The runs, colic and bute??

[lennysmith]

Asking for advice for a friend.

Her boy has recently been having more attacks of colic. Perhaps, small ones every other month, and 2 big serious nail biting attacks over the past 2 years.

The past couple of days he's had quite bad diahr...runs

, it has got slightly worse this morning.

He's been on one bute a day for the past 2 years due to his arthritus.

So my q's are...

. What can she do to help the runs? Do you think the long term bute could be causing/aggrivating it? Do you reckon there's something going on inside (as I'm inclined to think) given the colic, now runs.

Thankies as always to all you wise ones

 

[AmyMay]

Can't be of much help really - other than to suggest that your friend switches to Danillon. It's much kinder on them. It could be linked.

 

[Llwyncwn]

Really sorry to hear this jj. Cant really offer much advice other than I would def call the vet. How old is your friends boy? For the runs, I have used powdered arrowroot which you can get from the chemists, but having had a colic here 2 weeks ago, a number of HHO users told me to put a teaspoon of coffee in his feed, some people swear by it.
Has his routine, feed etc changed in any way?

 

[lennysmith]

Thankyou both. He is around 17/18 years old. His routine is religious as things upset him, absolutely nothing has changed, not even by half an hour. His feed is exactly the same. No new horses on yard for the past 2 months.

The only thing we did think of is she got him a new box of bute on Monday, but bute is bute, I wouldn't have thought that would have made any difference.

 

[AmyMay]

Has she every had an extensive worm count down?

The reason I ask is that a friend send a sample from her mare to Liverpool because of a problem with Colic. They ran extensive tests on the sample - which also included bloods, to see if there was any underlying damage from old worm damage.

 

[lennysmith]

We had a basic one done, piece of poo type jobby last month, but she's had nothing exyensive done. Good thought, will suggest that one. Thanks xxx

 

[OWLIE185]

I would get the horse wormed. Use 3 wormers with different active ingredients in them using them at one weekly intervals and ensure that 2 of them contain an active ingredient which will elimenate encysted red worms. Then worm him at least every 6 weeks.

 

[siennamum]

I would firstly suspect the Bute - is it neccessary? I have been advised to give my old pony one a day, but think it's a horrendous idea, your friend's horse could have ulcers.
I would want a worm count & blood test, but be wary of going overboard on wormers now as they could upset his already disturbed gut. Has she recently wormed with Equest, out of interest, as I am wary of using it with aged horses.

I would also, since he's a boy and not a spring chicken, want to check for lipomas on his intestines. Often benign, but can be fatal if they cause the gut to twist, can cause repeated colic attacks for no apparent reason and with little pattern. Can be managed with a restricted diet and can be removed, but not uncommon.

 

[PeterNatt]

Danillon will not cause ulcers. Worm counts will not detect encystead round worms.
Regular worming every six weeks is a must for a horse of that age.

 

[lennysmith]

Thankyou for your reply!

You sound like you're thinking along the same lines as I am. I've never been convinced he needs regular bute. He's always sound, even when for some reason he's not on it. But he's not my horse and his owner loves him a lot. Vet sys jump, she says how high type effort??

His worming routine, follows that of the yard, which is, incidentaly, equest. The only 1 on the yard that isn't on it baby D.

Thanks for the acvice of lipomas. I'll let her know.

It's so hard suggesting things without worrying her, she adores him, but I cant help but think this isn't a normal case of the squits

 

[annie02]

If your friend insists on keeping him on bute you should suggest feeding a probiotic with it. It will replace the needed "bugs' in the tummy, helps with digestion.

 

[annaellie]

A friend of mine is having a similar prob her horse is 20 and has been a lamintic for years which she has under control but every so often he has the runs really bad she has had her vet out to him countles times over this They have done all sorts of tests and the vet is now starting to look at the poss it could be due to liver prob. As the prolonged use of bute can efect the liver I would never of thought the runs could be a sign of liver probs byt her vet is a very good one and is highly recomended by a lot of people. Good luck to your friend.