Is it just my month for bad luck???

[christina_ski]

It's felt like this since the first!

Since June 1st, when Storm my stallion died of colic, I have had nothing but bad luck. Right after he died my filly Queenie coliced REALLY bad and we almsot lost her if I had not just happened to catch her started to show signs. It was real touch and go with her for 2 days, but with many rides in the trailer, tubings and trips to the vet we managed to get her over it

.

Then I geld Mercedes on tuesday and he has been colicing on and off since thursday! He has been to the vet Thursday, Friday and Saturday and will probably go back tomorrow

. We are treating him for sand colic as I checked his poo and quite a bit of sand came out, and he is on red cell as he tested slightly (5%) anemic but everything else looked normal. He has just not been himself, he walks around as if he is drugged, but when I ask him to roundpen for his gelding excersize he perks up, but then he will go right back to head on the ground. The vet checked his parts and it all looks great, he has been treated with banamine and antibiotics for the past few days. He has not shown a fever at all, or any other signs other then depressed after the gas colic on thursday. He has been eating his grain (A tiny bit mixed with his sand clear and red cell) and will eat grass when I let him out for it.

We have had 3 different horses, on 3 different feeds, in 3 different pens colic

. Is it just my month for bad luck

? And we had a friend just lose a colt to colic a few days ago, and it just seems like everything horse wise is kinda in turmoil right now around here. Please say a prayer and hope my boy gets better, altho my wallet sure is hurting

 

[Sixstardanes]

Hoping your baby gets better uber soon and that some good luck comes your way.

 

[eagles ring farm]

prayers for you little boy's quick return to health

hoping things turn around to the good for you and your wallet

 

[Mona]

WOW, that IS a lot of bad luck! I sure hope things start to improve real soon for you and your horses. Sending prayers for your boy!

 

[minie812]

WOW...so sorry for all the problems you are having to deal with.

 

[christina_ski]

Well looks like another trip to the vet in the morning. He was fine this afternoon, his attitude improved and he once again was nickering at me and excited and was calling to the other horses. And then tonight his belly was sucked up adn real flinchy, and he was hot to the touch and sweaty. His temp was 103.1, up from 102.7 this afternoon (I expected somewhat high this afternoon as it was in the high 90's) I am thinking he has an infection internally due to the gelding, and he had some antiobiotics last time at the vet and its about the time it would wear off and his fever is starting to spike again. I m suprised it didn't show up on the bloodwork, but it was pulled several hours after the antibiotics so it may have altered it.

Please still keep him in your prayers, I don't think I can handle losing another horse

 

[minih]

With that many colics it make me wonder why? Are they drinking plenty of water now that it has turned hot? You may need to try putting some gatorade in their water to entice them to drink extra, or adding water to their feed. This time of year colics are more often from not drinking enough.

Oops just read your last post, how long has it been since he was gelded?

 

[Marty]

Christina I'm going to jump in here and say that I feel there is a real problem going on to cause you so much grief lately. Here are somethings to check out:

Have you checked your feed and hay? If you feed sweet feed and left it in say the truck of your car or somewhere hot, it could go sour on you. Are your horses out side in the heat of the day? Could you be working your horses and not cooling them down enough? Maybe they are tying up and not really having a true with colic. Ulcers? Heat stroke is a very serious thing that can indeed lead to colic. You don't need to be working a horse in the heat for him to suffer a heat stroke. Sand too of course is a bad thing. Could you have any bad or posionous weeds growing? How about your bedding? Could it have been tainted somehow? I think you should go through every single thing you are doing and feeding with a fine tooth comb and try to find the common denometer of what the trouble could possibly be. Drinking, drinking and drinking.........maybe add some water to their feed to ensure hydration?

You surely do not deserve these problems so I really hope you can get to the bottom of all this fast. I am so sorry and hate all these bad things happening to a sweetie pie like you. Hugs, little one.

 

[christina_ski]

Christina I'm going to jump in here and say that I feel there is a real problem going on to cause you so much grief lately. Here are somethings to check out: Have you checked your feed and hay? If you feed sweet feed and left it in say the truck of your car or somewhere hot, it could go sour on you. Are your horses out side in the heat of the day? Could you be working your horses and not cooling them down enough? Maybe they are tying up and not really having a true with colic. Ulcers? Heat stroke is a very serious thing that can indeed lead to colic. You don't need to be working a horse in the heat for him to suffer a heat stroke. Sand too of course is a bad thing. Could you have any bad or posionous weeds growing? How about your bedding? Could it have been tainted somehow? I think you should go through every single thing you are doing and feeding with a fine tooth comb and try to find the common denometer of what the trouble could possibly be. Drinking, drinking and drinking.........maybe add some water to their feed to ensure hydration?

