Would you put a horse with colic through surgery?

[floradora09]

Have been watching Rolf Harris' programme with interest, and the surgery for colic actually appeared much more straightforward than I thought it would be (maybe the case was more simple than usual, I've heard of them having to remove parts of gut before?). Would you put a horse with colic though surgery, if not why not? Does the risk of a GA play a significant part in the decision or is it more about the procedure and recovery?

 

[Spyda]

Yes. If there was a fair chance it would pull through. Like the people on the program, I wouldn't repeat it though. But I'd give a loved horse the best chance I could.

 

[Littlelegs]

Depends. My 23yr old, no way. She'd hate the recovery. Daughters 5yr old, maybe. Would depend on why she had colic in the first place too.

 

[Fairynuff]

Depends. My 23yr old, no way. She'd hate the recovery. Daughters 5yr old, maybe. Would depend on why she had colic in the first place too.

^^^this^^^

 

[Fools Motto]

My mare, no. She'd hate the whole 'vet' thing anyway and would be the worst patient ever. She is also rising 17 and to me, that is too old to be put under such trauma.
The filly, well it would boil down to money really. If I could get the finances then once, and once only.

 

[Meandtheboys]

having lost a horse this year to colic I would definitely trust my vet to make that call.............if the chance is slim then the answer would probably be 'no'.

 

[Nickijem]

I didn't put my horse through surgery mainly because he was in so much pain that no painkillers could relieve. The vet wasn't sure he would survive the journey anyway.
I probably wouldn't put my present horse through surgery either. He is nearly 18 now so I think he is getting too old. Besides, he hates box rest so much I don't think it would be worth it for him. I hope I never have to make that decision again though at least for a long time.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Depends on horse/their age etc...

Know one who had surgery @ 16 and he is still going strong, 6yrs on.

 

[L&M]

Sadly the mare on RH had colic again a few mnths later and didn't make it.....

Personally I don't think I would - the statistics on survival, and reoccurence are quite high, and as mine are not ensured beyond 3rd party, would also struggle to afford it.

 

[Always_A_Moody_Mare]

Totally depends on the situation - Age, Finances, likelihood of recovery, why it had colic and the horse itself/would it stand the recovery.

 

[FionaM12]

Like most here, I've said it would depend. My Mollie is 18 and has had a difficult past, she's still traumatised by an injury and treatment many years ago. I wouldn't put her through any major procedure, it wouldn't be fair and her chances of returning to "normal" would be slim.

 

[pintoarabian]

Over a number of years, I've put three through surgery for colic. All survived and are still with me. One was for a displaced colon and the other two for twists. The latest was a four-month-old foal earlier this year. She was given a 30% chance of survival on the operating table and they removed 19' of small intestine. She bounced back with no setbacks. Three months on, she is the picture of health. She was on 6 weeks box rest and here she is on her first day of freedom out in the sand arena.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/11327483@N03/8235830190/http://www.flickr.com/people/11327483@N03/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/11327483@N03/8234764819/http://www.flickr.com/people/11327483@N03/

 

[Silmarillion]

Totally depends on the horse and the circumstances. I know three who went through colic surgery though and the one I had assumed least likely to survive, did - the other two (including one of mine) didn't.

My mare had a displaced gut and the vet reckoned she'd lived with it for a couple of months. She was very stoic and had been lame and dropping condition, but no other signs until her final week. Mum and I discussed in detail with the vet, who was hopeful she'd make it. We made our decision based on that, she recovered wonderfully in the first few days, then went rapidly downhill again and that was that. The vet was surprised and disappointed afterwards, as she had been eating well.

If she had been a different horse, temperament-wise, then she wouldn't have gone through it in the first place - she was such a good mare that she would have been easy to care for afterwards.

I don't regret giving her the chance, and I'd make any future decisions about surgery based on the horse and any other factors at the time.

 

[mudmonkey17]

Agree with most on here depends on horse and circumstance. Prob wouldn't with older boy as he 20 next year and arthritic so box rest wouldn't do him any favours. My mare is on loan so would be discussed with centre she came from.

 

[Polos Mum]

I worry that colic is just a symptom, most horses don't just have their guts twist inside them (from my limited knowledge it is these cases that result in surgery) - for impaction that can usually be resolved without surgery. If you don't know what caused it and major surgery (that has lots of complications and a low sucess rate) just cures the symptom then you still haven't addressed the actual problem and it re-occurs (as was the poor horse in RH this week)
If I knew the reason (and was sure I could address that) and it was a young horse that I thought would cope with the vets/ box rest I might consider it but as a matter of course I wouldn't

 

[skint1]

Like many of you for me it would depend on the reason the horse colicked, their age and overall health and ability to cope with the recovery. Of "my" current horses:

8yoTb mare (currently out on loan), no I wouldn't, for a start she doesn't load and travel well, she's also quite difficult to manage in some circumstances. Be kinder for her to let her go

12yo Tb gelding, maybe, but I feel that he's possibly got some worm damage from before we owned him, so if that turned out to the be the underlying cause, then no I wouldn't .

