HopOnTrot
Well-Known Member
They also commented on her amazing skills removing a grazing muzzle in an empty stable 
Would you scope?
- Thread starter HopOnTrot
- Start date
HopOnTrot
Well-Known Member
Just got back from seeing my girl, a much happier pony this morning as she's out on grass without a muzzle for an hour. She certainly looks brighter to me and trotted off in the paddock to find the best grass, she's started on gastroguard already
Essentially we hope it is inflammatory bowel disease and worse case it's cancer. The biopsy is likely to be too small a sample to rule either in or out. So we have a waiting game, change of management and a cocktail of drugs. On her side is the fact that apart from being lacklustre under saddle and smelly poo, she has no other clinical symptoms.
Scope again in a few weeks. If it is cancer I think I've decided not treat as chemotherapy can cause colic and I just feel it would be unkind to her to put her through a risky treatmen. If it's "just" an inflamed bowel then the medication and change of management should help. Although the medication does come with risks we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it. Insulin test being done this morning.
She'll be coming home tomorrow with a really detailed plan from the vet (who is writing it on her day off).
Essentially we hope it is inflammatory bowel disease and worse case it's cancer. The biopsy is likely to be too small a sample to rule either in or out. So we have a waiting game, change of management and a cocktail of drugs. On her side is the fact that apart from being lacklustre under saddle and smelly poo, she has no other clinical symptoms.
Scope again in a few weeks. If it is cancer I think I've decided not treat as chemotherapy can cause colic and I just feel it would be unkind to her to put her through a risky treatmen. If it's "just" an inflamed bowel then the medication and change of management should help. Although the medication does come with risks we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it. Insulin test being done this morning.
She'll be coming home tomorrow with a really detailed plan from the vet (who is writing it on her day off).
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
Thanks for the update. Hope that she continues to do well on her new regime.
NiceChristmasBaubles
Well-Known Member
I am sorry you are still a little unsure as to what's going on, but it shows you were right to scope. Fingers crossed for you that the medication helps her.
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
How’s she doing, HopOnTrot?
HopOnTrot
Well-Known Member
Scoped again this week, the nodules are still there even though she’s been feeling a bit better. (And I got pictures!)
My vet has been wonderful and upon talking to a colleague found that a local-ish large practice had a vet do a talk about laser removal via gastroscope.
She’s emailed the vet to get an idea of costings and we should know more next week.
So, no real improvement in a month but a grass and mash diet does mean her stomach is now emptying. The invokana has dropped her blood glucose right down and we are weaning off the steroids. Blood fat levels have risen but we’ll monitor that in 2 weeks but for now she can stay on Invokana medium term.
She has lost 12kg so is now 384kg which is her usual fat pony with EMD after winter weight.
Going to try esomeprazole instead of gastroguard, waiting for stock but it’s £600 a tub
I have a feeling we’ll top out the £5000 insurance by the end of this. But thank god I forgot to drop it down to £3k!
My vet has been wonderful and upon talking to a colleague found that a local-ish large practice had a vet do a talk about laser removal via gastroscope.
She’s emailed the vet to get an idea of costings and we should know more next week.
So, no real improvement in a month but a grass and mash diet does mean her stomach is now emptying. The invokana has dropped her blood glucose right down and we are weaning off the steroids. Blood fat levels have risen but we’ll monitor that in 2 weeks but for now she can stay on Invokana medium term.
She has lost 12kg so is now 384kg which is her usual fat pony with EMD after winter weight.
Going to try esomeprazole instead of gastroguard, waiting for stock but it’s £600 a tub
I have a feeling we’ll top out the £5000 insurance by the end of this. But thank god I forgot to drop it down to £3k!
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HopOnTrot
Well-Known Member
Dropped her off at the referral vets yesterday morning for starving and her first laser session will be around lunch time.
I'm worried but on a selfish note, it's like a holiday not having to feed a mash feed every few hours. I've just got my daughter's pony who is quietly grazing next to the yard and I can actually just check her with our Ring camera!
She's also getting arthrimed redone in her hocks (makes sense to get her sedation and box rest all done at the same time!) I feel like we've spent the past two years in limbo, with a pony who isn't well enough to work but isn't broken enough to retire
I'm worried but on a selfish note, it's like a holiday not having to feed a mash feed every few hours. I've just got my daughter's pony who is quietly grazing next to the yard and I can actually just check her with our Ring camera!
She's also getting arthrimed redone in her hocks (makes sense to get her sedation and box rest all done at the same time!) I feel like we've spent the past two years in limbo, with a pony who isn't well enough to work but isn't broken enough to retire
ycbm
Overwhelmed
It might be cheaper, and it is legal, to buy it on ebay if you top out your insurance. I've just bought 200 20mg slow release for just over £25. That would probably be about 20 days supply for a horse?
HopOnTrot
Well-Known Member
Oddly I found some in the cupboard this week when looking for something for indigestion! Bought from Boots 
She’s only 400kg so pretty cheap to dose.
Spoke to the vet this evening, the nodule has grow since the last scope so surgery is the right option, they cut some and lasered some and will go in again tomorrow. Then scoped by my vet in 3 weeks with a follow up in a few months. So feeling much happier and hopeful today!
She’s only 400kg so pretty cheap to dose.
Spoke to the vet this evening, the nodule has grow since the last scope so surgery is the right option, they cut some and lasered some and will go in again tomorrow. Then scoped by my vet in 3 weeks with a follow up in a few months. So feeling much happier and hopeful today!
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
Do you have a link by any chance please YCBM?
HopOnTrot
Well-Known Member
She's home!!! The nodule has started to shrink already so the latest scopes mean you can actually see where the stomach opens into the small intestine. The vet said she had excellent gut mobility which was a concern for me in case that was causing the slow emptying.
Rescope with my vets in three weeks, if there is still some left we can re-laser and if not we rescope in 6 months.
She also had her hocks done and the action as she trotted across the field today was lovely. Looking forward to getting back on and finally treating ourselves to our new saddle!
Rescope with my vets in three weeks, if there is still some left we can re-laser and if not we rescope in 6 months.
She also had her hocks done and the action as she trotted across the field today was lovely. Looking forward to getting back on and finally treating ourselves to our new saddle!
HopOnTrot
Well-Known Member
Picture from last week, this is the first scope since November where her stomach has been empty! (She was starved for 18 hours every time)
Rescope in June but until then no medication but vet has also recommended the following to as have
local anti-inflammatory effects and also potentially modify growth of polyps in other species:
• Equitop Pronutrin (200g daily) in feed.
• Coconut oil -20mls twice daily orally.
Which I’m happy to try as they’re cheap and I’ve maxed out insurance
Rescope in June but until then no medication but vet has also recommended the following to as have
local anti-inflammatory effects and also potentially modify growth of polyps in other species:
• Equitop Pronutrin (200g daily) in feed.
• Coconut oil -20mls twice daily orally.
Which I’m happy to try as they’re cheap and I’ve maxed out insurance
HopOnTrot
Well-Known Member
ycbm
Overwhelmed
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
We are on the Aloe Vera for now but will keep a note of that. Thanks