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 Expert
Posts: 1302
 
Location: California | My 5 year old mare started stretching out Wednesday. Extremely far (like a dramatic gelding going to pee) - no other symptoms. I thought maybe she was sore from getting rode quite a bit so I gave her Thursday off. Friday morning I pull her out of her stall and bring her to the sale barn I work at. She starts standing stretched out again and is ignoring her alfalfa. (DIET: Alfalfa and Platinum) I watch her for a little bit - call my vet and ask some questions and then she starts getting colicy. Pawing, biting her sides, and eventually starts wanting to go down. Banamine her and its good for about 4 hours and she is back at it. Take her to the vet. All vitals normal, no sand in fecal, no temp, heart rate and resp normal, palpates normal. Gut sounds normal. She is STILL (Sunday) pooping and peeing. They tube her and tie her up and say she is good to go home. Few minutes later while still at vet she is down again. They look at her some more and are confused - sedate her and give her muscle relaxer and more banamine and I take her home (late at this point). She is drinking water. Early the next morning back at it. Stretching out to the point she goes off balance and almost falls down. I take her back to vet. All vitals still perfectly normal. Palpates normal. They run blood - completely normal other than a few little differences that go with a colicy horse.
So vet thinks Enterolith. She has been on her Alfalfa and Platinum diet for not even 3 weeks yet. Before that it was turn out and grass hay with occasional alfalfa - previous owner was the same. I feel like that is not enough time for something so dramatic to occur but I am seeking others opinions. Surgery is not an option for this situation right now. I am trying to work with the money I have. I understand he can try to confirm enterolith with x-rays but he did say once in awhile you miss it with an x-ray and it is $400 for a "maybe". He didn't believe ultrasound would show anything. I told myself I would give it 24 more hours last night. I have her on banamine more than I should but I will not let her suffer. This horse WANTS to live though. She whinnies when she sees me, perky, and the toughest grittiest horse I have ever owned. I am so frustrated and upset and just want to reach out and see if anyone has ANY ideas or thoughts. I have worked for several vets and owned several colics and have never seen a horse stretch out like this or be so "normal" while in so much pain. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
 
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | This sounds so much like my gelding 10 years ago, he did this what your mare is doing, I would give him Banamine and he would be good for a few hour's then it would wear off, went on for a few days took him to my vet and he palated him and his colon was displaced he did surgery on him to place his colon and hes been fine ever since... Have your vet palate your mare to check her colon if he didnt do this during one of your visit's. Hope you get this figured out fast for your mare.  |
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Expert
Posts: 1302
Location: California | They have palpated her mutliple times. He feels nothing moved, impacted, swollen, etc. He thinks the enterolith is too large and is trying to pass through her colon which is what is causing the extreme pain. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I would suspect an inverted colon, and vet can flip it without surgery, if they know what they are doing.
She could also have bleeding ulcers, I have one who was acting colicky took her to the vet immediately got a phone call 3 days later saying she was bleeding out and he didn't think she would survive. I would suggest having the vet give her iv omeprazole.
And yes enterolith is a huge possibility.
Edited by cheryl makofka 2018-01-14 10:13 AM
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Expert
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Location: California | cheryl makofka - 2018-01-14 7:11 AM I would suspect an inverted colon, and vet can flip it without surgery, if they know what they are doing. She could also have bleeding ulcers, I have one who was acting colicky took her to the vet immediately got a phone call 3 days later saying she was bleeding out and he didn't think she would survive. I would suggest having the vet give her iv omeprazole. And yes enterolith is a huge possibility.
So what proves the colon is inverted? Ultrasound? How do I know if it is bleeding ulcers? Enterolith is possible with only a few weeks on straight alfalfa? |
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 Saint Stacey
| I had an extremely stoic horse that displaced. Took him to CSU as an emergency colic. When I arrived, all the vets said I was crazy. They waited all day before deciding to do surgery because he wasn’t showing enough signs. When they opened him up, they were shocked because with what he had going on, he should have been showing extreme pain signs. He never did. They wanted to keep him a few days after surgery because he wouldn’t be feeling very good. The next day he was tearing the barn down so they had me come get him.
If your horse is stoic, you might be in a bind and have to make some tough decisions. Hugs and prayers to you! Colic sucks. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | cheryl makofka - 2018-01-14 10:11 AM I would suspect an inverted colon, and vet can flip it without surgery, if they know what they are doing. She could also have bleeding ulcers, I have one who was acting colicky took her to the vet immediately got a phone call 3 days later saying she was bleeding out and he didn't think she would survive. I would suggest having the vet give her iv omeprazole. And yes enterolith is a huge possibility.
Some do have to have surgery for a displaced colon, Dr. Huffman is one of the best and he did everything he could befor he and Dr.Martin decided surgery was the only way to help. The rolling helps for some but in my gelding's case it didnt help. |
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Saint Stacey
| Southtxponygirl - 2018-01-14 9:33 AM
cheryl makofka - 2018-01-14 10:11 AM I would suspect an inverted colon, and vet can flip it without surgery, if they know what they are doing. She could also have bleeding ulcers, I have one who was acting colicky took her to the vet immediately got a phone call 3 days later saying she was bleeding out and he didn't think she would survive. I would suggest having the vet give her iv omeprazole. And yes enterolith is a huge possibility.
