Twisted Colic Help Please (also in vet)

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proctor

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My best mates horse is currently at horsey hospital after coming in from the field with a couple of nasty cuts on his back legs yesterday, plus a hole just below his hock. He went to Western County because of this, but all day today he's had colic, the vets first thought that he had impaction colic but it's turned out now he has twisted colic, the vets are trying to sort it but have warned my mate that he may well have to have surgery in the morning, and does she want him to have surgery? If not then I'm guessing he will be PTS. Has anyone been in this situation? What did you do? Was surgery a must or did you not want your horse to suffer? Also what are the risks of colic returning after surgery?
 
Western Equine sorted out my horse's twisted gut 3 years ago. I can't praise them enough, they are such a fantastic team. Surgery was unavoidable and it was touch and go, I thought he was going to die as he was in so much pain. My horse has been absolutely fine ever since...if the team can save your friend's horse then they will, they'll do everything possible, they are so experienced. Hope this helps..
 
my cob had twisted colic 4 years ago and had to be operated on (she was 16). she was fine after and touch wood has been fine since. well worth giving it a go
 
With a twisted gut yes surgery is nessary or the horse dies in a great deal of pain. The surgrey when I lost my colt over twenty years ago was just about kicking off and the care afterwards, unfortunately my youngsters gut didn't work properly afterwards and was pts 2 weeks later, the proceedure today is far more advanced the recovery rate is excellant nand many horses go on to compete.:):):):)
 
Thank you all for your replies, I will keep you posted. The horse is called Aslan so keep a look out for further posts regarding him. Thanks again xx
 
Oh gosh, what a worry.

My mare is recovering from colic surgery at the moment.

She coliced on 13th september. At 86 days in foal. she was operated on within 3 hours of being found colicing in the field.

She had 2 feet of bowel resected. was in intensive care for 3 days, and back with me after 10 days still in foal amazingly.

She is still on box rest, its a long slow proicess for the incision site to regain strength, longer for her as her belly is expanding. but shes done well. shes now back on normal feed etc.

I would put the horse through the surgery IF it will cope with the boxrest.

Also, be warned, my bill was £6200. My insurance only paid up to £5000.

heres some encouraging pics of my girl

24 hours post op
poorlybabydina001.jpg


I was going to post a pic of her now, ten weeks on, but photobucket has crashed :(

Its let me now. Here she is now.
Dina311010009.jpg
 
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Have had 2 experiances of a twisted gut, both many years ago when I was grooming for an older couple, who had taken on their daughters old horses. ! 1st one I found un-comfy in his stable one morning and knew he just wasn`t right so the owners called the vet, who said his only option was colic surgery, they turned and looked at me and asked what they should do? Mig was such a gentle old (in his 20`s) man all I said was that if he was mine then I would give him the chance, sadly he never made it out of the anesethic (sp?) :(
2nd was a few years later when their old mare Chessie (around 19/20) had a twisted gut and I turned up one morning to find they were getting ready to send her to horsepital, she was a tough cookie, (having been retired at 6 or 7 after major surgery to insert a plastic piece into her fetlock), happerly she returned home 3 weeks later, looking fit and well, and went on to many more happy years of retirement! :)
 
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