Colt with strange colic symptoms

[MiLo Minis]

A colt I sold to a neighbour last year has come down with colic symptoms but they are a little strange. His new owner called me yesterday to ask if I would come take a look at him. She had been walking him and he hadn't had a poop overnight. He was on his feet but obviously in some discomfort and cramping but not in agony or anything. No sweating, rolling, biting or pawing. He would lay quietly on his back with his feet in the air which made me suspect constipation. We gave him an enema, some banamine and some fluids (pedialyte) and walked him some more. He produced some liquid stool that was more or less just cleaning out his butt from the enema. She continued to walk and allow him to lay and rest for the rest of the day. He pooped! A full sized normal looking poop. When the banamine started to wear off he was again obviously in some discomfort. More banamine. More normal poop. Called the vet, He gave him a laxative, a muscle relaxant and a much stronger pain killer. He was fine, ate, drank and pooped. The vet suspected an intussusception so took a blood sample for testing but the white blood cell count was normal which is counterindicative. He had only 2 suggestions euthansia or surgery, at $5000 to start, which is not an option.

As he seems to have no trouble passing feces we have been allowing him to eat and drink, have kept him on banamine. He is playing with his pasture mate and quite feisty until the banamine starts to wear off, he then gets crampy again.

Has anyone else had a horse present these symptoms and get past it? Does anyone have any ideas what else we could do for him?

 

[MyBarakah]

ULCER!!!!!!!!!!! That would be my findings... I would put him on Ulcer Guard ASAP..... but sounds like a ulcer to me!

 

[Nuzzle]

Ulcers! I had a horse with the exact same symptoms as what your explaining. My vet treated him with mineral oil/electrolyte solution and banamine and did blood work. He would relapse every two weeks. Turned out he had Ulcers. He too would lay up on his back and have all the colic symptoms without the distress. I suspect thats what's going on here also. I ended up giving my guy Gastro guard for 3 weeks then switching him over to 1/4 cup Aloe Vera Juice 2x day (per vets advice) and he has had no problems since. My guy is a big worry wart and seems to do really well maintaining on the Aloe. I hope this is all it is and nothing more serious. Have your neighbor ask their vet about ulcers. Good luck!

 

[rockin r]

I agree ULCERS!!! "Usually" when a horse lays on his back, feet up in the air it is ulcers. I would also put him on ulcer guard if he were mine....Good Luck... Maybe pass this by your vet...

 

[attwoode]

Classic signs of Ulcers. Gastroguard works great. You need a vet prescription - don't fool around with over the counter unless you have to use something until vet arrives. Ulcers are caused by stress or feed restriction and worsen with banamine! Be very careful with banamine as this will get worse!

Ask a vet for directions, but consider avoiding NSAIDS like banamine and offering some food. If ulcers, mineral oil will only prevent uptake of nutrients. If you treat for colic when it is ulcers, you can be in for a huge problem.

 

[Mona]

I agree 110% with the other replies here...ULCERS! As soon as I heard the laying on his back with his feet in the air, that was the clincher!

 

[disneyhorse]

Yep, sounds like ulcers to me, too. My vet said often they will play with their water, too.

Feed hay as often as possible to buffer the stomach, they say the calcium in alfalfa hay is helpful, too. Get him UlcerGard or GastroGuard for at least a week and see if symptoms decrease.

Then, a daily dose of Cimetidine or Ranitidine will help, the vet can prescribe and it's pretty cheap overall, especially for a mini.

Watch out for the Banamine and Butes, as they will aggravate the issue over time.

Good luck,

Andrea

 

[JourneysEnd]

Classic signs of Ulcers. Gastroguard works great. You need a vet prescription - don't fool around with over the counter unless you have to use something until vet arrives. Ulcers are caused by stress or feed restriction and worsen with banamine! Be very careful with banamine as this will get worse!
Ask a vet for directions, but consider avoiding NSAIDS like banamine and offering some food. If ulcers, mineral oil will only prevent uptake of nutrients. If you treat for colic when it is ulcers, you can be in for a huge problem.

Ulcergard is the exact same formula as Gastrogard. Gastrogard is just labeled in an RX dose which makes it a vet rx.

You can get ulcergard on line for around $30 a tube (the best price I've found so far). 1 tube will do 4 - 6 doses for a mini. It's labeled 1/4 tube per day (for large horses) as a preventative. Gastrogard is labeled 1 tube per day (for large horses) as a cure.

 

[attwoode]

Gastroguard is about $30-40 a tube and the sooner the better. It's much cheaper than either other option and a tube will last a week for a 200lb mini. Ulcers are extremely dangerous. The gut can perforate and also release toxins into bloodstream. If the horse goes off feed you can end up with hyperlipidemia, which is often fatal. Acting quickly will possibly avoid further complications and even laminitis that could result. The good news is that horses can recover very well when caught in the early stages.

 

[wendi leigh]

"He would lay quietly on his back with his feet in the air"

I've found this to be a classic ulcer symptom rather than a colic symptom. I agree with the other posts, GastroGard or Ulcergard asap. They both cost about the same, but the Gastrogard is stronger and I've found it works faster. Good luck with the colt.

