| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| RedHoopWoman |
Posted - Dec 19 2011 : 12:44:59 PM
This day sure could have gone alot better,I got up this morning to my Daughter's new little Arab mare having spasms and collapsing and rolling and she's got a full blown bout of colic.
Yesterday she was scouring and depressed acting but otherwise eating and exercising in pasture so I let her be but today she's bad off so I've so far dosed her with an IV injection of banamine and found a couple of her manure piles,they are almost entirely sand,I don't know how she's managed to get this much sand considering she's been always fed off the ground.
So I have now tubed her and pumped some mineral oil down into her stomach and am keeping my vet posted as to her condition,the weather is bad and he's got two other horses down that need alot of treatment so I'm kind of flying solo right now,hopefully it will resolve for her.
I'm going out to check on her every twenty minutes,looking for a change in her,I hope that banamine kicks in soon.
Please keep little Missy in your prayers if you will,she's a lovely little horse and I hope she gets a break on this colic soon!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| RedHoopWoman |
Posted - Jan 16 2012 : 07:48:50 AM
Jo thank you for your thoughts, sand colic is terrible,it's one of the most prevalent types around here and can be so hard to resolve,in this mare's case we had managed to clear out most of her impaction but she developed a secondary infection,the peritonitis and that's what actually did her in,it was really sad.
I feed psyllium but my vet said that doing so sometimes gives horse owners a false sense of security because it's only about twenty percent effective at removing sand,it is good though for horses because it feeds the intestinal flora but as far as removing sand,it's not as good as it's hyped up to be and my vet says preventing it by feeding off the ground and not allowing a horse to go onto close cropped pastures are much more effective.
I'm sorry to hear about your horse too,it can come on real suddenly,before it was evident that this mare was colicking she just had a mild scour,sand colic can really get the drop on a person.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
| mudpony farmgirl |
Posted - Jan 14 2012 : 08:38:28 AM
So sorry to hear about the loss of your horse. I lost one myself to what the vet guessed was sand colic last summer. He didn't start showing symptoms until it was too late to do anything. It's never easy.
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| RedHoopWoman |
Posted - Jan 06 2012 : 12:52:22 PM
Lorie it sure is hard when a horse dies,I've lost several through the years as I've had horses all my life,I think the one that has stuck with me most was my twenty year old Thoroughbred,he was a big 17.2 HH bay and just about the best horse I've ever had and when we put him down I was just beside myself,we had done so much together and if I didn't have Red at the time I might have quit horses altogether with the way that I felt at the time.
I'm sorry to hear about your vet troubles,I have a wonderful vet who always does his best for my horses and is also so willing to teach me whenever he's working on my horses,he's a real old timer and has been involved in the rodeo circuit,the racetrack and then been a mobile vet for so many years and is about the friendliest guy I know,a good vet is worth thier weight in gold but there are some out there who can be very arrogant and neglectful,I've heard alot of horror stories and am so glad to know that when I call my vet I can be sure he'll do his best for my horse to whatever end there is.
We experience so many things with horses,we can have moments of glory with them and moments of miserable heartsick and disaster,it's just a hell of a thing sometimes that things can change so fast and they can be gone so quick.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
| queenmushroom |
Posted - Jan 06 2012 : 08:10:15 AM
I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your little Missy. I remember when my horse died. I was upset for a very long time. That was 20 some odd years ago. If I knew then what I know now, there would have been hell to pay on the part of the vet and receptionist. But that is water under the bridge. Since then, this vet was taken to the boards twice...once for abusing a puppy before the puppy was neutered (too long of a story) and once for not going out on an equine emergency. He claimed, with the horse, that he had never seen that particular horse and refused to come out, even though the owner had a sack of coggins test papers for that horse an inch thick with his name on it. I will never go to that vet for anything ever again.
Once again. I am sorry for your loss.
Lorie
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
| RedHoopWoman |
Posted - Jan 06 2012 : 07:38:41 AM
Thank you Mary,I do appreciate the healing thoughts and kind words,we're doing alright and Raven says she wants to wait a little while before getting another horse,losing Missy was hard for her,she has an older horse who has navicular and is no longer rideable so we had high hopes for that little mare to kind of take his place and she was doing so well in her training.