16yo ISH mare that I have on loan. My heart would tell me "yes" because she's "my" first horse, but again, I'd have to weigh up all the factors and also take on board her owner's wishes

 

[Salcey]

No I dont think I would. I lost a 10 yo in the recovery room after colic surgery would not like to go there again. Lost another 17yo this summer he was never pain free enough to contemplate travelling so didnt have to make the decision. I thought long and hard about the possible problems with surgery but didnt for one moment imagine loosing him in recovery.

 

[scewal]

I was going to have my mare operated on last year. But couldn't get transport for her. So i had to let her go instead. Looking back it was really for the best as she was recovering from laminitis and waiting to take a second x ray to see the extent of pedal bone roatation.

i'm sure the very strict food intake was the cause of the colic in the first place.

 

[montysmum1]

Definitely not my old lad, i wouldn't want to put him through any more than he's been through. But if it was one of my youngsters, and they had a good chance of recovery, then yes, I most probably would.

 

[maisie06]

No, because the recovery period would not suit my lot, natives used to living out would not understand why they have been suddenly cooped up. Also financially, although 'they are insured the bill would be over and above the policy limit and I won't put my family into debt for a horse. My personal choice so no nasty PM's please.

If other's want to put their horse's through the surgery then that is their choice and the very best of wishes go to those who do decide to go with that option.

 

[Britestar]

No. Mainly because I am 4-5 hrs away from the nearest Vet Hospital that could do it, and I woudn't travel ahorse that sick for that long.

8 days ago I lost my 30r old to colic. The general opinion was that it probably was a surgical case, and the above along with her age meant I had to say goodabye after 23 yrs

 

[fidleyspromise]

I always said I wouldn't and I stick by that.
The journey wouldn't be fair to them, finances would probably be a struggle and I wouldn't be able to box rest them for long periods of time. - as above they're natives that do their nut at being stabled for one night.

pintoarabian - glad your 3 pulled through and your filly looks lovely there.

 

[Paint Me Proud]

I put 'maybe, depends' because I have put Chico through a colic surgery that saved his life but I wouldnt put him through a second one.

His recovery went superb, not a single complication, vet was amazed but I have always said that if the same problem re-occured we would not got for a second surgery simply becasue it would increase the chances of it happening again, and again.....

Please take the time to read my blog - Chico's colic story - it chronicles the whole incident and recovery - link is in my signature.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

A young horse with no other problems yes.

My 17yr old probably not as he has other issues and box rest would not help him but I think it would still be a very hard call to make if you thought you might be able to keep the one you love for a little or maybe a lot longer.

 

[Hippona]

I didnt. He was old, didnt travel well and was a nightmare on box rest....when he had a fractured cannon bone he spent ten weeks stressed to buggery.....weaving badly and charging the stable door. Didnt think his chances were good and neither did the vet......so I said goodbye and PTS. I was devastated but it was the right decision for that particular horse

 

[Maesfen]

No. I've heard too many horror stories from my vet (who works at Leahurst) to ever put any of mine through it.

 

[Misog2000]

Depends on the individual horse, vets advice, and many other variables. I nursed my 7 year old loan horse through colic surgery recovery. He had an intersuception (sp?) and when the gut was unwrapped it pinked back up so no resection, quite a simple one as colic surgeries go....however he then got colitis and ended up in isolation for 10 days with possible salmonella. Had I been paying I wouldn't have been able to do it but fortunately his owner was able to. He was on box rest for nearly 7 months due to a small hernia developing, but watching him go back out finally was such a happy day. I brought him back into full work, and then my circumstances changed and he went back to his owner. As far as I know she still has him 3 years on and all is fine.

With my own horse, providing the vet said the odds were ok I would probably go for it, as while she is 16 years old she is fit and well, and copes well with box rest.

I think it is an very individual decision though and people should be very careful for judging someone else on what they decide - I had people telling me I was cruel and a horrible person for going with the surgery, which wasn't helpful when he was still sick in the vets.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

No def not.

Two horses at my yard within a year had colic surgery and they boths died, one 8 months later as she kept colicing the other a month later as he got a blood infection.
My vet said most horses never got back to 100% after it and like my dad says. They have a huge gut that is not meant to be taken out fidled with and put back in again.

 

[Frankel13]

Yes but only once and only if the vet thought he had a good chance. Having worked in one of the largest equine hospitals in Europe I've seen many colic cases not many died even the ones that had travelled some distance
Rather colic surgery than surgery on a fracture in which case recovery more dangerous as more likely to re fracture whilst trying to get up rendering surgery a waste of time!

 

[Hexx]

If I had a youngster who had a good chance of survival - probably.

However, with my boy being 22 I don't think he would a) cope with the surgery b) survive, so I have made the decision not to put him through it. It's a difficult decision, particuarly as he a mild colic last weekend, but I very firmly told the vet that there would be no surgery, luckily it didn't come to back and he recovered quickly.