Very scary night last night!!

[mollymurphy]

Some of you may have read my post the other day about a mare we have on loan with view to buy. She was vetted on wednesdays and they found cataracts.

Well, she's a big fatty, so has been in a bare paddock with the other fatties for a while now. But yesterday the farmer asked if we wanted to move them up to another paddock (still baldy, but more grass than they were in). So we turned them out in there at 12pm. Went to get mine in at 6pm and our loan mare was scrambling round at the gate, looking very aggitated. She's always been hyper-sensitive to flies, so i put it down to that. Lead her in and tied her up outside her stable. Noticed a clump of little lumps on her bum and wondered whether she'd rolled in nettles?

Well, she was looking very depressed and pawing at the ground, so i put her in her stable to see what she did. She instantly got down and just lay there groaning. Panic! Got her up, but she went back down. She wasnt rolling around, but just laying there. Got her up again, took her temp - 35.8, HR 40 and respiritory 16. Wondered whether it was colic or an allergic reaction. Phoned mum. She came and Mo was still down. Got her up again, but she started doing mini rears and pulling all her banks down, then went down again.

Phoned the emergency vet. She took an hour to arrive (good job it wasn't something who's leg was hanging off!) Also phoned Mo's owner (also a vet) to let her know what was going on.

By this time, Mo was flat-out on the floor, eyes rolling, mouth open - i really thought she was gonna die before the vet got there. VERY scary!

Vet got there, confirmed colic. Gave IV bute, which worked wonders. Stuck her arm up Mo's bum (!) and had a feel around. Said she felt very gassy, but she couldn't feel any major probs.

Mo got her appetite back and started eating her straw bed, so we moved her to a shavings stable. She hadn't pooed at all at this point. I slept in the car at the farm over night, checking her every 2 hours. She finally pooed at 5am! Yay!

Phoned her owner at 7am. She said to offer her a little bit of hay, so i've soaked a leaf and put in inside 2 small-holed nets. She said to keep her in for now, gradually introducing hay again).

Just come back to freshen up (slept on horse rugs - not a very nice fragrance!)

What are peoples' opinions? Was the colic probably just caused by her pigging out in the new paddock? How would we stop that happening again?

And what now? Is it best to leave her in, or would you turn out (into the VERY bare paddock)?

What about hard feed? (she only gets a handful of Happy Hoof, but she's on a respiritory suplement, which she benefits from).

And how long would you leave it before riding again (assuming everything continues to be fine)?

Many thanks.

From a very tired and stressed out mum! x

 

[Llwyncwn]

Sounds to me that she had either pigged out or eaten something unsavory. I would limit her grazing for the first few days, increasing her time out gradually.

What an awful fright for you. You will probably be watching her like a hawk now

 

[Blizzard]

first of all, ((hugs)), you must be exhausted.

It does sound like she has discovered something in this new field and perhaps overindulged in it, or eaten the wrong thing. I would have a good look around the field for any poisonous plants etc.

 

[Sparklet]

I had exactly the same happen to my mare when she changed fields so the previous one could rest. Often the mix of grasses is slightly different or they get a sudden increase in the amount.

Mine was like yours - looked really worrying but ended up being not that serious (phew). Vet just advised introducing a new field more gradually - i.e. just grazing her for a couple of hours and gradually increase.

I'm so glad it ended up being nothing serious for you - bet you pong though. Rugs at this time of the year are at their most stale but I suppose you already know that now (intimately)

 

[Ravenwood]

I read that avidly - as I had a similar experience with our, best in the world pony ever, who stayed at Pony Club Camp but unfortunately he died in terrible agony before the vet arrived - Having gone and examined the field it seems that he ate Drop Wort Water Hemlock - it grows in rivers and streams and looks very much like Cow Parsley but if they eat the roots its fatal, its nickname is Dead Mans Fingers. He probably only ate it because the field was bare of grass. It was a devasting experience for me and the kids - I am so glad your horse is okay.

 

[claireross]

I had a horse who got colic form rich grass. I would suggest maybe investing in a grazing muzzle and putting her out in the new field. You can then gradually start taking it off until she is used to the grass.

 

[Shilasdair]

My mare does this - gorges herself on grass (if allowed) then gets spasmodic colic and declares that she is dying. Once the vet appears, gives Buscopan and checks her, she leaps to her feet, says she's starving and tries to eat anything in sight.
My solution is to feed her some hay/hi fi haylage and strip graze her field to control her greedy guts.
She should be ok if you restrict the grass a bit..
Good luck with her
S

PS I know the stinky rug/not enough sleep/stiff from sleeping in a car thing only too well

 

[oliviacharley]

Think you did so well....well done you and hope all is ok.
When I did my vet nursing I saw loads of horses coming in with colic. Putting the hand up the bum is sometimes a way to feel if there is anything lumpy which can mean immediate surgery...put sounds like all was ok....the IV will help with her dehydration and make her feel better....poor thing...spose it feels like eatting too many easter eggs...
Must of been the shock to the system to have just a little grass which brought it on...having to monitor mine at the moment too...although they dont suffer from colic - laminitus can be a problem for us....
sounds like you are a fantastic owner :0)