I'm keeping my eyes open for another horse that will be suitable for her though not in a big hurry just yet,she likes riding my big dressage gelding and so I loan her to him for rides,maybe I might just give her Red entirely and look for another horse for myself,I've been kicking that idea around too.
Thanks again for the sweet words,we'll get this girl going with another horse fairly soon.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
| MaryLD |
Posted - Jan 03 2012 : 7:59:30 PM
Kathryn,
We all live and die by the kind of stuff you are going through!!! None of us ever want to be all alone when this kind of stuff is happening. I am sending love and prayers to you, to Raven, and in memory of the lost mare.
May happier times be on the next horizon.
Mary
Haflingers- You can't have just one!
( I'm just one short of a drill team!) |
| RedHoopWoman |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 11:25:14 AM
Thank you ladies for the kind words,it's been rough thes epast couple weeks,I was heartsick over that mare and even though I hated to lose her I was relieved for her when we did put her down because I had said to my Husband several times that I thought that mare was dying and that maybe there was more than colic going on with her,if I had known she had developed peritonitis sooner I would have put her down sooner to ease her suffering,it was such a miserably cold night on the night we put her down and I just feel heartsick that the last night she had was full of pain and cold and I think that bothers me more than anything.
I was so sick,we put that mare down,I came in the house and went right to bed and stayed there until Christmas and then went right back to bed when that was over!
Anyways,I'm getting better and getting around and getting things done,I have a colt that still needs some training work before his owners pick him up but I'm going to hold off for awhile,this ear infection has yet to clear up and I feel so off balance,I'm not sure I want to climb up on a colt that's a little snorty until I get to feeling back to normal :)
I have had alot of good help through all this,my Brother even came out from the Springs and helped throw hay and bury the horse and raven (my Daughter) has been doing all the small animal chores so I've got a good support system.
Well ladies,I hope all is well for you,thanks for listening to all this depressing stuff and offering support,I try not to be such a bummer and promise to be back to normal again soon!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
| forgetmenot |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 08:34:29 AM
Kathryn, I'm so sorry you lost your little Missy. I agree that sometimes its hard to let go, but the kindest thing to do. It sounds like you did all you could.
We had that bug around here too. It just keeps going round and round.
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the belief that something is more important than fear." Ambrose Red Moon |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 07:19:07 AM
Kathryn - I am so sorry to read that you had to make that decision - it is never an easy one and I have had to do that many times of the years of caring for animals. Sometimes the kindest thing to do is love them enough to let them go... I know your daughters heart is breaking and please let her know that I am with her and your family in the lose.
Also, I am very sorry to read you were down with that bug that is going around. I know many folks who are struggling with it and I am working hard to fend it off. You are lucky to have others around you to pick up the work while you heal. I hope it all will be gone very soon and that you will be back 100% very soon. I am sending healing thoughts your way.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
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| RedHoopWoman |
Posted - Jan 01 2012 : 1:20:27 PM
Hi Ladies,
So sorry to leave you all hanging on this one,I got real sick with some flu-like plague then developed a horrible ear infection that needed treatment and so I haven't been online or getting around very much since just before Christmas.
Now the big bummer,little Arab mare developed peritonitis,my vet was treating her aggressively but she got real bad off and so we elected to put her down,it was a terrible thing and my Daughter was real upset but we hit the wall in treating her and could do no more for her,she was on antibiotics and fluid therapy but it didn't seem to be bringing her around.
Well everyone,sorry to be such a bummer with bad news,thank you all for the well wishes,I do appreciate the support.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
| Megan |
Posted - Dec 27 2011 : 08:47:07 AM
any updates on the little mare.
Coloic is so hard to deal with, i had a mare almost die from it and never has had a case since, other it just keeps coming back.
I hope this was a one time deal!
www.rockriverexoticsandkennel.net |
| Lieberkim |
Posted - Dec 24 2011 : 07:05:48 AM
Hope the little mare is still improving. This time of year colic seems to pop up. Silly horse, why would she eat so much sand? I'm thinking it doesn't taste that good. And if you've got mineral available for her, I just don't know. Sometimes animals do strange things, or maybe we're just to dense to figure out what they are telling us!!!! Do keep us updated on how she's doing. I fall to pieces when anything happens to my horses. Just over a year ago I lost my mare Nevada, had her 18 years. Now I'm all worried something will happen to my Hijuelo (he'll be 21 this spring).