You surely do not deserve these problems so I really hope you can get to the bottom of all this fast. I am so sorry and hate all these bad things happening to a sweetie pie like you. Hugs, little one.

The first 2 horses who coliced were not on hay, just the short grasses growing in their pens. I pulled Mercedes hay from him as well just to see if it was the cause, but he continued to have off and on colic without it (I pulled it on thursday) The first was switched to brand new type of feed, so not sure on that. The second horse they did change the forumla so could have been that. The third is on his same pelleted feed (SafeChoice) he has been for months now. All 3 were fed out of brand new bags from different feed stores (One is nutrena, the other purina feeds) Neither of the first 2 were being worked, and it was still cool in the 60's -70's back then. Mercedes gets worked for his gelding but I do it early in the morning and late at night when its cool and walk him after he works to cool him down. The first 2 were true colics, and I believe this guy was a colic on thursday but am not sure what is going on now.

All 3 have been in different pens on different parts on the property, Mercedes is on a complete dry lot. I have searched all 3 and never found anything out of the ordinary as far as our plants or trees. They are not around anytype of bedding, they have shelters in their pens but we don't keep shavings in them as they attract pests etc. All 3 were drinking just fine, but all 3 went off grain the day they coliced. The first went off even grass, but this was the day before and day that he died. I have tried and tried to find what is in common with the three, but it just seems nothing is similar. All 3 pens are spread out from each other, all have penty of shade and cool water and they are drinking plenty, no unusual weeds or plants. No trash or anything like that. All acted just fine up until they coliced.

He is doing better this morning, his fever is gone. And his attitude is improving again, but will be taking him in again to get checked to make sure everything is fine. I also just had a kitten crash on me this morning, he was fine and healthy last night and was near death this morning, I am not sure if he will make it, so another trip to the vet

Please keep both Mercedes and Dinky Doo in your prayers

 

[Irish Hills Farm]

Gee Christina, I sure hope things turn around for you and soon. No one desires this much trouble.

 

[Valerie]

Wow.....3 horses and now a kitty? Are you sure it's not your water that is bad? Or maybe you have some sort of critter messing with the cat food & grain? I am not sure if you store all your feed outside & if your kitty is an outside kitty or not? Just tring to come up with ideas?

Boy, I sure hope you figure all of this out soon...........that is crazy bad luck.......... so very sorry this is all happening to you.......

 

[Hosscrazy]

I am so sorry to hear what you are going through - I had a bunch of colic years ago with my horses and not only got my water tested, but also took plant samples over to my local nursery. I thought the trees I had near my horses were "safe". Turns out they were loquat trees, and the seeds in the loquats have cyanide in them. Took out the trees and the problem was solved.

Sure hope you are able to isolate the source --

Take care,

Liz R.

 

[REO]

Wow Christina, I hope things get better for you and yours kids soon!

 

[christina_ski]

Well I lost my kitten yesterday, he fought so hard but never showed much improvment after his last crash. He was born outside and his mom was poisoned, so I took him in along with his 4 siblings to get them healthy enough they could go back out and have a chance. I lost his sister the day after, and now him 3 weeks later. The others are doing well and they will be heading back outside, it was hard to lose him after I brought him back from the brink several times over the past few weeks. He was such a character, even tho he was blind he would follow me around the house and would definatly let you know when he needed food lol. He has half the size of your normal 3 month old cat, but he never knew it. Rest in peace Dinky.

My gelding Mercedes is doing better, once I started treating him for ulcers his attitude improved tremedously. He had been having alot of pain in his back (or so I thought) turn out he has injured his right hind stifle. I think he did it the day before he was gelded trying to fight with another stallion through the fence since he was fine at the show that weekend. And I did not notice since he was gelded and would be walking like he was painfull anyways. I am hoping he will improve and by Nationals since he will be my only horse going, right now other then his leg he is back to normal. He is excited about eating and will woof down his food again, he is drinking water without me soaking his feed. And he is acting otherwise normal then the pain in that leg.

Thanks for all the prayers

 

[hobbyhorse23]

My goodness Christina, what a lot of ups and downs! I'm glad he's doing better but what a bummer about the kitten. I'm so sorry.

Leia