colic too, it has been going on for the past few months and I have had the lot done- stomach taps, scans, ultra sound, scopes etc. The only thing they can fine is a very slight thickening in the intestine. There fore she is fed on wet hay, oil and wet feeds- she is then fine(touchwood). on saturday she managed to eat 2 dry sections of hay- Sunday she colicked again for the fist time in weeks- she is that sensitive.May be worth feeding him very wet food and see how he goes.

 

[PrettyPolly]

My pony suffered from recurrent mild colic for a number of years which turned out to be due to a sensitivity to sugar. I have since put her on Simple Systems feeds that are free of sugars and forgage based. She has (touchwood) been fine ever since changing to this feed. May be worth a try?

 

[sherlocksgirls]

I had an mare who always had constant colic when she was in season. She had many tests and was eventually put on regumate which worked.