Excuse the mess & the noise, my children are making happy memories |
| MEWolf |
Posted - Dec 23 2011 : 8:46:50 PM
Lorena,
Kathryn and I live in Colorado and the soil out here is sandy! I was surprised too when we moved here. It is really important to feed the horses out here psyllium so they do not get a build up. Even then it i snot fool-proof.
Merry Christmas!
Margaret
“Kind hearts are the gardens, kind thoughts are the roots, kind words are the flowers, kind deeds are the fruits. Take care of your garden and keep out the weeds, fill it with sunshine, kind words and kind deeds.” ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1808-1882)
Farmgirl #3020
www.grey-wolf-farm.com |
| queenmushroom |
Posted - Dec 23 2011 : 2:19:44 PM
what an awful time of year to be dealing with colic. Sorry to hear about your mare. Could be stress related (new home) but where on earth did she get so much sand? I've never personally dealt with colic, but a close friend of mine would also dose with mineral oil to help slide things through. Just a thought. Good luck.
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
| walkinwalkoutcattle |
Posted - Dec 22 2011 : 1:10:20 PM
Colic is such an awful thing to go through-for you AND the horse! I constantly worry about colic. I almost had to call the vet out once, but luckily it turned out to be food agression (Who knew horses could have food aggression?). The horse is alone in the pasture, so the only other animals he'd come in contact with were chickens, cats and dogs. But whenever I'd come around with food he'd get really irritated and act like he was trying to roll, and trying to pee, but wouldn't---anyway, I'm glad everyone's animals are alright! :)
Farmgirl #2879 :)
Starbucks and sushi to green fried tomatoes and corn pudding-I wouldn't change it for the world.
www.cattleandcupcakes.blogspot.com
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| MaryLD |
Posted - Dec 21 2011 : 5:50:48 PM
I'm sending lots of support and healing thoughts your way. I'm so glad you can do all the basic vet care, esp in the weather were are having, with the vet having been busy.
Sooo nerve wracking when an animal is ill. All us farmgirls are praying she will pull through!
Mary LD
Haflingers- You can't have just one!
( I'm just one short of a drill team!) |
| MEWolf |
Posted - Dec 21 2011 : 4:21:34 PM
Hi Kathryn, I will keep you and Sweet Missy in my thoughts, and send you "positude" that she recovers. This is a tough time, especially with the weather. We feed psyllium too, but switched to a twice a week instead of once a month, because our Vet recommended we switch. Apparently once a month does not do it for most horses.
Hang in there Darlin!
Margaret
“Kind hearts are the gardens, kind thoughts are the roots, kind words are the flowers, kind deeds are the fruits. Take care of your garden and keep out the weeds, fill it with sunshine, kind words and kind deeds.” ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1808-1882)
Farmgirl #3020
www.grey-wolf-farm.com |
| RedHoopWoman |
Posted - Dec 21 2011 : 11:07:26 AM
Anna we must have been typing at the same time,yes I feed psylium on a regular basis,I do a monthly purge (seven day) with it but we haven't had this horse but a month and so she's only had one purge week since we got her and apparently it wasn't quite enough.
She was fed on the ground at her previous owners and so I'm thinking she's had a long term build-up but there's been so much sand in her bowels that it almost causes me to wonder if she's actually been eating it deliberately,either in search of minerals or some deficiency.
She has access here to both a mineral block and loose trace minerals as well as a salt block so I can't imagine why she would do this but sometimes animals and the things that happen with them don't always make sense to us.
Sand colic is one of the most prevalent types around here and I tried to take precautions by feeding in a tub over a mat and feeding sand clear but it still managed to strike me.
I'll keep all you gals posted on the mare.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
| RedHoopWoman |
Posted - Dec 21 2011 : 11:01:58 AM
Megan I'm glad your mule is better and that you can resolve the cause of his colic,sometimes with older equines it can help to just adjust the diet to deal with thier impaired digestive ability or teeth wear,I know a lady who ran her hay through a chipper shredder for her donkey that was old and had worn teeth and that worked well for her.
As my thoroughbred aged he progressively became a harder keeper and also had COPD so I went from soaking his hay to feeding a complete senior feed until we finally had to put him down due to his breathing difficulties.
