Dreaded colic. Update!

lauren123

Well-Known Member
Feb 3, 2007
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East Yorkshire
I went the yard this morning at about 11 to see sox. Gave him his breakie while i had a smoke. Got talking to another girl and went to say bye at 12:15 when i noticed he was very annoyed and kicking at his belly. I thought flystrike so checked up there,nothing. Thought he had a itch so i scratched him,still kicking out. Watched him for a bit. Thought i would give the vets the heads up and spoke to E the vet who deals with sox. They said to bute as if it was mild colic that should help and to cold hose near his bits incase he had a bee or wasp sting. So i did. It was now 13:30 e said to give it time but if it gets worse ring back.
I went back down at 3 and he was still doing it. So back on the phone to the vets telling them i want a vet out.
However they were struggling as it wasnt an emergency. Half 5 i rang them and a vet was coming within the hour. Sox still was kicking out but not as much.

Vet came around 6pm. Saw him kicking out chexked his heart rate said he was very very gassy and it xould have been the grass coming through. Due to the amount he was kicking vet checked inside and said the dropping are very dry and stalky so it could have been hard to pass. So constipation in short. Apparently he couldnt feel an impaction as such. But checked his teeth which where ok.
Going to pop back up in an hour. He gave him some meds IV and i am to givw two more bute later on. He is oncall so if he isnt better i shall be getting J out again.

Very relived though
 
Must be something in the air today!

I’ve just been vet assistant for my friends horse who came down with colic. She had just come from another colicing horse and got a call while she was with us about a third colicing horse.
Hope Sox is much better when you go back up.
 
I'll keep everything crossed he's ok Lauren.

I really don't like how your vets carry on though. The video clip you sent me made me straight away think colic, and in a horse with a history of stomach problems I wouldn't be happy being told to bute & hose, even a mild colic I'd want seen because they can deteriorate quickly & giving bute will mask the subtler signs of it worsening until it's significantly worse. When you called them back at 3 it may not have been a true emergency but it should certainly have been a high priority case since he was no better with the bute so in all likelihood was worse, but it took another 3 hours to get a vet!!! I'm sorry but this and other stories really does make me wonder why you stay with them because I sure as hell wouldn't. Gassy & constipated could so easily have gone very badly wrong ending up in a massive bill & possibly no Sox, whereas if they'd come when first called it would probably have been resolved by 6.
 
I popped up at 9pm last night to find him still kicking out,though not as much. I phoned the vet who said there was more droppings left to pass. To give him some liquid parrafin. So he had a sloppy tea, 2 bute,liquid parrafin and i wet his hay slightly. Still no poos when i left at half 10 last night. I was worried he would struggle to pass anyrhing overnight and get worse.

However i have come down this morning and he did his normal whinny ,wanting breakfast. Also there was 4 normal poos in the field!
 
I have kept a close eye on him all day. Tonight he was ok but i did notice his tail was going and he was kicking out once or twice with his back legs. Possibly going to pop up later on tonight (he has had normsl poos). However if they need to come out to see him again they will.
 
If he doesn't have it already maybe add some salt to his feeds, it encourages them to drink more which will help keep poo moist and easier to pass. Colic this time of year is often as they switch from grass to more hay without adjusting their water intake, also if he's gassy you could give fennel seed or mint to relieve the gas.
 
Update!
Went back to check on him at 10pm and he was still showing signs.
Vet came out at half 11. Checked him over gave him more pain relief and said to starve him overnight. This morning he is better but still keeping a very close eye on him
 
Kept him starved until noon today put him on the grass at vets advice within 25 mins he was showing signs :(
Tryibg to see if they can do exams on the road rather then him making the journey and me finding money for the journey! Vet said if he is still colicing she wants hin up at the vets where they can give him the drugs he needs more often rathee then call outs. They want to scope and do bloods at first if nothing then scan.
 
Do you feed Sox soaked sugar beet at the moment?

Might slight concern is that you wrote on a previous thread "I can make up around 3 possibly 4 days worth of sugar beet." That would not be a good thing to feed horses. Sugar beet goes off very quickly and starts to ferment.
He does get sugar beet at present however I only make it up for the following day. The 3-4 days worth would be in the middle of winter.
 
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