 

[Marty]

I'd stake my life on it's an ulcer. Vets always seem to confuse the symptoms as they can be so alike. And do not use banamine for sure; makes things worse. We do ulcerguard for a full 30 days or more followed with cimedine off the counter; plus a 5 day dose of Safeguard. You should see improvement in about 3 days but keep up the ulcerguard for the duration. He is stressed for some reason so why you are helping them out, try to find the cause of it which of course will help the cure.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

I have two comments!

TREAT THIS COLT FOR ULCERS!

The second comment.... tell them to find a REAL VET! OOPS! Maybe that should be my first comment!

(OH MY! Maybe I need my caffeine, but for pete's sake, is the vet blind, deaf with an IQ of 2? Euthanasia or surgery? Come on!!!

Robin

 

[Carolyn R]

And while he is on a full course of treatment for ulcers, make sure his hay is good quality soft hay, nothing with harsh couse fiber or stalks. She doesn't need to upset a system that is already compromised.

 

[Genie]

I would agree with the ulcer diagnosis.

I have had to treat two weanlings, at different times, due to both of them being in a group situation and getting more than their share of some of the good stuff.

They were quite sick and needed tubing due to dehydration.

Once we started the ulcer meds and really cut back on hay and no sweet feed pellets they are both fine.

If you need the ulcer med name that our vet provided I could provide.

 

[MiLo Minis]

Thank you so much for all your help. Over 40 years with horses and I have never seen one with an ulcer (knock on wood and prayers said!) We took him off the banamine and fed him nothing and he is much better this morning. Sue is going to put a call in to the vet first thing to get some stomach buffer (not sure if we have Gastroguard here or not as I have used a different stomach buffer along with banamine) and we will start him on that.

I was also more than a little upset with the vet when Sue called me in tears to say that he suggested surgery was the only resort and, if surgery wasn't an option, then euthansia.

Once again THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP!!!!! I will let you know how it goes.

 

[txminipinto]

Probably ulcers, but I once dealt with a filly at Nationals that had a large entrolith that presented with similar symptoms.

 

[Erica]

Probably ulcers, but I once dealt with a filly at Nationals that had a large entrolith that presented with similar symptoms.

Yep Carin I too have had one present with the same symptoms, a gelding I bought, that had a VERY large entrolith......

I haven't had much dealings with ulcers at all, only one horse, and my only colic/impaction/entrolith was the above one as well.

 

[Riverdance]

I have two comments! TREAT THIS COLT FOR ULCERS!

The second comment.... tell them to find a REAL VET! OOPS! Maybe that should be my first comment!

(OH MY! Maybe I need my caffeine, but for pete's sake, is the vet blind, deaf with an IQ of 2? Euthanasia or surgery? Come on!!!

Robin

I agree whole heartedly with Robin,

That vet should be

(yea Berry Fairy, be scared)

How he can say that he would do surgery (which wll not work for ulcers) or put him to sleep. YOU NEED A NEW VET!!

Classic symptoms of an ulcer.

 

[ChrystalPaths]

I rarely speak up but gee

Yes ulcers. I went thru this my Thera, exactly so, Gastro guard at $30+ a tube was OMG! But my vet agreed to try Carafate (thanks Robin still and always), yes time consuming 6 times a day but it's a cheap pill crushed & dissolved in water or aloe vera juice and syringed into the mouth. Mind the feed, soft hay and in about 4 weeks you'll see a new horse but continue the carafate for another 2 weeks then watch.he may well be one who needs daily prevention...NOTE I am NOT a vet but my experience and feelings are this. Ypur vet can tell you doseage and the decreasing amount over weeks.

 

[MiLo Minis]

This is NOT my vet that I am dealing with but when we called this morning he did say he had considered ulcers. Don't know why he didn't get on the phone and let us know that! Anyway, he has given us some Omeprazole which is the prime ingredient in Ulcergard only in a stronger solution. 25 days worth. Custer has good grass hay, leafy not stemmy. I will be discussing the possible stresses that have brought him to this with his mom and see what we can do to eliminate them. He got his last dose of banamine around 5 yesterday and hasn't had any since. This morning he is quite perky, obviously feeling much better, and pooped quite nicely all night long.

Funny story: Sue had to work today so I drove in to the vet's to pick up the Omeprazole. When I got back to her place Custer was laying flat out on his side with his back to me on some hay in the sun. I pulled up to the fence in my truck. NO movement. I got out, slammed the truck door, and called "Custer". NO movement. My stomach flip flopped and my heart pounded. I got to the gate and as soon as I rattled the chain to open it he lifted his head and gave me a look that said "OH NO NOT YOU AGAIN. Can't you give a boy a rest without needles or bugging me in any other way?" I have been the one giving him his needles and taking turns keeping him on his feet. He doesn't love his grandma any more!

I have great hopes that this treatment works for him and I can't thank all of you enough for your good advice. Thank you thank you thank you!!!! (darn vets

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