Anyways,little Arab mare seemed to be getting better and responding to treatment but she's relapsed and back in a sorry state again,the vet came out last night and gave her some water through a nasogastric tube and pulled a bunch of manure out,it is is sand that is her problem.
She's still on banamine and if she doesn't start coming around I'll probably haul her to the vet clinic and see where to go from there.
My vet and I are in agreement that if it comes down to surgery that we will probably put her down because we're both not fans of the odds of recovery and long term health after colic surgery.
I would hate to come to that point because she's a great little mare and I would hate to lose her and my Daughter's other horse has got navicular and arthritis and we were making plans to put him down soon,we;ve been keeping him going with corrective shoeing,medications and such but it's getting about that time for him to ride on ahead.
What a bummer of a week and all coming up to Christmas and more bad weather coming in,I'm trying not to get down but I'm starting to be visited a bit by the chicken of depression.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
| Annab |
Posted - Dec 21 2011 : 11:00:05 AM
Have you thought about feeding your mare Sandclear or psyllium husk powder a few times a week?
Or do you do this already?
When I was a zookeeper at the zoo near Palm Springs (nothing BUT sand everywhere) we dosed the zebras with psyllium husk I think twice a week. While still working there I remember loosing one that had a sand bollus as big as a small basketball. So from that point on, the zebras were fed in bunk style feeders welloff the concrete pads.
HOpe your horse is feeling beetr in a few days!
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| Megan |
Posted - Dec 21 2011 : 09:41:26 AM
My Mule is doing ok know, not sure how old he is and thinking that we might need to change his diet, or possibly his pen mate.
Glad to here that your mare is on the mend.
www.rockriverexoticsandkennel.net |
| RedHoopWoman |
Posted - Dec 20 2011 : 2:09:39 PM
Hi Ladies,sorry I didn't get back last night,the mare is doing a little better,I've got her on banamine and she seems alot more comfortable today,we had alot of snow blow in last night and the vet was attending some other serious cases so I called it off on him coming out last night and today we're just watching the mare to see how well she does,so far she seems better but still a little depressed,she's eating and pasing some manure,there's an awful lot of sand in it,so much that I'm starting to wonder if she's been eating it on purpose,she's been pooping almost pure green sand!
I've seen sand in horse manure before but never this much,she's got access to minerals so I can't see why she would actually eat it on purpose or if she did but I'm really bewildered at the amount of sand she's passing.
I feed psyllium once a month but am going to start adding beet pulp as part of the regular ration,everything I've researched said that it can also help move sand through the digestive tract.
We haven't had her very long and the place she was at before they fed her on the ground so I'm wondering if I'm dealing with an accumulation that has taken place over a long time or if she's consumed that much sand since she's been in our corral,it is sandy here but we've got mats down and I feed her in a tub.
Anyways,we're still watching her,I'm not quite sure she's entirely done yet with this but I'm holding off for now,watching her and if she seems to get bad again I'm going to have the vet out now that the roads are clear.
We got quite a fairly abrupt snowfall that made last night miserable but Colorado is strange and it's nice today.
Megan,I hope your mule is doing well,my Husband is the same way,he looks at this mare and wonders what all the fuss is about and thinks she looks fine but when you've been around horses a long while you get to where you can see these things more acutely!
I hope all is well for you ladies and your animals,I will let you know if there are any changes,thank you for your well wishes for little Missy!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
| StrawHouseRanch |
Posted - Dec 20 2011 : 10:20:39 AM
Megan, Were you able to save your mule? Mine went down one night right before a big thunderstorm. I just happened to notice right before I went inside for the evening that she was rolling and spent the night with her in the barn, keeping her upright and moving. Thankfully she got over it without the vet's assistance, who was off taking care of sick cattle that evening.
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
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| StrawHouseRanch |
Posted - Dec 20 2011 : 10:16:49 AM
Kathryn, How is your horse doing today? I can do a lot of things for my horses, but I think tubing them would be a reach for me. I'm glad you were able to manage it though, and I hope it did the job.
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
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| Kim L. |
Posted - Dec 20 2011 : 09:53:55 AM
Kathryn, I hope she is doing better today. It seems like they always pick the worst weather days to colic :(
~Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.~
Mother Teresa
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