Some do have to have surgery for a displaced colon, Dr. Huffman is one of the best and he did everything he could befor he and Dr.Martin decided surgery was the only way to help. The rolling helps for some but in my gelding's case it didnt help.
Sidekick displaced twice. The first time ended in surgery and a belly dump. The second time they were able to shrink his spleen with drugs and jog the colon back into place. So yep...sometimes they still have to do surgery on a displacement. Especially if there ends up being a lot of matter in the intestines from the displacement not allowing them to pass manure. |
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Expert
Posts: 1302
Location: California | Vet said with no elevated heart rate, resp, temp, and from palpating her that he didn't see this as a possbility. Of course it is still somewhat of a mystery so I am not saying anything isn't possible. He said first on his his is Enterolith (highly likely) second is sand colic (low but a possibility) and third is impaction (also very low). |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | SKM - 2018-01-14 10:44 AM Southtxponygirl - 2018-01-14 9:33 AM cheryl makofka - 2018-01-14 10:11 AM I would suspect an inverted colon, and vet can flip it without surgery, if they know what they are doing. She could also have bleeding ulcers, I have one who was acting colicky took her to the vet immediately got a phone call 3 days later saying she was bleeding out and he didn't think she would survive. I would suggest having the vet give her iv omeprazole. And yes enterolith is a huge possibility. Some do have to have surgery for a displaced colon, Dr. Huffman is one of the best and he did everything he could befor he and Dr.Martin decided surgery was the only way to help. The rolling helps for some but in my gelding's case it didnt help. Sidekick displaced twice. The first time ended in surgery and a belly dump. The second time they were able to shrink his spleen with drugs and jog the colon back into place. So yep...sometimes they still have to do surgery on a displacement. Especially if there ends up being a lot of matter in the intestines from the displacement not allowing them to pass manure.
I've been lucky with Slick he only did it this one time and that was in 07, Dr. Huffman told me he could displace again, but so far so good {knock on wood} Yep he had alot of built up of matter so surgery was the only way, and Dr. Huffman was not ready to give up on him so surgery it was. Dr.Huffman and Dr.Martin did the surgery a little different they went in threw his flank and it worked awesome. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | little_bug - 2018-01-14 10:48 AM Vet said with no elevated heart rate, resp, temp, and from palpating her that he didn't see this as a possbility. Of course it is still somewhat of a mystery so I am not saying anything isn't possible. He said first on his his is Enterolith (highly likely) second is sand colic (low but a possibility) and third is impaction (also very low).
I hope that the vet gets this figured out fast, I know that my gelding was in so much pain he got to were he was throwing himself down when the med wore off. I was going to have to put him down but my Vet just did not want me to give up on him, but sometimes you do have to make that hard choice. I was lucky that I had a vet that was willing to work with me. |
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| Enteroliths can build up for years and years before they reach a size and/or location where they can cause a problem.
TheHorse has a great article on equine enteroliths, and they do state that “enteroliths are more common in horses fed a diet of more than 50% alfalfa”, so even though she hasn’t been on straight alfalfa for *that* long, it could have just been the timing of the size and location of the enterolith that brought you to here.
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/21036/colic-and-equine-enteroliths...
Edited by madredepeanut 2018-01-14 12:42 PM
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Defense Attorney for The Horse
Location: Claremore, OK | Two other things that will cause those symptoms:
Bots
Tapeworms |
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Expert
Posts: 3514
| Ulcers will cause them to do what your describing. Do you have any omeprazole? |
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Expert
Posts: 1302
Location: California | Liana D - 2018-01-14 10:19 AM Two other things that will cause those symptoms: Bots Tapeworms
Good to know! Thank you. We did have bad bots this year but I worm regularly. In fact I did last week. |
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Expert
Posts: 1302
Location: California | Update: I do not want to get my hopes up but her last dose of banamine was at 6:30am and she is acting completely normal and much happier and standing quiet as of now. She got a tiny bit of grass hay. Fingers crossed! |
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Location: texas | my horse had a huge enterolith that weighed 7 lbs. He was fed alfalfa too. He had surgery and is fine. He could have never passed it thru the colon. I pray your horse can resolve this problem. Hugs to you! |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | little_bug - 2018-01-14 6:42 PM Update: I do not want to get my hopes up but her last dose of banamine was at 6:30am and she is acting completely normal and much happier and standing quiet as of now. She got a tiny bit of grass hay. Fingers crossed!
Hope that your mare is still doing good tonight.  |
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Expert
Posts: 1302
Location: California | Southtxponygirl - 2018-01-14 6:19 PM little_bug - 2018-01-14 6:42 PM Update: I do not want to get my hopes up but her last dose of banamine was at 6:30am and she is acting completely normal and much happier and standing quiet as of now. She got a tiny bit of grass hay. Fingers crossed! Hope that your mare is still doing good tonight.
Well it has been 24 hours without pain meds and she is acting completely normal. Has had about a 1/2 flake of grass hay. I am praying this continues and she is on the mend. Thankful for gut instincts and gritty mares. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 695
Location: Windoming | little_bug - 2018-01-14 5:38 PM Liana D - 2018-01-14 10:19 AM Two other things that will cause those symptoms: Bots Tapeworms Good to know! Thank you. We did have bad bots this year but I worm regularly. In fact I did last week.
I wonder if there is a connection? |
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